Light Source

Light Source is an exhibition drawn from the City’s art collection that explores the phenomena of light and its creative use.

Light is a fundamental element of the human experience, from the sun’s daily rise to the glow of digital screens, light is a constant presence in our lives. This exhibition brings together artists responding to our collective captivation with light, a fascination that has existed across the history of art making and humankind. From artwork production processes harnessing light, interpretations of light and to literal incorporations of light as a medium, this exhibition showcases distinctive approaches to light in contemporary art. The artworks reflect our ongoing interest with the ways light can transform, reveal, obscure, or create new visual languages.

Light Source invites viewers to consider how light influences not only how we see the world, but also how it makes us feel, encouraging moments of reflection and exploration. Featuring diverse selections from the City’s art collection across sculpture, installation, photography, printmaking, video and painting, the exhibition highlights the range of the collection and its collecting interests and patterns across its 27-year history.

The art collection was formed with the inception of the City in 1998 with Joondalup inheriting the contemporary artworks from the City of Wanneroo’s Art Collection. With a primary focus on the work of West Australian contemporary artists, the Art Collection includes sculpture, drawings, paintings, print works, textiles, ceramics, glass work, video, photography, and installation. Along with standard collecting avenues, acquisitions are actively informed through the City’s annual exhibitions and the biennial $20,000 Visual Arts Commission. The Art Collection today is comprised of over 290 artworks and worth over $1.2 million.