History
One of the first artistic uses of light is the way in which stained glass can be used to color transmitted light; examples of this go back to the 4th century. This art form is most prominently seen in churches and mosques with elaborate stained glass windows.
Another use of light in art is in shadow puppetry, where projections of shadows from puppets can be used to create moving images. A form of shadow puppetry is described as early as 380 BC by Plato in the Allegory of the cave.
All visual art uses light in some form, but in modern photography and motion pictures, use of light is especially important. However, with the invention of electrical artificial light, possibilities were expanded and many artists began using the light as the main form of expression, instead of just as a vehicle for other forms of art. László Moholy-Nagy (1895–1946), a member of the Bauhaus who was influenced by Constructivism is regarded as one of the fathers of Light Art. Light sculpture and moving sculpture are the components of his Light-Space Modulator (1922–30), which is one of the first light art pieces which also incorporates kinetic art. In 1946, Gyula Kosice used neon lighting in art-works.
Read more about this topic: Light Sculpture
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