Introduction

Light encapsulates all other art forms because it is the medium by which they are perceived.  Any object, whether real or artistically rendered, must have light upon it to be seen by the viewer.  Similarly, every lighted environment, whether unintentional or designed, has a unique consistency which can subtly or blatantly influence our reaction to the objects within it.  Within theatre, light designer use light to tell a story in line with the performance by illuminating the real objects on the stage.  A painter works much the same way, using light to affect the viewer.  The difference is that painters can bend the physics of light to their whim.  I intend to demonstrate this by comparing paintings containing realistic depictions of light with tableau vivants of them created by sophomore lighting students here at NCSA.