LUMIERE DURHAM 2015
Durham Cathedral’s iconic rose window re-created from recycling.
Mick Stephenson is a maestro in creating new, exciting works from rubbish. First associated with Lumiere by winning BRILLIANT back in 2011 when he was a builder, Mick is now a full time artist, creating works that tour the UK and beyond.
How do you create a sustainable light bulb? By filling a plastic bottle with water, adding a drop of bleach and pushing it through a hole in the roof, you can refract as much sunlight through it as a 55-watt bulb. Developed by Alfred Moser and students at MIT, MyShelter Foundation have since brought this simple idea to communities in developing countries and post-disaster areas worldwide. Further developments using solar cells now allow the same technology to bring light to whole communities for the first time.
For Lumiere Durham 2015, Mick applied this simple technology and created a replica of Durham Cathedral’s famous rose window from thousands of plastic bottles contributed by local residents. During the festival, audiences could enjoy the marvel of this majestic spectacle in the Cathedral’s cloisters.
Mick has created many works for Lumiere over the years, his first was the BRILLIANT 2011 winning idea Fusion followed by Litre of Light – Durham in 2013. Litre of Light – London installation for Lumiere London 2016 attracted thousands of visitors to King’s Cross and was created in collaboration with students from Central Saint Martins. A version of this installation was part of Lumiere London 2018, The Rose.