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Body Sensing: Assessing the Role of Light in Perception

187 views · Published 31 July 2017 · 1:13:41 · Indexed 19 October 2026

Channel: Beach TV CSULB · 2017 · Education

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In The human body perceives the world within which it occupies in a layered, multi-sensorial manner. As we move through our daily lives our bodies seek stimulus through various sensorial channels that clarify our presence in space, allow us to navigate terrain and perform tasks. Within these complex perceptual dynamics, light plays a seminal role as it renders surface area, color and texture, establishes distance proximity, focuses our gaze through luminance composition and provides basic task illumination for the work that we conduct. 
Through his work in art, design, landscape and architecture Derek Porter examines the applied relationships between light, space and human perception from both poetic and scientific perspectives. Works presented in this lecture range in scale from hand-held objects to urban installations. Reference to texts in psychology, science, design theory and art attempts to further ground his research interests in a simple, easy to follow manner. 
Derek Porter is a multi-disciplinary designer working in architectural lighting and product design where he focuses on the use of light within various scales of the built environment. His work considers subtle aspects of human perception and the presence of light within spatial contexts. As an extension of his lighting design practice, Derek studies light and space through work in photography and sculpture. He is involved with public art commissions as well as actively exhibits his work nationally and internationally.
Parallel to his art and design practice, Derek is instrumental in the evolution of lighting design education and is currently Associate Professor of Lighting Design at Parsons School of Design in New York, a globally recognized program known for innovative thinking toward daylight and electric lighting integration, cross disciplinary study, social responsibility and broad ranging theoretical research in light, space and human perception. From 2005-2014 he was Director of the Master of Fine Arts Lighting Design program.

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