Enhance Your Metal Wall Sculptures with Lighting

Lighting will have a big impact on the appearance of your metal wall art. Ambient lighting during daylight hours may be sufficient, depending on the sculpture's proximity to windows or skylights. In low light or after sundown, a dedicated lighting source can do wonders. The lighting causes colors to "pop", increasing their apparent intensity and the shadows created help magnify the 3-D effects.

There are basically three considerations in choosing lighting: the choice between flood lights and spot lights, the color of the light produced, and the distance of the lights from the sculpture.

Flood lights cast a wide, less intense circle of light, while spot lights focus their output into a narrower, more intense beam. The distance of the lights from the metal wall art also comes into play. Spot lights loose their effectiveness rapidly as they are moved farther away from the sculpture, whereas the spot lights focused beam allow for more distance. Lights that emulate the daylight spectrum produce the most realistic and vivid colors. The color temperature of the daylight spectrum is in the 5500 Kelvin range.

Track lighting is the type of fixture most commonly used to illuminate metal wall art. It is available in many forms and attachment methods. The swivel type lights are the most effective, providing a great deal of flexibility. The track light kits can also become design elements adding to the beauty of your home.

Carefully-aimed spot lights can add drama to your arrangement. For larger examples of metal wall art, you may need multiple spots. For best results, the lights should be at least three feet away from the sculpture. The lights should be positioned higher than the sculpture, so that the light strikes at an angle. Experiment by moving the lights to highlight different parts of the sculpture until you have determined the most pleasing positioning.

Below are three samples of metal wall art illuminated by spot lights. To best see the effect, click on the image or links for a larger view