Blog | The Art of Lumonics

Nov 07

Abundant by Mel Tanner (1983)

By Barry Raphael in art, Denver, Immersive Art, light art, light sculpture, Lumonics, Lumonics Immersed, Mel Tanner

Abundant (1983) by Mel Tanner

When I first walked into the original Lumonics Light and Sound Theatre in Miami 51 years ago, Abundant was one of the first light sculptures to catch my eye. It was reworked a couple of times during Mel Tanner’s lifetime, the last time in 1983. I would ask Mel why he would want to change such a wonderful sculpture, and he would say, “That piece always bothered me.”
This happened a few times over the years!

Abundant was taken out of storage one year ago, electrified with LED bulbs, and is prominently placed in the performance space at Lumonics.

You can see Abundant in person on Saturday evenings at Lumonics Immersed.

corner section of performance space with Abundant on left side

Nov 07

Mel Tanner Collages and Drawings (1966)

By Barry Raphael in art, Dorothy Tanner, Mel Tanner

When Mel and Dorothy Tanner closed their co-op Granite Gallery on W. 57th Street in New York City in 1966, their intention was to travel in Europe. They bought a VW bug in Rotterdam, and started their road trip. Their art studio was mobile. Here are a few examples of the art Mel created, including a drawing of Dorothy.

*one of the pages in the self-published book:*
**Lumonics: The Light Art of Mel and Dorothy Tanner**

Nov 06

Dorothy Tanner Sculptures (1952-1955)

By Barry Raphael in art, Dorothy Tanner

Before Dorothy Tanner began using acrylic glass as a medium, she worked with a variety of materials including wood, clay, paper maché, plaster, copper, brass, steel and polyester.

Photo: Dorothy Tanner with a few of her sculptures
“Blow Torch her ‘Brush'” by Alice Keegan,
The Post-Standard
Syracuse, NY
August 27, 1961

Dorothy especially enjoyed creating portraits in sculpture.
Two photos below are from portraits of Mel Tanner (wood )and his sister, Jocelyn Tanner (plaster):

Nov 04

Nov. 2019: From the Beginning Exhibit

By Barry Raphael in art, community, Denver, Dorothy Tanner, light art, light sculpture, Lumonics, Mel Tanner

From Nov. 8 to Dec. 31 in 2019, the Lumonics School of Light Art showcased a number of lighted cubes created by the students who each took the 12-hour class. The exhibit took place at The Storeroom, located at 1700 Vine Street in Denver, and managed by Brendan Gill.

The title of the exhibit, From the Beginning, got its name from including light columns and cubes by Dorothy and Mel Tanner, the building blocks of their Lumonics art form, and what we teach the next generation of light artists how to make. The light sculptures on the wall were Dorothy Tanner’s inspirational messages, first introduced to the public in 2018 at The McNichols Civic Center Building.