I recently interviewed Tom Kretzschmar with Illuminations Lighting Design to discuss the importance of working with art consultants. I wanted to learn more about Tom’s perception of art consultants in general, and the exact role that ILD plays as a resource in this very unique and eclectic field.
What is the role of an art consultant?
Art consultants provide a valuable service to individuals or corporations who are building or maintaining fine art collections. They work closely with architects, builders and/or
interior designers to integrate art and other design elements tailored to the project. Additionally, they may commission site-specific artwork, provide custom framing, ship and deliver artwork, as well as supervise the installation and lighting.
Does ILD have special knowledge of fine art that other lighting companies may not have?Yes. With a vast knowledge of both commercial and residential applications, we bring to the table a wealth of
lighting design and
electrical contracting experience. Our practical, yet sophisticated art lighting installations are tailored to the application and desires of the client. Whether you are looking for a simple recessed accent light or a high performance optical framing projector, the knowledgeable licensed electricians from ILD are up for the challenge. As a specialty
art lighting company since 1980, we have illuminated some of the world’s most popular artists such as Chagall, Picasso, Matisse, Renoir, Rockwell, Salvador Dali and Rembrandt.
As the owner and founder of ILD, what do you consider your greatest achievement?
There have been many over the years that we feel really good about. The one that stands out the most in recent memory is a project we did at Jones Hall.
Illuminations Lighting Design, a Houston Texas based fine art lighting company was contacted by the City of Houston Convention & Entertainment Facilities Department through its contract with the Houston Arts Alliance and following the recommendation of the Richard Lippold Foundation, commissioned ILD to engineer and install a new high performance lighting system for the
Gemini II sculpture in Jones Hall. Gemini II is the work of Milwaukee-born artist Richard Lippold and was commissioned by the Houston Endowment in 1966. It has been hanging in Downtown Houston’s Jones Hall for the past 42 years now.
Whomever the artist and wherever the artwork is located, you can trust the
fine art lighting services at Illuminations Lighting Design to design and implement a fine art lighting theme that will showcase your collection in the best possible light on a budget you can afford. Let trained
corporate art lighting consultants help you with your art collection.
Labels: Art Consultant, Art Lighting Consultants, Fine Art Lighting Company Texas, Houston Lighting Designers, Houston Sculpture Lighting, Lighting Consultants, Low Voltage Display Lighting Experts
The City of Houston Convention & Entertainment Facilities Department through its contract with the Houston Arts Alliance and following the recommendation of the Richard Lippold Foundation, commissioned ILD, Houston’s premier fine art lighting company to specify and install a high performance sculpture lighting system for the Gemini II sculpture in Jones Hall.
This superb metal sculpture is the work of Milwaukee-born artist Richard Lippold, and was commissioned in 1966 by the Houston Endowment and has hung for the past 42 years in Downtown Houston Jones Hall. Its web-like design is created by a combination of polished aluminum and gold-plated wire. The wires stretch from the focal point to the axis of the sculpture and generate magnificent interplay of light between the reflective surface of the meal and the transparent appearance of the wires.
This makes the artwork lighting an integral part of the display, and something that requires the best in equipment and effect to produce.
The original sculpture lighting system, installed years before, had performed adequately enough, but it had never done complete justice to the piece. Consisting of thirty 150PAR38 incandescent lamps, it relied upon light bulbs have been used for decades. These fixtures have since become undesirable because of their short lamp life and extreme power consumption for lighting art. They also produce something of a warm color temperature (2800K to be exact), which is less than optimum for this type of display. Ideally, a metal sculpture should be lit with a very cool color temperature lamp that produces a very white light.
After conducting a series of tests on possible fixture configurations, the design team of Tom Kretzschmar and Lance Gandy decided on a modern art lighting system that combined the best in light quality, energy efficiency, and low-maintenance. Illuminations lighting designers chose theatrical fixtures made by Source Four, and they custom built a mounting rack to support the equipment.
The luminaires specified by art lighting consultants Kretzschmar and Gandy feature 150 watt ceramic metal halide lamps. These lamps are built with custom tube shields that have concentric ring louvers designed to minimize glare. They are also manufactured with computer-engineered reflectors that capture and focus the light. Ceramic metal halide technology and enhanced optical design make these lights so efficient that it only took six of them to do the job that thirty incandescent fixtures were previously needed to do!
These lamps are also six times more energy efficient than 150PAR38 incandescent lamps. Savings on operating costs were guaranteed to begin accruing in a matter of a few short months. Even better, comes every one of these six lamps is rated at an average life of 12,000 hours—bringing a drastic reduction in the cost of replacement lamps and maintenance calls.
Sculpture lighting has significantly improved as well since we installed our new lighting system. The new fixtures produce a very white, cool color of light that is ideal for the polished aluminum and gold-plated wiring. They are controlled by an astronomical clock that turns the lights under the sculpture at sundown and keeps them on until 1:00AM for your viewing pleasure.
When illuminated by the new high-end lighting system, the floating sculptural components now gleam like floating glass rods in the night, and the gold-plated wiring erupt like a web of light that seems to spring from surrounding walls.
Whomever the artist and wherever the artwork is located, you can trust the lighting professionals at Illuminations Lighting Design to design and implement a fine art lighting theme that will showcase your collection in the best possible light on a budget you can afford. Let a trained fine art lighting company help you with your art collection.
Contact us toll free at 800-863-1184 or locally at 713-863-1133 to request a design proposal.
Since 1980, ILD has grown to include a team of over 50 talented and dedicated employees. Specialty divisions have been created to focus on such disciplines as lighting design, electrical contracting, landscape lighting and home automation. Having specialists in each of these disciplines, while remaining true to the mission of offering home owners the "complete picture" of lighting design, is key to continued success at Illuminations Lighting.
We are located in Houston Texas but provide lighting in Austin TX, El Paso Texas, San Antonio TX, College Station Texas, Beaumont TX, Dallas Texas, Midland Tx and points beyond. Labels: Fine Art Lighting Company Texas, Houston Sculpture Lighting, Jones Hall Sculpture Lights, Lighting Consultants Fine Art
