Stephanos Droussiotis | EMBERS: Monochromatic Perception and Historical Stage Lighting through Contemporary Technologies

This research explores how contemporary lighting technologies can recreate the atmosphere, warmth, and emotional resonance associated with historical stage illumination as documented in black-and-white and sepia photographs, drawings, and engravings. Rather than attempting a nostalgic reconstruction of obsolete lighting systems, the project investigates how their aesthetic and perceptual qualities can be translated into practical methodologies for contemporary theater. The research examines recent developments in lighting technology, focusing on their potential to shape tonal contrast, shadow, diffusion, and desaturated visual environments. It also studies historical stage lighting, from candlelight and oil lamps to early electric sources, to understand how these technologies influenced theatrical atmosphere and visual perception. Drawing on the work of influential practitioners such as Adolphe Appia, Edward Gordon Craig, and others, the project considers light as a sculptural and expressive medium. Through a series of studio-based experiments, it examines whether the qualities of historical illumination can be approached using contemporary equipment, and whether colored light can be perceptually transformed into monochromatic atmospheres.