The Right Light

Artist and Arvada Center curator Collin Parson has always been fascinated by light. “There’s something magical about light,” he says. “Think of all the Mayan temples and all these buildings that were built to celebrate the solstice or the equinox — that all has to do with light.” Parson got...

By Robin Edwards

March 13, 2014

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Artist and Arvada Center curator Collin Parson has always been fascinated by light. “There’s something magical about light,” he says. “Think of all the Mayan temples and all these buildings that were built to celebrate the solstice or the equinox — that all has to do with light.” Parson got his start studying theatrical lighting design at the University of Colorado at Boulder, and has since created work that delves into all sorts of beams and rays, from giant rings decorated with phosphorescent paint to internally lit light boxes and installations with color-changing LEDs.

But until now, all of his work has dealt with internal lighting. Reflections, Parson’s sixth solo exhibition at Pirate Gallery, relies on the power of external light and throws the focus back onto the viewer using pieces made of mirrored acrylic. “This is the next step in my continued investigation and love of light,” Parson explains.

Reflections opens tonight at Pirate: Contemporary Art, 3655 Navajo Street, with a reception from 6 to 10 p.m., and runs through March 30. For more information, visit collinparson.com.
Fridays, 6-10 p.m.; Saturdays, Sundays, 12-5 p.m. Starts: March 14. Continues through March 30, 2014

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