•  with..... Michael Brown, designer and creator of LSE's new installation Bluerain

Michael was born in California and has lived in San Francisco for almost 25 years. He considers himself a 'maker' and has been an artist for most of his life. He has a degree in film making but moved towards sculpture and installation work in his final year of college.

What is Bluerain? And what inspired you to create this artwork?

Bluerain is a whole bunch of blue light emitting diodes (LED’s) attached the side of the Library. When research is being done in the Library, we capture the information (searches to the online card catalogue, and titles of books as they are checked in and out) and scroll the layers of text down the wall of LED’s. It almost appears as unreadable shifting hieroglyphics, but by turning your head you can decipher the words by following one block of text at a time.

When I first visited LSE, I was inspired by the Library’s open atrium, allowing you to see the vast amount of information and research happening inside. I was told the Library was not so easy for students to find, so the idea of creating an artwork that could also act as a way finder, seemed important. I’ve been using LED’s for a while, but not as a tool to display text, more for making interactive light sculptures. I liked the idea of using words but felt the need to treat them differently, still readable but requiring the viewer to engage to actually 'read' them. The corner of the building was screaming for something and seems ideal to cascade the words down the long brick corner of the building. The colour blue, so lovely, reflecting the idea of water, and as it so happened there were blue LED’s already embedded into the plaza, so it was the obvious choice. Standing just below the corner forces all the words to compress and basically disappear so it looks like rain drops falling. Stepping slightly away from the wall and the letters start to become visible slowing becoming words the farther you move away.

What is it about interactive artwork that you like so much?

It is more engaging as it often requires the participants to get involved. Interactive work also becomes a collaborative experience, which often inspires strangers to engage with each other. I like to make strangers talk to each other.

How did you come to know the donor, Darril Hudson?

As an artist, one often has a 'day job'. I was a handyman who Darril hired to do some repair work on one of the buildings he owns in San Francisco. As an avid appreciator of art, he learned I was an artist and our discussions led to our friendship. His love of LSE inspired him to ask me to design a piece for his alma mater.

What happens if one of the 23,520 bulbs blows?

Each 'pixel' in Bluerain is actually made up of 15 LED’s in a cluster. If one goes out there are 14 remaining so the loss of one failing will not be noticed. If a number of LED’s fail, a four-foot long section of the display (module) can be easily replaced with one of the extra modules included with the project. Eventually when all these extra modules have been used up, the parts can be swapped and recombined to keep Bluerain functioning. The great thing about LED’s is that they last an incredibly long time. The estimated life span of the LED’s used in Bluerain are 50,000 hours of continuous illumination. You will notice that for most of the time, the LED’s are actually 'off' or dark, only glowing when a letter rolls by.

Why did you choose the colour blue?

Cause it is pretty!

Is it true that the entire display uses less power than a 100 watt light bulb? How did you make this possible?

Actually the total consumption is about 60 watts. I was pretty blown away when we first measured it. I knew it would be low, but 60 watts was completely impressive, especially when I saw how bright my studio was when I had it running. I had to cover it all with cardboard just so I could sleep!

Do you think it is important for universities to have artwork like this? And if so, why?

Artwork is important anywhere. It inspires, enlightens and amuses. A student campus is one of those magical places where minds are supposed to be expanded. Being exposed to art allows one to see different points of view or just see things from a different perspective.

Where in London would you most like to display one of your pieces of art?

The Tate Modern, of course! What an awesome space.

Bluerain was formally unveiled at LSE on Tuesday 6 October. For more information, click here.