Optica was installed on the balcony of Café Del Mar for VIVID Sydney 2014. The work uses laser‑cut acrylic panels to evoke the luminous, glass‑blue surface of water. As the sun sets over Darling Harbour, light strikes the panels and creates a vivid, reflective pool of colour that transforms the balcony into a synthetic reservoir of shifting blue tones.
The installation brings the brilliance of natural light into an urban setting, allowing viewers to experience a sense of immersion as they look upward into the glowing surface. The combination of acrylic, netting, and blue LED strip lighting creates a serene, atmospheric environment that captures the essence of water and light interacting at dusk.
Artist: Ruth McDermott, and Ben Baxter.
Title: Cascade.
Date: 2014.
Medium: acrylic and net, LED blue strip-lighting.
Dimensions: 6m x 2m.
Location: Café Del Mar, Cockle Bay Wharf.
Art Commission: Café Del Mar.
