Magnolia X soulangiana – study 1, acrylic paint, Jade glue, watercolor paper, and museum board, 14 X 18 X 6 inches

This is a machine to generate the colors that the white and pink magnolia blossoms would have produced in a variety of light conditions. I applied different light sources (daylight and incandescent) of varying characteristics (distance, focus) to pink and white surfaces. Light reflects off a colored “floor” plane, and then off a perforated, warped, and irregularly angled surface. The “back wall” plane is white museum board that has taken on a rose/peach glow from light reflected off the intensely “floor” plane. The front-most surface of the paper fragment in accordion fold is painted to echo this glow. The different grays are documentation of the changing colors of shadows cast by the paper fragments throughout the day. The lighter, bluer greys are from the day, when the bluish day light lightens the dark shadows resulting from the incandescent light. Here the bright pink color source is visible. How does this affect perception of the much more muted whites and grays?