Origins of Lumigraphy


Over the past decade, the technological advances on low-energy, low-current L.E.D’s with a shelf-life of dozens of years, some even capable of changing color, have paved the way towards all sorts of applications in many fields. All that was needed was a bit of imagination for them to become means of artistic expression.

Creators who made it a point to work with spots of light can be sporadically found throughout the world and time. However, it is Bastien Carré who inaugurates the term “lumigrapher” to qualify his work. In 2007 this creator, fascinated with light, diverted the use of L.E.D’s in household appliance signals, creating a sort of 3D electrical circuit in which the electrical conductors are also utilized to structure the room. The ensuing interest pushes him to develop pendant lighting, lucent pictures, luminous sculptures and luminous mobiles. The sheer number of observers, curious to see such distinct fields of creation finding a certain coherence through the same form of art, incite the creator to seek a term that could define his trade and his work: thus appeared the terms “lumigrapher” and “lumigraphy”.


"Mistral" (2010) and "Zéphir" (2010) by the French artist Bastien CarréThe extreme lightness that characterizes Bastien Carré’s creations is due to his use of very thin steel wire on which he hand welds LED’s that are sometimes less than 2 mm in diameter. The technique he has developed enables him to design structures that supply LED’s, all the while creating volume.