Inspired by a book called “Gifts of Unknown Things,” British artist Bruce Munro created colorful towers made of water bottles, in which the colors shift and change in response to the music emanating from within.
In his book, author Lyall Watson tells about meeting a young maiden on an Indonesian island. She possesses the magical gift of seeing sounds in color. Watson also describes a natural pulse of the Earth, resonating at 69 beats per day, which is why Munro chose to construct exactly 69 of his towers, as a tribute to the author. Munro’s artwork was first put on display in 2010 at Salisbury Cathedral, Wiltshire, England.
The six-foot towers, shown in the first video, are each made from more than 200 water bottles stacked in a uniform array and illuminated by optical fibers. Music is played on speakers within the towers with a soundtrack created to show the musical diversity of people throughout the world. You must watch these full-screen for maximum effect.
Munro, 55, has embraced light as an art form, developing a special knowledge of fiber optics and other technology. For nearly 20 years, he has taken his art to new levels, reflecting the character of the world he sees around him and drawing inspiration from music, literature and science.
Munro’s website shows off his work, from large-scale installations to small lighted sculptures. His YouTube chapter reveals many of the installations — including how they are set up — in a video format.
In the second video on this page, Munro talks about his work in relation to a 2013 exhibit at Cheekwood Gardens in Nashville. The interview became part of the Creators’ Project, a forum that celebrates the combination of art and technology. See more images on the Creators Project Blog.
A shorter interview was conducted for the Virginia Pilot when Munro opened an exhibit in October at the Hermitage Museum & Gardens in Norfolk.
The video below is called “Field of Light,” which Munro has changed several times for specific locations. This one was at Holburne Museum, Bath, Somerset, England.
