Just the other day we brought you the story of SUNLIGHT, an art project featuring a giant solar-powered projection of the sun. It was designed and is being installed by Brooklyn artist Adam Frank. Upon looking over Mr Frank’s website we found an interesting little projector-type thingy-ma-jig that you can set up right in your own home. It’s called REVEAL, and it simulates the sun-cast shadows of a window frame and swaying tree branches on your inside walls. Just the thing for that dingy basement office.
REVEAL is much like a theatrical device called a gobo, and is actually pretty simple. It’s really just a spotlight, with two slots in front of the light, one slot in front of the other. Into the back slot you insert a thin metal sheet or “slide”, cut to resemble the silhouette of tree branches. Into the front you insert another slide that looks like a window frame. When shone onto a wall, the result is the relatively-sharp shadow of a window frame, with the less-defined shadow of branches behind it. To add to the illusion, the light is similar in color temperature to natural sunlight, and air currents passing through the projector cause the branch shadows to move slightly - it’s not clear if the projector generates those air currents or not.
The system comes with one window slide, and one branch slide. Should you get bored with the fake idyllic shadows on your wall, you can buy a collection that features four other window slides and four other types of branches that allow you to mix and match to your heart’s content.
The first edition of REVEAL is limited to 1,000 units, at $US380 each. The Windows & Views Collection is an extra $50. It's all available via Adam Frank’s website.