A decisive moment in light and sculptural form

Inspired by the concept of a ‘decisive moment’ originally explored by photographer Henri Cartier Bresson, our latest conceptual project captures the essence of transitory moments in light through a new series of sculptural works.

We explored how decisive moments created with light could be realised as a referential sculptural narrative; a celebration of how these moments create awe and wonder in the viewer as a transitory moment is frozen at its point of maximum impact.

Manhattanhenge is a natural phenomenon occurring when the setting sun perfectly aligns with the east-west streets of Manhattan, drawing on age-old human desires to frame the sun and to respect its cyclical progression through our seasons.

In the first of our sculptural concepts we configured a familiar Stonehenge circle of weather beaten, stone monoliths, aligned in a grid akin to Manhattan’s long avenues. The interior surfaces of each monolith are polished, referencing the textures and patterns that makeup the complex facades of the glass wrapped skyscrapers of the city.

Nestled at the centre is a layered solar sphere, celebrating the tiers of warm hues synonymous with the setting sun, and reflecting off the polished surfaces creating mesmerising shimmers of colour.

Even in an environment as planned and intensely controlled as Manhattan with all its chaotic layers and subsystems, the sight of the sun aligned with its streets brings viewers to a standstill. The relationship with our nearest star is embedded deep within our collective psyche, transcending time and the everyday to remind us of our place in the grand scheme of things. It is beyond our control and so deeply satisfying in its reliability, arriving like clockwork at the same point each year.