Night/Light Photo Fundraising Project

     One hundred museum quality prints of this New York Times photograph of Night/Light, taken by Larry C. Morris, have been framed by NeilsenBainbridge. They are available to donors who make contributions to The Night/Light Fund.

     Donations are tax deductible. Please make checks payable to:
The Night/Light Fund
67 Wall St., 22nd Fl.
New York, NY 10005 

     Please include the physical address that the Night/Light photograph is to be shipped to and a telephone number where you can be reached.

     The Night/Light Fund wishes to thank The New York Times and NielsenBainbridge for the generous support.

     The photograph was taken on the evening of October 20th, 1979 when artist/poet James Pelletier created the second edition of Night/Light. Geometric patterns of light and dark were created by orchestrating the lighting systems and shades of the skyscrapers along the East River of Manhattan's Wall Street District. The lightwork took place on the 100th Anniversary of Thomas A. Edison's invention of the light bulb as part of the Centennial of Light's commemoration.

     The first edition of Night/Light was created on New York City's Bicentennial Fourth of July celebration and the artist received a commendation from President Gerald Ford for his contribution to the Bicentennial.

     The New York Times reported on Night/Light in the issue of October 28, 1979. The lead story:

"It was like a dream out of a 1930's movie when an artist, James Pelletier, lighted up the lower Manhattan skyline last weekend to honor the 100th anniversary of Thomas A. Edison's invention of the electric light bulb. Geometric diamonds, triangles and other forms gleamed from the riverside facades of a dozen buildings, and 5,000 spectators at the Brooklyn Heights promenade across the river watched in wonder and delight."

     The New York Times published this photograph of Night/Light, taken by staff photographer Larry C. Morris, and it was distributed around the world by the Associated Press. In an interview with Grace Glueck of The New York Times, the artist said that Night/Light "is as much about peace and meditation as it is about spectacle."

     Pelletier's art form interacts with the cycles of day and night light as a process for creating sculpture without "fixed or tangible form". The artist alters the viewer's perception of form and space by controlling the internal lighting of a building. The light is perceived contextually, as are the star patterns of astrological configurations, such as The Big Dipper, the display of fireworks, or the light pattern of the Moon at various phases. It is the light and dark relationship that we see when we look at the Moon, its form is understood, but not spatially perceived.

     In response to the economic impact on the creative arts community resulting from the September 11 destruction of the World Trade Centers, Pelletier founded The Night/Light Fund and donated the intellectual property rights of Night/Light to the fund. The fund is a community service organization that provides assistance grants to members of the creative arts community throughout the United States. The Night/Light Fund's goal is to provide small cash grants for emergency relief to artists, authors, architects, choreographers, composers, photographers, playwrights, poets and other members of the American creative arts community. The grants are for the purpose of providing food, shelter, medical care and sustaining and enhancing the quality of life. The Night/Light Fund's mission is to raise funds and distribute them to those members of the creative arts community who are in need of emergency relief. The fund's primary commitment is to ensure that in their moment of need and vulnerability, that creative people will be treated with respect and dignity.

     Permission to use the Night/Light photograph taken by Larry C. Morris has been graciously provided by The New York Times Agency. The frame and supplies for this photograph has been generously donated by NielsenBainbridge as part of their long standing commitment to supporting the arts.

     There are three important transitions in the history of sculpture. First, the creation of sculpture in mass form, such as clay, wood, marble and bronze. Second, the creation of sculpture by assembled structures introduced in 1920 by the Russian Constructivist artist Naum Gabo, or as Gabo stated, "I have destroyed the mass." And the third is the creation of light sculpture introduced in 1976 by the American artist James Pelletier with his utilization of the lighting systems of buildings. In a series of work he entitled, Night/Light, there is no material mass and there is no structural manipulation. The "material" used is light, which has "no fixed or tang )ible form." Buildings are perceptually transformed after sunset and their structure is redefined by the internal light which alters perception by the presence or absence of electric light. By controlling the internal light of a building, the light is perceived contextually, as are the star patterns of astrological configurations, such as The Big Dipper, the display of fireworks or the pattern of the Moon at various phases. It is the pattern of light which is seen when we glance at the Moon, its structure is known, but not spacially perceived.

Project History
Night/Light

     On the evening of October 20th, 1979 artist/poet James Pelletier created Night/Light. Geometric patterns of light and dark were created by orchestrating the light and shade systems of the skyscrapers along the East River of Manhattan¹s Wall Street district. The lightwork took place on the 100th Anniversary of Thomas A. Edison¹s invention of the light bulb as part of the Centennial of Light¹s commemoration.

     Pelletier¹s art form interacts with the cycles of day and night light as a process for creating sculpture without "fixed or tangible form." He debuted Night/Light at New York City¹s Bicentennial Fourth of July celebration. The artist received a commendation from President Gerald Ford for his contribution to the Bicentennial.

     The artist alters perceived structure and space by controlling the internal light of a building. The light is perceived contextually, as are the star patterns of astrological configurations, such as The Big Dipper, the display of fireworks or the pattern of the Moon at various phases. It is the light which is seen when we glance at the Moon, its structure is known, but not spatially perceived.

     The New York Times reported on Night/Light in the issue of October 28, 1979. The lead of the story:

"It was like a dream out of a 1930s movie when an artist, James Pelletier, lighted up the lower Manhattan skyline last weekend to honor the 100th anniversary of Thomas A. Edison¹s invention of the electric light bulb. Geometric diamonds, triangles and other forms gleamed from the riverside facades of a dozen buildings, and 5,000 spectators at the Brooklyn Heights promenade across the river watched in wonder and delight."

     The New York Times also published a photograph of Night/Light taken by staff photographer, Larry C. Morris which the Associated Press distributed around the world.

     In an interview with Grace Glueck of The New York Times the artist said that Night/Light "is as much about peace and meditation as it is about spectacle."

     After the events of September 11, 2001 Pelletier signed his intellectual property rights of Night/Light over to The Night/Light Fund. The fund is a community service organization that provides assistance to the creative arts community throughout the United States.

     The Night/Light Fund¹s goal is to provide small cash grants for emergency relief to artists, authors, architects, choreographers, composers, photographers, playwrights, poets and other members of the American creative arts community. The grants are for the purpose of providing food, shelter, medical care and sustaining and enhancing the quality of life.

     The Night/Light Fund¹s mission is to raise funds and to promptly distribute them to those members of the creative arts community who are in need of emergency relief. The fund¹s primary commitment is to ensure that in their moment of need and vulnerability that creative people will be treated with respect and dignity.

     Permission to use the Night/Light photograph by Larris C. Morris has been generously provided by The New York Times Agency. The frame for this photograph has been donated by Nielsen-Bainbridge LLC as part of their long standing commitment to support the arts.

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