Week 9: Variety

On my walk home the other night, I was struck by this view of the School of Business. I walk by it just about every night on my way home, and I’ve always seen that it was lit up, even late at night, but this time, I realized how many different kinds of light there are in that one glimpse, and how each light gives such a different feeling. The sign itself has each letter lit up from behind. That gives a very store-front, city feel, although one that is very different from a neon sign. Neon signs, to me, give a sense of commercialism and advertising and merchandise, but in a very tourist-trap gaudy way. Cutout letters lit from behind, on the other hand, feels like a much higher end classy retail store. But definitely still gives a lot of focus. That almost brands the school as being both important and classy. Then, we have the bare bulb, almost christmas lights-like set up in the courtyard, which gives a much more festive, party atmosphere. That more seems like the outdoor area of a restaurant or party venue. This makes it feel celebratory, fun, exciting nightlife kind of a thing. Then, the individual sconces on the stairwells feel a bit foreboding, a big contrast to the other lights. It’s worth noting at this moment that the sign and christmas lights have a much brighter, bluer quality to the light, while the star lights and inside lights are much duller and warmer. The lights in the stairwell certainly light up the walls and stairs, but not fully. Of course if I were actually there I’d be able to see just fine, but it’s not a full light up there way it is inside. It’s still more just areas of light to get through. And to be honest, the way the lights glow, and allow for darker spots, it’s a bit ominous. It almost looks like a creepy motel like you’d see in a movie, where you know something bad is going to happen. And then when you turn your attention to the inside, it’s just your run of the mill fluorescent ceiling lights. It’s funny, I usually think go those as cool, but they are much warmer than the outdoor party lights. But still, they feel very sterile and clinical. It is very much a business inside (which of course, makes sense, but it’s that much more of a contrast given the sign and bulbs outside). I have always had a basic understanding that fluorescent lights in a room feel very different from incandescent bulbs, but overall, it can be a bit hard for me to grasp how different strokes of light feel different ways. This was a good example of that. Of course, a lot of it was based on color of the light, as well as the kind of fixture, but it definitely gives a good context for how the light feels. Different colors, bulbs, fixtures, and the way the light is thrown onto surfaces, definitely implies a specific story.