If winter’s monotone palette of white, grays and blue-grays is dulling your senses, you may need a little Philip Noyed in your life.
The Minneapolis multi-media artist, who was recently featured on TPT’s Minnesota Original, creates abstract artwork often referred to as “contemporary stained glass.” Bold, bright, and bursting with kinetic energy, Noyed’s vibrant, geometrically patterned works testify to the invigorating power of color and light.
If you visit his Northeast Minneapolis studio, he’ll even let you swing (yes, he has a swing suspended from the ceiling in his workspace) while wearing 3-D glasses, which bring the artworks even more alive. “Most people have never seen a painting in 3-D,” he says. “When they wear the glasses and start to swing, they become kids again.”
Medallion, 27″H x 36″W x 3″D. C-type lambda print mounted on acrylic. LED Light box or Translucent.
Several years ago, Noyed began to photograph his 2-D artworks with quick, staccato, sweeping, blurring movements—a technique he discovered while in Salzburg, Austria, at one of his shows. Those color-infused swaths of captured motion, which he further manipulates via Photoshop, inspired additional projects: framed wall art, mobiles and floor lamps, which he calls Geometric Illuminations. “I do have fun!” Noyed enthuses.
“Minnesotans suffer from not having enough light in their life,” he says. Lack of light contributes to Season Affective Disorder (SAD) and Vitamin D deficiencies, which can affect mood and mental health. Over the years, scientific studies have shown how light can heal. Full spectrum lights help with SAD. Newborns with jaundice are treated with blue light. “The body actually absorbs the light almost like a vitamin,” Noyed says.
Real estate agents often encourage home sellers to paint their houses yellow, “because it’s an optimistic, cheerful color that shows the home is a happy place,” Noyed explains. “Orange is the color of social communication, and red is passion and energy, so having these colors in your home can cue these feelings.”
Solar Flare, Available as LED Light Box or as Image for window
In addition to his artistic activities, Noyed works as a creative director at Caring Bridge, the nonprofit website through which family and friends can communicate support for loved ones who are ill. “Professionally, I use color strategically in branding and communications,” Noyed says, “so I like to know the inherent meanings behind color to use it successfully.”
A self-described lifelong learner, Noyed adds that he’s “passionate about the idea that art is more than just a decoration. Just as art affects us emotionally and physically, so do color and light.” His R-G-Y Diamond Mobile, light boxes, and lamps—in triangle, tube, or other shapes—“can bring color and geometry to a room without overwhelming the space.”
Interior designers and collectors with contemporary art leanings, seeking a unique element to add to their décor, are among Noyed’s clients. “We don’t need to settle for incandescent yellows,” he says. “Color does make you happier. Light and color are also conversation pieces.” Moreover, he adds, “They bring us joy.”
By Camille LeFevre
Video via MN Original
Photos via philipnoyed.com