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PEOPLE & ARTS Saturday 4 January 2020
As lights dance Sensorio artist sees nature, people interact

By JOHN ROGERS spectives, including above
Associated Press and below, as they stroll
PASO ROBLES, Calif. (AP) — the dirt paths bathed in
It's an art installation, sure. softly lit colors. The result is
But the internationally ac- a feeling of immersion in a
claimed artist who created world of quiet yet beautiful
the interactive work "Field tranquility.
of Light at Sensorio" in Cali- The exhibition, initially
fornia sees it as much more scheduled to close in Janu-
than that. ary, has been extended
It is, says Bruce Munro, a through June, as its spon-
conduit of sorts allowing its sors say more than 110,000
viewer to better commune people from 41 countries
with nature when taking in have flocked to see it. Eve-
"Sensorio's" 58,000 shimmer- ning viewings often sell out
ing, flower-like lights that ahead of time.
have been painstakingly When it does close, Munro
installed over 15 acres (6 says, future visitors will hard-
hectares) of pristine pas- ly know it was there.
ture in the heart of central "Part of the reason we
California wine country. This Dec. 21, 2019 photo shows the entrance an art instillation by artist Bruce Munro, made up of wanted to do solar is be-
"I don't want to sound like 58,000 shimmering flower-like lights in the rolling hills of Paso Robles, Calif., called the "Field of cause there is no infrastruc-
some kind of ancient hip- Light at Sensorio." Associated Press ture that needs to be dug
pie because I'm not," the in," he said. "Ëverything is
60-year-old British artist says nature — really does help whose most famous work is Fourteen years in the plan- on the surface. When its
with a laugh as he discuss- us find a balance in our likely "Running Fence," the ning, it opened in 2016 for time does go to disappear,
es his latest — and largest lives 25 miles (40 kilometers) of a brief run that has since and the landscape comes
— light exhibition. "We all are leading incred- colorful fabric he and his been extended indefinite- back, the existing land-
When the sun sets behind ibly busy lives," he contin- late wife and fellow artist, ly. scape or something else
the rolling hills on the edge ues. "Busier than ever and Jeanne-Claude, stretched It is similar to "Sensorio" but that goes there, its footprint
of the small picturesque with more screen time. And from central California to smaller, made up of 50,000 will be very minimal."
town of Paso Robles, and this is really an opportunity the Pacific Ocean in the colorful, solar-powered Meantime, the artist will
the lights come on, Munro to get off screen, to get 1970s. twinkling orbs. The artist in- move on to his next proj-
says he senses a kind of back into the real world. Munro's "Field of Light" sists that had nothing to do ect. He's been busy sketch-
tranquil peace settling over You know, to smell the cut works vary in appearance with his trying to outdo him- ing out something called
the hundreds of people grass, the fresh air. ... Or from sculptures to garden self by putting his largest "C-Scales," in which he
who come each night to whatever. And be a part rooms to everyday objects work to date in California. hopes to create an image
walk the hills and valleys of it." that reflect light. His most "Size is relevant to the land- of the ocean "shedding its
bathed in his creation's Munro has been putting famous, at least until now, scape it inhabits," he said. "I scales" into the air through
gentle but colorful illumina- up light-centric installa- is likely "Field of Light at Ulu- don't put lights in to make the reflection of light upon
tion. tions around the world for ru," located in the red rock bigger and bigger installa- thousands of old CDs and
"It almost is a lens to see the 15 years and is sometimes desert of Australia, a region tions." DVDs. He says the idea was
landscape that you're in," compared to the envi- considered sacred to the At "Sensorio," viewers see inspired by gazing at Aus-
he said. "The landscape — ronmental artist Christo, aboriginal people. lights from numerous per- tralia's Sydney Harbor. q

‘On the Farm Again’ Woman makes hay replica of Willie Nelson

Associated Press But her latest work, "Will- sculptures but was more
HUDDLESTON, Va. (AP) — Hay Nelson," really struck difficult in terms of details,
Country singer Willie Nel- a chord in the community The News & Advance re-
son frequently sings about upon its debut in Novem- ported. She said she used
traveling and seeing things ber, Bays told news outlets. chicken wire to make
he may never see again. "This one seems to be ev- the arms and the guitar is
Chances are he had nev- eryone's favorite by far," made of Styrofoam.
er before encountered a Bays said. "My cousin "I also had to make a
15-foot-tall hay sculpture joked that I might have to nose out of chicken wire
of himself — guitar and quit now because I'll never because Willie has a very
iconic pigtail braids in- be able to top this." prominent nose and I
cluded — like the one a Bays owns Buckscrape wanted to get that right,"
Virginia woman recently Farms and started making Bays said.
created. the sculptures as part of a Bays said every year the
Huddleston native Beth hay bale decorating con- community gets together
Bays has been making gi- test. The contest ended and sings songs related to In this Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2019 photo, a hay bale sculpture
ant hay bale sculptures a few years ago but Bays the sculptures. This year lo- called Will-Hay Nelson stands in a field on Tolers Ferry Road in
Huddleston, Va.
for the last eight years. continues to create new cal musician Dave Owens Associated Press
Her most memorable ones sculptures each year for switched up the lyrics to
include characters from the community. one of Nelson's songs. ing. "It's always a good shared it on his Facebook
"The Wizard of Oz" and the Bays said Will-Hay Nelson "I changed 'On the Road time." page. Seems like the hay
Virginia Tech Hokie bird was easier to assemble Again' to 'On the Farm Nelson saw the viral video sculpture may always be
mascot. than some of her past Again,'" Owens said laugh- of the performance and on his mind.q