FIELD OF LIGHT FIELD MARSHALL – TRACY STRANN
BY – GEORGE WAYNE
It will go down in history as one of the longest outdoor exhibits of light the North American continent has ever witnessed. Encompassing more than six acres on Manhattan’s East Side, from 38th to 41st Street along First Avenue, Field of Light at Freedom Plaza will be open to the public three days a week through January of 2025. This virtual garden of light is an extraordinarily immersive experience, the mastermind of renowned British-born light artist Bruce Munro and a grand gesture to the city and the world courtesy of the Soloviev Foundation.
Field of Light at Freedom Plaza represents the seamless intersection of art, nature and technology. Its 17,760 lowlights and fiber-optic stemmed spheres illuminate with a slow and subtle change of hue a magnificent and ethereal muted landscape on an expansive waterfront site with the marvelous skyline of Manhattan as its backdrop.
Beyond its novelty, Field of Light at Freedom Plaza promises to become much more: In a world ravaged by two wars, where fear and loathing pace restlessly around every corner, this new work has the potential to offer succor, hope and optimism as a Mecca for meditation and solace in these trying times. The fact that the Field of Light is a block away from the iconic United Nations HQ only underscores its future legacy as a spectacular gift to this city and the world.
How do you transform six acres in one of the last undeveloped Manhattan parcels of land into a spectacular field of light? You start with one of the world’s leading large-scale production managers in the business and you hire the best production team and creative consultants that money can buy. That’s where the Executive Producer of the Field of Light steps into the fray—Tracy Strann is no stranger to this rodeo.
Strann worked with light artist Bruce Munro on the first Field of Light project in the U.S., which continues to enchant audiences as Sensorio: Field of Light on fifteen acres in Paso Robles, California. For more than six months, she’s been living out of a suitcase in New York City, recruiting volunteers and dealing with City Hall red tape while preparing this raw, undeveloped site. Strann’s efforts will ultimately welcome thousands and thousands of people for the next calendar year to marvel at acres of intricate wiring and the intricate mechanics that went into creating the light at the end of this tunnel. Yet here we are, a week before the grand debut, and she is as cool as a cucumber.
“We are ahead of schedule” Strann says, all business as she peers down from a tower across the street onto the site where the artist’s magic potions percolate in their final stages.
GEORGE WAYNE – From gravel and dirt to this vision: you must be thrilled! But tell us about one of the most unexpected hiccups you faced with staging the Field of Light at Freedom Plaza.
TRACY STRANN – The permitting process. We knew it would be extensive but didn’t know how extensive it turned out to be. And then, too, we didn’t expect to find all that wildlife—geese and ducks—that were nesting on the property, the need to make sure that they were taken care of and that the fledglings who were born on the property flew away first before any work commenced. We had to wait until they were old enough to fly away. We delayed the construction to ensure the wildlife was safe and cared for.
GEORGE WAYNE – Some have called this project an “Eden of Light,” but how would the Executive Producer define what the city will experience?
TRACY STRANN – Field of Light is an immersion into wonder and delight. It will be both a meditative and an unexpected spiritual experience – a unique way to connect with oneself and others and the most immersive and deeply sensory experience you can imagine.
GW –This, indeed, must be the assignment of a lifetime…
STRANN — Having lived half of my life in California and the other in New York, the opportunity to move back to my favorite city and produce an installation of this magnitude by a world-class artist is a dream come true. Not only can I assist and apply my practical experience of producing Field of Light at Sensorio in Paso Robles, but I also get to work with some of the best professional event specialists in the business.
GW – While you have years of collaborative experience with the light artist Bruce Munro, how has this new project pushed the collaborative synergy to new creative heights?
STRANN — Producing in a rural environment such as Paso Robles could not be more different than producing a project of this size and scale in, of all places, Manhattan! This is the opportunity of a lifetime and will bring lasting and unforgettable memories for people from all over the world. Admission to the site will be free and open to the public on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, from 5 pm to 9 pm through January 2025.
GW — It will indeed become a Mecca. There is no doubt in this arbiter’s mind that Field of Light in New York City will soothe those who seek succor and promote optimism. The experience of the Field of Light will be like walking through acres of bulbous light tulips. Is that the correct summarization?
STRANN — Like walking through the most magical light garden would be the best way to describe it.
GW — Field of Light at Freedom Plaza may be entered where 41st Street meets the FDR Drive along the Eastern waterfront of Tudor City. I will say it again: the timing of this installation will light up the world. What are your thoughts?
STRANN — The chaos and division in today’s world cannot be denied. Finding a peaceful respite from all the noise is intended to offer our guests solace and reflection. I hope Field of Light at Freedom Plaza provides a safe space to recall what is beautiful and meaningful in our lives. Considering its neighbor is the United Nations complex, there is now no more impactful location in New York City for such an exhibition.
GW — It will be an extraordinary, immersive experience; that much is guaranteed. But what about the noise pollution, the carbon footprint and all the other now-required nods to sustainability and the recyclable? Because, come to think of it–this will be the largest, most enduring outdoor light exhibit in the history of New York City. So, what, if any, are the eco-friendly aspects of Field of Light?
STRANN — Everything we do has sustainability in mind. The exhibit elements lie on top of the land and are not invasive. Any use of service ware at special events is compostable, and all communication and ticketing is electronic.
GW — The intersection of art, nature and technology: nothing will define that more emphatically than the Field of Light. Is that the ultimate declarative?
STRANN — Yes.
GW — Did you have a shaman/faith healer bless the grounds before construction began on this project?
STRANN — This exhibition is for everyone regardless of faith, race or nationality. We invite all to experience the exhibition through their own eyes. This is an amazing, transformative, and grand-scale piece of public art. A field of light to embrace a field of dreams.
GW — The goal is to produce the most monumental, albeit temporary, experiential light show America has ever seen. But what do you hope will be the legacy of Field of Light at Freedom Plaza a year from now, after it’s dismantled?
STRANN — I hope guests will take the essence of the experience into their daily lives for years to come, and this will be something that children will grow up remembering, when they came to East 41st with their Mummy and Daddy to see The Field of Light.
GW — I love the words from one of Bruce Munro’s friends and benefactors, Lord Rothschild, who defined the artist’s craft as ”ephemerality—it’s his ultimate artistic choice.” How would you define it?
STRANN — A particular vision brought to light. A multi-acre walkthrough experience of light and its soft power.
GW — We’ll leave it to Stacey Soloviev, one of the directors of the Soloviev Foundation, to have the last word: ”Field of Light at Freedom Plaza is a celebration of the creative force of New York City. And the democratic freedom of expression we enjoy in our diverse communities, our city, our nation. The promise of a bright future as New York continues its dynamic recovery.” And it’s already sold out through February 2024. Wow! Any final thoughts?
STRANN — Working with Bruce Munro has been the greatest joy of my professional career. I look forward to exploring and executing his artistic vision whenever and wherever it may lead. To participate in sharing Bruce Munro’s phenomenal work in the creative epicenter of New York City is a dream come true.
