LET THEM FEEL THE LIGHT, 2023
YARRILA ARTS MUSEUM, COFFS HARBOUR, GUMBAYNGGIRR COUNTRY, NSW

let them feel the light, Emma Coulter, 2023
painted aluminum, coloured glass and LED panels
12 metres HT x 10 metres wide x variable depth ranging from 150 to 300 cm, total length climbing up over 25 metres, wrapped around curved brick wall, with integrated steel fixings.
Yarrila Place - Coffs Harbour Cultural Centre, Gumbaynggirr country, New South Wales

‘let them feel the light, is an integrated, site-specific, public art commission, recently completed for Coffs Harbour’s new civic and cultural centre, Yarrila Place. Existing at the heart of the building, the work traverses the light filled atrium space, dispersing colour and illumination, in acknowledgement of the meaning of Yarrila, whilst also drawing inspiration from Coffs Harbour’s geographic coastal location. Through the artist’s voice these ideas intersect with concepts of memory, time and feeling to culminate into a unique site-specific work.

Central to the works ideation, is the idea of light reflected on the surface of the water, and refracted light dispersed into colour. Coffs Harbour’s subtropical, surf coast location, connection to the water, and historical Coffs Harbour lighthouse, are each interpretive elements. The work intends to form a lantern at the heart of the new cultural centre, ever changing with the day, as time interacts with the surface of the work, creating coloured patterns and shadows through engaging with the buildings innate materiality, fabric and light. By night, the work is transformed into a new abstract composition, as illuminated, coloured glass panels assert themselves in isolation, in the absence of natural daylight. The physical transformation marks the passage of time, with the work acting as a beacon or a landmark, in reference to the idea of a lighthouse, guiding us through the night.

For the artist, Emma Coulter, having grown up in south east Queensland, her approach included personal reflections of visiting the Coffs Coast region as a young adult. These included recollections of a passage of time, where there was a feeling of freedom and independence... “my memories are of road trip escapes, swimming, nature and times spent with loved ones. The artworks’ title ‘let them feel the light’ reflects on these memories of ‘letting the light in.’ I wanted to capture some of that feeling of joy, in the essence of my work, as an experiential moment, in both tangible and intangible form. Through the mediums of light and colour we capture feeling and emotion in a visceral way. These mediums allow for ephemeral moments of being in the space and with the work in the moment.”

Through the use of colour and surface as an immersive and experiential material, the work intends to be open to all members of the community, whilst holding weight through its esoteric meaning.

Architect BVN - Matthew Blair and team
Curator iAM projects - Jane O’Neill and Simon Koger
Client Coffs Harbour City Council
Fabricator Stainless Aesthetics - Mike Mooney and team


Photo Credits: Martin Siegner and Emma Coulter (check file info)