Lyn Godley
Philadelphia, PA
Lyn Godley is a multi-media artist whose work merges traditional art media with light and technology. This site represents her watercolor artwork.
Message
Lyn Godley is a multi-media artist. Her designs, done as a partner of Godley-Schwan (1984-1998) and individually as Lyn Godley Design Studio (1999-Present), have been exhibited internationally and are in numerous international museums and private collections, including the Museum of Modern Art NYC. Since 2000, her studio work has focused on merging light and art, exploring the relationship between art and technology and its impact on the viewer. Her studio practice is linked to her research on how integrating dynamic light in artwork can create a deeper engagement by affecting both the environment and, ultimately, the user. Her work includes painting on various scales and immersive art, merging painting and new media for public settings.
In addition to her studio practice, Godley is a full-time Professor of Industrial Design at Thomas Jefferson University, where she has developed cross-disciplinary curricula in Lighting Design with a focus on Light and New Media as Experience. She is also the Director of the Jefferson Center of Immersive Arts for Health, an initiative to investigate the impact of dynamic light and interactive art on health. She has spoken at National and International conferences on Light and Health, Arts and Health, and Lighting Design Education.
For more information on Godley's immersive artwork using dynamic lighting, please visit website.
Statement
I am a multi-media artist whose work has crossed the borders of fine arts, design, and research. Since 2000, my studio work has focused on how art can impact well-being, both for the artist and, more importantly, the viewer. By merging light and art, exploring the relationship between art and technology, and, more importantly, its impact on the viewer, my studio practice is connected to ongoing research on how integrating dynamic light in artwork can create a deeper engagement with the viewer.
This journey is rooted in my passion for creation, fueled by the tactile pleasure of manipulating materials. Over the years, I have dedicated myself to mastering technologies that enable the manipulation of light and its integration with traditional art mediums such as oil, watercolor, pastel, and charcoal. This has led to a delicate balance of medium and materials in response to light as it interacts with or reflects off their surfaces. My exploration of material studies has expanded into electronics and circuitry, further enriched by my research into the psychological and physiological effects of imagery, light, and color on viewers. This has sparked intriguing questions about the potential of dynamic art to communicate with us, captivate, stimulate, soothe, and heal.
The imagery in my paintings centers on the duality we encounter in life. This can be seen in the contrast between horizontal bands of different markings and colors and between the imagery and the projected animation on the painting's surface. My artwork represents a dialogue between distinct and sometimes conflicting zones, mirroring our strive for balance. The animated imagery projected onto the paintings creates a rhythm that harmonizes the different zones.
In addition to my studio work, I am a Professor of Industrial Design, having taught for fifteen years at Parsons School of Design and now thirteen years at Thomas Jefferson University (formerly Philadelphia University). I am also the founder and director of the Jefferson Center of Immersive Arts for Health, an initiative to investigate the impact of dynamic and interactive art on health.