We had the good fortune of connecting with Tanya Clarke and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tanya, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I came across the building of lighting by accident. I needed a fixture to replace the fluorescent overhead in my newly rented Venice Beach apartment and decided to build it myself. I had just moved to California from New York City and my piece combined the industrial town I had left behind along with the water element which lay in front of me. Shortly after it was completed, I wandered into a gallery in Santa Monica that was exhibiting chandeliers created out of unexpected items. I showed the woman at the front desk a picture of the chandelier I had just built. She turned out to be the gallery owner and asked if I’d be interested in building another one to add to the collection…

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My ‘Liquid Lights’ are custom-built, industrial designed light installations that experiment with the fusion of art and function. They create a visual reminder of the precious element that water is and our need to protect this natural resource. Hand-sculpted glass drops, plumbing, found-objects and low-voltage lights are incorporated in contribution of the zero footprint movement in the form of Liquid Light.

I was raised in Ottawa, Canada. Born into an activist family, my father Tony Clarke instilled in me a deep commitment to conservation. After fifteen years in Venice, CA, I now live in Vancouver, British Columbia and am continually exploring creative ways to bring attention to the urgent issue of water scarcity.

‘Liquid Lights’ have been featured in galleries, museums and private collections in the US and around the world.

But as with anything… it ebbs and flows. I was experiencing an ‘ebb’…

It was during the height of the LA drought and I had just watched the apocalyptic movie ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’. It gutted me. I decided to do an about-face and create a public work of art around a scene from the movie where corporate control over a water system left it’s villagers begging for a resource viewed as a human right.

I created 101 plaster cast faces of local friends, friends of friends, students and neighbors to represent the total population of 10,100,000 in the LA basin.

The collection of masks were coated in sand and initially staged and photographed on Zuma Beach in Malibu.

The project has since evolved and the masks are now mounted onto seven sheets of wood embedded in layers of sand to represent the population density of every continent. Drought, thirst and the unstable nature of our fresh water supply does not only pertain to California, but to the world as a whole.

These seven panels are currently on exhibit in downtown Los Angeles at the LA CleanTech Incubator in the Arts District.

It is titled ‘THIRST’.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Several years ago, I picked up the book ‘Soul of Los Angeles-A guide to 30 Exceptional Experiences’ at Gjusta’s in Venice. I have been ticking off these boxes since. Aside from Gjusta, my two favorites from these book are the Olympic Spa in Koreatown and the Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation which is a major museum in a mansion that most people haven’t heard of. It includes at least one piece of every major artist in the late 20th century and it’s fascinating to imagine how these people lived amongst some of these works. I love to wander the west side where I live; sunrise beach walks, the marina, Abbott Kinney. I l pang for the restaurant Felix as well as Gjelina’s and wish I could afford to eat at these places more regularly.
The architectural tour in downtown LA is incredible as is Hauser & Wirth and 1700 S Santa Fe which is filled with some jaw dropping exhibits.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Lisa Schoen-Chef chefbyday@gmail.com

Website: LiquidLightSite.Com

Instagram: @tanyaclarke222

Facebook: Tanya Clarke

Youtube: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zIRHwDX1WcU

Image Credits
Lisa Gizara

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.