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Shining Art on Light tells the broad and fascinating story of light through the use of art. Artists have an innate understanding of light and are able to convey important concepts visually. This book begins by introducing the science of light with five important concepts, summarized in easily accessible language. The next part discusses many aspects of light that occur in nature, and the final part discusses human inventions involving light. The book concludes with a discussion of time, as relates to light. In total, 58 pieces of art from 8 museums are used to tell the story of light.
About the author
James Thomas Dakin, known as Jim, was born May 23, 1945, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He received a B.A. from Harvard College, cum laude, in 1967 and a Ph.D. from Princeton University in 1971. He worked as a post-doctoral student at Stanford University, then briefly as an Assistant Professor at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, Massachusetts. In 1975 he began a 37-year career with General Electric, primarily in lighting technology. Since retiring in 2012, he has worked as a consultant, and pursued a number of hobbies, including broader aspects of light.
