Chris Levine
Talk Art
Russell Tovey and Robert Diament c/o Independent Talent
4.6 • 1.1K Ratings
🗓️ 1 May 2025
⏱️ 68 minutes
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Summary
We meet artist Chris Levine, a British contemporary artist renowned for his pioneering work with light and lasers. His innovative approach transcends traditional mediums, integrating technology and spirituality to create immersive art installations that challenge and expand human perception.
Levine's multidisciplinary practice encompasses installation, photography, performance, fashion, music, and design. He employs lasers and sound frequencies to craft environments that engage viewers on both sensory and contemplative levels. This synthesis of technology and art positions Levine's work within a broader historical context, aligning with movements that seek to transcend the physical and delve into the metaphysical.
A seminal piece in Levine's portfolio is "Lightness of Being" (2004), a holographic portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. This work has been lauded for its spiritual depth and technical mastery, with the National Portrait Gallery describing it as "the most evocative image of a royal by any artist." The portrait captures the ethereal quality of light and presence, reflecting Levine's ability to merge artistic expression with technological innovation.
Beyond portraiture, Levine has engaged in numerous projects that bridge various artistic disciplines. In 2012, the artist partnered with Anohni and the Johnsons for their "Swanlight" performance at Radio City Music Hall, commissioned by the MoMA, New York, integrating laser with musical performance and creating a multisensory experience.
Levine’s site-specific large scale installations have pushed the boundaries of light art, taking diverse settings from the historic Durham Cathedral to the contemporary landscape of Hobart, Tasmania. Aligned with the traditions of public art inspiring communities, Levine’s works make immersive art accessible to broader audiences.
In 2021, Levine's exhibition at Houghton Hall, 528 Hz Love Frequency, featured "Molecule of Light," a monumental 25-meter-high sculpture that transformed the landscape and cemented his innovative approach to light art. This installation not only showcased the artist’s technical prowess but also his ability to harmonize art with architectural space, creating a dialogue between the artwork and its environment.
Through his multidisciplinary practice, Levine continues to explore the infinite possibilities of light in art, contributing to the ongoing dialogue on the intersection of technology, spirituality, and visual expression. His work stands as a testament to the transformative power of art, inviting viewers to experience the world through a lens of heightened awareness.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Good afternoon, good morning, good evening, wherever you are in the world. I am Russell Tovey. |
| 0:09.5 | And I'm Robert Diamant. And this is Talkart. |
| 0:12.1 | Welcome to Talkard. How are you today, Robert? |
| 0:16.1 | Today, Russell, I am feeling equanimous. |
| 0:20.2 | What does that mean, Rob? I know. It's a big, big word that I have |
| 0:24.1 | learned thanks to today's guest's work. And actually, it's the first work I ever saw in person by him, |
| 0:30.4 | which was equanimity, which is a word, a very big word, which to be honest, I didn't know at the time, and then I only |
| 0:39.2 | recently remembered what it meant researching this episode. And it means calmness and composure, |
| 0:44.9 | especially in kind of challenging or difficult situations. |
| 0:47.8 | Well, and that's you. You're saying that's you. |
| 0:49.8 | That is me, because you are a very difficult person, Russell Tobey, and I have to be very |
| 0:54.7 | equanimous and have equanimity at all times. But the reason that word was very appropriate |
| 1:01.1 | for one of the artworks that today's guest made, and perhaps his most famous artwork at this point |
| 1:07.2 | anyway, is because it was of the Queen, Queen Elizabeth. And you know, you think of all the |
| 1:12.5 | things, all the different scenarios and the different times that she went through. And there were many |
| 1:16.9 | times where she had to show ecronymity. And she really did, didn't she? She was quite a strong, |
| 1:22.8 | stoic force and very consistent. And anyway, I was in Sketch, which was a restaurant, is a restaurant in |
| 1:28.6 | London, and they've always done a lot with art and artists. And I actually saw a light show as well |
| 1:34.0 | by today's guest work. And in about 2017, it's like a long, long time ago, like lasers, |
| 1:39.7 | it was incredible at the same time that David Trigley, who I'm a good friend of, I have collaborated with, he also had his work in the restaurant at that time. |
| 1:47.6 | So we went to this event and it was all these amazing, like a light show, laser show. |
| 1:51.5 | And it really changed my perception of today's guest because I always saw him as a portrait, you know, a portraitist essentially, when actually the core of his work and what actually is the kind of |
... |
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