The work of pale blaze emerges from the intersection and intellectual exploration of numerous fields of science and the pursuit of aesthetic wonder. The core principle of her pursuit is the concept that the phenomenon of sight is conveyed by light. This seemingly commonplace notion, however, gains phenomenal complexity when examined against the backdrop of ‘optical media’, which include water, glass and some forms of acrylic resin.

At the intersection of optics and design, pale blaze sculptures stand as a testament to the duality of light. Just as photons exist in the form of both particles and waves, these design elements function as objects and foils of perceptual complexity. This is owed to the fact that (because of non-linear refractive indices or resistance), lightwaves don’t travel through optical media in straight lines but by way of a curved matrix.  The light appears as diffuse or bundled, depending on a host of physical variables, which pale blaze enjoys exploring. Optical media can create optical illusions if one combines analytical techniques with visual insight to create a rich arsenal of elegant tools.

pale blaze chooses to work with the optical medium of richly chromatic, translucent acrylic resin to take advantage of how light passing through it creates a dynamic tension between the material’s light-absorbing and diffusing planes and its light-emitting polished edges.  With sculptural juxtapositions between edges and planes, the pieces echo the material quality of water and atmosphere while overall transmuting light into compelling visceral emanations. The intensity of light emanating from the objects polished edges, produces a distinct visual drama, one that evolves with the path of the sun.

The sculptures function like lightning rods for human optical and psychological experience - colors shift, forms dissolve, perspectives are challenged, dimensions are diminished, and solidity appears to become illusory. The interplay between acrylic resin and light creates a sensation of perpetual flux and movement, a phenomenon both evanescent and consuming.

Observed in full sun, pale blaze pieces present a mutable experience, one that pushes the viewer to both look and ‘see.’ They lead us to fully engage our sensoria and submit to perceptual expansion. Despite the formal composition, the sculptures behave as shapeshifters, malleable in the presence of sunlight. They cast a stirring array of crisp, color-saturated shadows that shift with the path of the sun.

The experience of light varies widely around the globe - from the pale sun of northern latitudes to the blazing rays of the equator. Geography aside, light is an ephemeral phenomenon that is continuously in flux. Studying light is an exercise in studying time and place, the cycles of seasons, and the many elements that make up our visual world.  The work of pale blaze are a sculptural ode to light’s infinite variations.

The collection invites viewers to contemplate the quantum nature of light - particle and wave, energy, and the human process of capturing sensory information from their surroundings. pale blaze’s objects sculpt light into animate compositions. Their translucent acrylic planes act as both canvas and brush, painting a room with subtle gradients and streaks of color. With their specific uptake of light, these pieces optically weave into their environment, responding to subtle changes in atmosphere and ambience.

Drawing inspiration from the natural world’s play of light on and in water, pale blaze sculptures can evoke the splendor of sunsets and shimmering waves. When one dives underwater, the optics of light are reconfigured, and one’s senses are recalibrated. Together with a sense of relative weightlessness, an experience of meditative tranquility can emerge. The pale blaze sculptures seek to emulate the sensation of immersion, tapping into an aesthetic experience that is both alluring and disorienting.