Chris Levine: Mastering Light, Sound, and the Frequencies of the Divine

Few artists can claim mastery over something as intangible and omnipresent as light. Yet light artist Chris Levine has made a career of bending it to his will, crafting works that straddle the line between art and metaphysical experience. Levine doesn’t just work with light—he connects with it, transforming photons into in-depth meditations on existence. With a mind as sharp as his lasers and a vision that could make Pythagoras jealous, Levine brings scientific rigour and poetic intuition to his creations.

Levine’s art is not content to remain within the boundaries of perception; instead, it seeks to expand them, prying open the gap between what we see and what we feel. “Let there be light,” decrees Genesis 1:3, and Levine, in his own way, picks up where that divine command left off. Light, for Levine, is never just illumination. It is a medium of divinity, purity, and revelation—a sacred force he sculpts into forms that challenge the way we think about time, presence, and our residence in the universe.

Over time my practice has become more honed and aligned with my personal development and outlook

Chris Levine

Well known for his portraits that go beyond mere visuals—merging light with human essence and capturing the spirit of cultural figures like Kate Moss, the Dalai Lama, and Grace Jones—Levine’s exploration of the divine and symbolism finds its most poignant expression in one of his most celebrated works, Lightness of Being, a metaphysical portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. This is no ordinary likeness; it is an exquisite meditation on presence, light, and eternity.

Levine dissolves the Queen’s visage into pure radiance, her countenance suspended in a breathless moment of stillness. Far from an ordinary representation of classic portraiture, this transformation invites viewers to encounter not just the figure of the Queen but the decadent essence of existence itself.

Levine’s latest work, Quadrivium, takes his practice into new and ancient territory—the deserts of Egypt, where the Pyramids of Giza stand as monuments to humanity’s earliest understanding of mathematics, architecture, and cosmic alignment. Here, in the shadow of these timeless structures, Levine engages the elemental power of sunlight for the first time in his career, blending the sacred energy of the pyramids with his own artistic vision.

Quadrivium, named after the ancient study of arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and music, channels the Pythagorean belief that these disciplines are keys to unlocking the universe’s hidden laws.

Standing four meters tall, Levine’s tensile sculpture is aligned with true north, mirroring the cosmic precision of the Pyramid. As the sun arcs across the sky, Quadrivium tracks its movement, capturing its holistic exchange with the ancient structure; a shifting dance of light and energy transforms the sculpture into a living reflection of the sun’s journey.

Central to Quadrivium are two healing frequencies from the ancient Solfeggio scale—528 Hz and 432 Hz—tones historically associated with meditation, healing, and manifestation. These frequencies create a sanctuary where one can connect with the sacred vitality of Egypt’s timeless desert architecture. Offering moments of stillness and introspection.

For me, Levine is like a shaman of light and sound. To encounter Levine’s work is to fuel the body and soul with vitamins of enlightenment. With installations that command participation, engaging you in frequencies that echo through the physical and emotional self. In Quadrivium, as with all his works, Levine guides audiences through a journey that is as much about feeling as it is about seeing.

Whether capturing the divinity of his sitters or channelling the ancient energies of Egypt, Levine lights pathways to the soul and universe, connecting us with the meditative art of stillness and reflection. Few artists navigate the intersection of technology, spirituality, and emotion as deftly as Levine, whose work lingers long after the light fades. We managed to catch up with the light artist to learn more about his practice and vision.

Hi Chris, thank you for joining us. To start, could you share a bit about your journey into the arts? Were there any pivotal moments or influential experiences that inspired you to pursue a career as an artist?

Chris Levine: I studied Graphics at Chelsea School of Art and Central St Martins and was exploring holography for my thesis. Since childhood, I’d always wanted to be an architect, but my father died when I was 18 and with the chaos that ensued, the thought of seven years to qualify was daunting, so I opted for art school. Three years in London seemed more realistic and a good distraction at a difficult gem of my life.

Your work often blends science, philosophy, and spirituality, combining scientific elements like holography with spiritual and philosophical themes. Could you delve more into your practice, inspirations, and how these disciplines interact within your creative process?

Chris Levine: Over time my practice has become more honed and aligned with my personal development and outlook. My obsession with holograms was very much to do with being seduced by the wow factor and the representation of simulated reality, escape from reality? Eventually I became more interested in the light used to make holograms and increasingly lasers have played a big part in the development of my art form and visual language.

You’re well known for portraits that go beyond mere visuals, merging light with human essence. Iconic works such as your portraits of Queen Elizabeth II, Kate Moss, the Dalai Lama, and Grace Jones seem to capture an almost ethereal quality. How do you approach capturing the spirit of a person through light, and what does that process reveal to you about your subjects?

Chris Levine: I often think my portraiture is about tuning into the inner light of my subjects, connecting to their truth. I use different techniques to get them into a state of calm and that can include sound frequencies, modulating light or simply talking to them and creating a relaxed atmosphere, its not a shoot it’s a sitting. We get still. More recently as with Gilbert and George, I got them to press the shutter release when it felt right inside, for them. We’ve been referring to this technique as an ‘inner selfie, and it’s achieved some amazing results.

Building on that, alongside your iconic portraits, you often blend light, frequencies, and sound to explore perception and altered states of consciousness. What connections do you see between visual perception and our understanding of reality, and how do you aim to challenge or expand these perceptions?

Chris Levine: Light is the raw data of our visual perception but its so much more than that in the way that we interact with it. Whilst photons enter our sensory system through the optical system of our eyes, connecting us at one with the artwork, be it an immersive laser installation or the perception of an image. We are, as Einstein has said, ‘compressed light’ and so we are engaged in a process much wider and deeper than we, as humans, can understand. I like to conjure within this field of engagement, ultimately drawing the audience into the present moment as a portal to a wider bandwidth of perception.

Light, by its nature, is transient and ephemeral. How does this temporality shape your approach to creating works, and what message do you hope viewers take from the fleeting nature of your pieces?

Chris Levine: By inducing a meditative state, even for a moment, it’s a beneficial and healing act. In a world becoming more challenging by the day, the sooner we come to realise that we can find refuge within the better. I hope, in a humble and modest way, that my art can slowly lead people to that realisation through direct experience.

With your mastery of light and holography, how do you envision the future of light art in the digital age? Do you foresee new technologies or shifts in audience interaction that might redefine the scope of this genre?

Chris Levine: It was a massive practical leap forward when Lasers went from being scientific instruments, gas filled glass tubes requiring 3 phase power and water cooling, to electronic diodes that can run off batteries. It’s opened up all kinds of potential for the use of laser as an artform, the medium of light in its purest single frequency form. Now the power of those diodes is increasing all the time to the point where I’m able to do a piece as I’m doing in Riyadh, Higher Power, that will be seen across an entire city.

In your latest project, Quadrivium, you’ve intentionally mirrored the proportions of the Earth and Moon, as well as the Great Pyramid’s alignment with the cosmos. How do you interpret the role of sacred geometry in connecting physical structures to celestial bodies, and what do you believe it reveals about the Ancient Egyptians’ understanding of the universe?

Chris Levine: Underpinning the laws of nature and universal forces that direct them, are geometric ratios and sequences, an order, which operates at micro and macro octaves. Patterns and cycles appear and the intention in my work is to harmonise with those vibrations. Whereas I’m merely intuitively seeking to explore and surf them, I believe the ancient Egyptians worked with it as a science and used it for good.

In Quadrivium, you incorporated materials like locally-sourced granite, a crystal sphere, and a conductive copper coil, evoking both ancient and energetic symbolism. Could you elaborate on how these materials were chosen to channel the energy of the Giza complex, and what you aim to convey about the relationship between matter, energy, and spiritual consciousness?

Chris Levine: I love your questions. In describing Quadrivium to a journalist as I stood by it in front of the pyramids, I used the term ‘harmonic resonator’ and it stuck. Every aspect of the piece, all measurements, materiality and intention, were inspired and drawn out of everything I’ve come to know and consider about the Great Pyramid, and then be manifested into a physical object to stand in front of it. All these factors, visible and invisible, have played into my creative process to arrive at a sculpture that is in harmony, that resonates with matter, energy and consciousness. A harmonic resonator.

As a pioneer in light art, where do you see this genre evolving, particularly with advancements in VR, AI, and other immersive technologies? How do you hope your work contributes to this evolution?

Chris Levine: Given that so much of our experience and source of information comes at us through screen based tech and that data is fed to us through the illuminated pixel, light is the medium and one can only hope that it will overcome darkness. Ultimately my intention is aligned to that objective.

Your portraits and installations using light, frequency and sound have achieved iconic status in art and popular culture. How do you see the role of an artist in creating culturally resonant symbols, and what responsibility do you feel in shaping this visual dialogue?

Chris Levine: If I thought about taking any responsibility it would make me freeze. The best I can do is the next right thing and the universe will respond in positivity and the message will be on the light side.

Lastly, how would you define your philosophy of art, and what role does it play in shaping your life and career? How has this philosophy evolved throughout your journey?

Chris Levine: This is such a huge question, it’s a book. As I’ve grown older, my life and art have converged to become symbiotic, each nurturing the other. The direction and vision of my work has become deeper the more I’ve questioned and sought to understand. But the reality is I’m still a mystified child, often overwhelmed, feeling misunderstood, but playful and coming to understand more and more that love is the answer, and that Light is in fact LOVE.

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©2024 Chris Levine