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<\/p>\nI met artist Bruce Munro via Skype from his studio in England and, even though we were many miles apart, I was struck by his warmth and good humor, as well as his excitement about his upcoming exhibition in Brookgreen Gardens. Talking to this brilliant, world renowned artist had me a bit star struck, but Bruce immediately put me at ease with a laugh, saying, \u201cIf you do something long enough, people take notice, I\u2019m just incredibly fortunate to be doing this work.\u201d<\/p>\n
British artist, Bruce Munro is best known for immersive large-scale light-based installations inspired largely by his interest in shared human experience. For 40 years, he\u2019s recorded his ideas and images in sketchbooks, and his delight in the world around him provides continuous inspiration. Brookgreen Gardens will host an exhibition of his work beginning next month. Versions of the mixed-media installation have popped up around the world since its debut at the Victoria and Albert Museum in 2004, everywhere from Uluru, Australia, South Korea, Denmark, and the United Kingdom, to Houston, Nashville, and Columbus, Ohio.<\/p>\n
\u201cBrookgreen Gardens got in touch with us,\u201d Bruce began when I asked him why Brookgreen was chosen as the only East Coast exhibition of his work. \u201cIt was a great honor to be asked. I love gardens, and when I first visited Brookgreen, I was struck by the way the art is presented. It\u2019s a good place that puts people at ease \u2013 I particularly like it when people can enjoy art without being scrutinized.\u201d<\/p>\n
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I was curious about the process of creating the installation, and Bruce explained, saying, \u201cI\u2019m very responsive to space, and every space is unique \u2013 with a different climate, different flora and fauna, etc. It\u2019s always very easy for me to find inspiration.\u201d As someone who loves Brookgreen Gardens and spends a fair amount of time there, I felt this artist really captured the feeling of the space as he continued, saying, \u201cIn Brookgreen I feel like I am in a series of outdoor rooms \u2013 not all gardens have this feeling. It\u2019s rather like going to a museum.\u201d<\/p>\n
Most readers will recognize the artist\u2019s Field of Light installation, and I asked Bruce to talk a bit about this spectacular artwork. \u201cIt\u2019s a very important piece of work for me; it was the start of me working as an adult. I was living with my girlfriend (now wife) in Australia when the idea first landed in my sketch book \u2013 it was something I felt I needed to do, and it took me 12 years to complete.\u201d Visitors to Brookgreen will experience Field of Light as 11,700 stems of light in softly moving colors covering the Arboretum.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter the experience of creating Field of Light, it kept nagging at me that I needed to do other things,\u201d Bruce continued, talking about the evolution of his work, and his incredible catalogue of light creations. \u201cMy work is very instinctive. The older I get the more I look at the world like I did as a child \u2013 not that my work is childish, but I am more in touch with the feeling behind the art. It is about shared human experience and connection.\u201d<\/p>\n
I asked Bruce to talk a bit about the Okonjima Choral Society installation, consisting of 2,000 \u201cfrogs\u201d singing in unison behind the garden wall at the Rosen Carolina Terrace, accented by the pulses and rhythms of their illuminated \u201ceyes.\u201d \u201cWhen I was walking around Brookgreen, I came to this wall \u2013 beyond it was wild territory \u2013 I liked the feeling of this area and the beautiful trees hanging with moss. There was a feeling of being on the edge of the wild.\u201d He continued, telling me the story behind the piece. \u201cMy family and I took a holiday in Namibia, Africa, and I heard these frogs singing near a waterhole. The sound was mesmerizing. At first I thought I should maybe write a choral piece around the song of the frogs [laughter].\u201d Bruce also drew inspiration from the beloved children\u2019s book, Where the Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak. \u201cThere will be 2000 \u2018frogs\u2019 made from repurposed road markers. You may not have them here, but they light up for safety, keeping you in your driving lane, and they look like small animals. I illuminated them and synchronized the illumination with the frogs\u2019 singing. My newer works have a gentle humor like this one. It\u2019s something wild that\u2019s also safe.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\u201cWhen I saw the old bell tower in the gardens, surrounded by the old filigreed brickwork, I thought it looked like an enormous hive,\u201d the artist said when I asked him to talk about some of the other works in this installation. \u201cThis one also has a soundtrack.\u201d Hive is composed of 1,448 bee-inspired hexagonal elements and gives the impression of a giant manmade beehive.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to draw people in and stimulate their imagination,\u201d this visionary artist began. \u201cI love the fact that people walk around together in gardens \u2013 I want people to visit gardens \u2013 people have the perception gardens are boring, but they are truly the museums of tomorrow. I love the relationship between gardens and art; they go together spiritually and physically. I feel it\u2019s important for all of us to rediscover our physical roots and connect to the physical world. That\u2019s what I hope to do with my art.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Bruce\u2019s love for gardens is deeply entwined with his art. \u201cOnce, when we were in a garden in Philadelphia, I watched people walking around \u2013 they weren\u2019t there for me, they were just visiting the garden. They looked so much more relaxed and happy when they left than when they came in.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe joy for me in the Brookgreen installation is being able to come over and meet the people who helped put it together,\u201d Bruce said as we finished our chat. \u201cThe volunteers, the staff \u2013 they are all brilliant. I wish I could stay longer, but I do love being in my studio. The joy of work is in the creating.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf people have a good time, if the pieces warm their hearts and bring a smile, if they are inspired to come back to Brookgreen Gardens, then we\u2019ve done what we set out to achieve,\u201d Bruce told me thoughtfully. His father\u2019s death 20 years ago was a huge watershed in Bruce\u2019s life, and this great loss occurred before the artist was doing large scale light installations. \u201cI treat all of my exhibitions as a very great honor. My father always encouraged me to follow my dreams. I feel very privileged to bring my ideas across the pond.\u201d<\/p>\n
Visit Bruce Munro at Brookgreen: Southern Lights beginning April 8th. The exhibition will be open Wednesday-Saturday, 7-10pm, through September 12th. The Premiere Celebration Event is Saturday, April 4th.<\/p>\n