The Lighthouse

The compositions in this exhibition by artist Adam Piggot feature patterns created by light from remote sources, such as adjacent rooms and street lighting. They form part of a wider body of work entitled Abstract Reality, which is inspired by mindfulness, time and the impermanence of existence.

Despite appearing completely abstract, all the images in the series are recorded and presented as found, aside from the occasional use of camera movement. Although the patterns are all found in plain sight, they are generally overshadowed by the physical presence of the objects that create them.

Moreover, their existence is ephemeral; changing from minute to minute according to weather conditions and the passing of time. In this respect, the prints reflect the thinking of Buddhist writers such as Pema Chödrön, who encourage us to focus on the impermanence and interconnectedness of existence, rather the physicality of nature, as we usually perceive it.  Surprisingly, this philosophy dovetails neatly with the ideas of some of the early Modernists – especially Theo van Doesburg, founder of De Stijl. Influenced by Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, he believed that works of art should be considered in terms of their position in time and space, as much as their own physicality as objects.

Adam Piggot is director of the Glasgow-based creative micro-agency, Red Empire.