While working on a residential lighting project, Robert Drummond, video performance and installation artist at Robert Drummond Studio, was inspired to employ an existing 40-by-8-foot reflecting pool as a canvas for a work of art on the property of a New Mexico ranch residence.
An interactive video and LED installation artist, Drummond envisioned edging the pool with dynamic light to create excitement and energy. He began exploring different products in search of one that would do what his imagination conceived, while being durable enough to withstand extreme climate conditions—including fluctuating temperatures and water levels.
But everything Drummond tested was disappointing. “They all lacked programmability and were not very exciting,” he says.
Then Drummond heard about iLight’s Hypnotica iS Color Changing Series Fixtures. He ordered a six-foot sample, clamped it to the side of the pool, and gave Hypnotica’s spectrum of color possibilities and programability a test drive.
“I fired it up and stood there with the homeowner, stunned,” he says. “I was amazed by the level of brightness. It was laser-light bright. I asked my client if she wanted to work with it and she said: ‘Are you kidding me? We’re absolutely going to do that!'”
From that point, art gave way to an array of practical considerations.
The edge lighting component of the light installation would require a retrofit—made challenging by a brick patio surrounding the pool. Also, there were no provisions for wiring, and a solution would be needed to protect the fixtures from above and below, keeping them out of view and out of the water. Finally there had to be a way to remove the fixtures in sections for maintenance.
Determined to overcome each obstacle, Drummond brainstormed solutions while also reaching out to iLight Technologies for ideas.
As Drummond turned the homeowner’s Moroccan courtyard into a construction site, iLight worked to ensure installation of Hypnotica would be hassle-free. “They were very thorough, had a lot of great feedback and asked a lot of questions,” says Drummond. “Everything they did was spot on. I got all the right stuff, perfect lengths. They were awesome.”
After cutting back brick, creating custom aluminum edging to hold the fixtures, modifying clips, doing all of the wiring, and installing three exterior transformers, Drummond was able to return his attention to the task of creating drama.
He and his client considered different color schemes and effects to evoke different images and moods, and from there Drummond experimented with Hypnotica’s sequential color changing, color fading, multicolor blending, and color movement effects.
The result is a pool that at night becomes a reflective stage for eight stunning theatrical light shows.
“It’s absolutely amazing,” Drummond says. “It’s really exciting and spectacular. The Hypnotica is mind-blowingly dynamic and punchy, and the owner is ecstatic.”
To learn more about iLight LED products, visit www.ilight-tech.com.
