Within the Angles of Incidence

Cathy Cunningham-Little

Exhibition: May 8 – Aug 31, 2014


Where does the title for your exhibition come from?

An “angle of incidence” is a measure of deviation of something from “straight on,” in this instance a light ray to a glass surface. “Incidence” also refers to the frequency with which something occurs. In this work there are multiple angles created as the structure rotates.

How is this piece different from your previous work?

This is my first time to experiment with movement. I thought Artpace was my opportunity to see what happens—to see how far I could mix and throw the colors. My work is usually viewed in a dim environment, so for this project I was trying to create one entity that has two aspects. In daylight, it is barely visible, a subtle effect, with simple geometric shapes created by glass edges. I am using the light and glass edges to create what looks like a drawing where the transmitted color will change throughout the day. As it gets darker, the piece takes on a very different personality and becomes really vivid and lively. You can consider the daytime view a whisper and the nighttime a shout. It challenges close observation during the sun’s daily cycle and looks at the visibility of time.

Your work seems to connect closely with science; tell us more about that.

I think my work is connected with science, obviously, because I use natural phenomena that can be described in scientific terms. I am currently talking with experts to enhance my understanding of my work and its relation to science. I want to embrace a more calculated strategy, but I like the physical, the hands-on, and the moment of a surprise discovery.

Time lapse by Mark Menjivar.

Artist

Cathy Cunningham-Little

San Antonio, Texas, USA

Cathy Cunningham-Little uses neon, light, wire, string, and other materials in a variety of ways to explore the phenomena of perception, both the visual interaction of color and light and the mental aspects of perception. Her earlier works were based in mixed media installations and drawings made of light. More recently, her works are more abstract and use light as a field of energy. These and other artworks give rise to multiple interpretations on the perceptual level through a relationship between the intensity of physical stimuli and their perceptual effects, shaping our beliefs of what we are seeing. Cunningham Little’s works are meditative and potentially extend the visual thought and experience, encouraging viewers to reflect upon their understanding and interpretation of the physical world that surrounds them.
Cunningham Little studied at nationally recognized art schools including Pilchuck Glass School, Penland School of Art and Craft, and the University of Texas in San Antonio. Since 1983 Cathy has run a business in San Antonio called Cunningham Glass Studios, LLC, specializing in client commissions for Stained Glass, Neon, Etched Glass and other glass related products. She has completed several public art projects in Texas and teaches workshops at Southwest School of Art. She has exhibited at major venues nationally and internationally including such institutions as Museum of Neon Art, Los Angeles, CA; Mexi-arte Museum, Austin, TX; Columbus Craft Museum, Columbus, Ohio; Santa Reparata International School of Art, Florence, Italy; Seto Shinyou Kinko Gallery, Seto, Japan; and HsinChu Municipal Cultural Center, Taiwan, R.O.C.

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