Light is an important component of the Bloch Building. The very structure of the building uses both exterior and interior light to create a pleasant glow on both the inside and outside. According to our lighting specialist extraordinaire, there are three main types of light in the Bloch galleries.
The first is daylight. With the majority of the building underground, the glass lenses allow daylight to flow down into the galleries below. Depending on the time of day and the weather, the effect is strikingly different.
The second and third types of light are artificial. There are 1,971 track fixtures that will hold tungsten-halogen lamps to illuminate both the space and the art. Every one of these track fixtures will have an ultraviolet filter installed, to protect the art.
The other type of artificial light is fluorescent lamps that are hidden in the ceiling coves and that light up the lenses. At night, over 900 fluorescent lamps create a gorgeous glow. The lights are turned on from time to time so if you drive by some evening, you might get to see a little magic.
Comments (4)
Are UV filters all that are necessary to protect the art? And is that specific to oil paintings only?
Thank you,
Dave
Posted by Dave Smith | January 17, 2007 3:40 PM
Posted on January 17, 2007 15:40
Dave:
Thank you for your question. The answer from our lighting specialist, Clint Paugh, follows:
UV filters are essential, as ultraviolet rays, which are not visible to the human eye, are the most harmful to the art. Light that is in the visible spectrum is also harmful, and that is why we control the amount of light we put on our art objects.
Different types of art, based on the materials, have different industry standards for how much light should be on them. We measure the amount of light by what we call footcandles. Oil paintings can have up to 25 footcandles, while some works on paper have light level restrictions as low as 5 footcandles.
Most of our 3-dimensional objects also have light level restrictions, as wood, fiber and lacquer are all light sensitive. But a few materials, such as bronze and marble, do not have light level restrictions.
Posted by Jodi Olson-Kidney | January 18, 2007 11:38 AM
Posted on January 18, 2007 11:38
On the subject of lighting, I've been wondering for years about the painting 'Brutality' by (forgive me if I get this wrong) John Douglas, in the South(?) stairway. It's positioned and lighted in such a way that there is always a glare, preventing you from seeing the whole painting at any one time. Over the years I've submitted comment cards to no avail and no response. Recently however it's returned to my attention as I noticed a painting in the east stairwell featuring a girl with a violin. For this painting the same lighting problem was solved with the addition of track lighting. Granted it's a smaller painting than Brutality, but it seems this monumental painting, by a native of the area, if I remember correctly, a painting which won third place at the Paris Academy show, and bore enough social significance to be removed by order of the public, warrants presentation at least comparable to the rest of the museums wonderfully admirable appearance.
Respectfully,
Tim Nummela
Posted by Tim Nummela | March 2, 2007 1:23 AM
Posted on March 2, 2007 01:23
Brutality is a wonderful painting, and we are well aware of its less-than-perfect lighting. With the upcoming renovations to the American galleries, the area in which Brutality hangs will receive improved lighting. We are all looking forward to it.
Posted by Margi Conrads | March 6, 2007 1:58 PM
Posted on March 6, 2007 13:58