Corellian Flames

Corellian flames is a generic term to describe a certain type of holographic art, which bases on the use of floral and mineral materials to evoke vivid, colourful and dynamic light patterns.

History

Holographic art has a long and noble tradition. Despite, or perhaps due to the elusive nature of the light sculptures, they have never seized to astonish and seduce. It is difficult to trace which race was the first to shape pure light for artistic effects. Surely the early light artists had to be inspired by natural phenomena such as aurora borealis, thunderstorm or rainbow. It is easy to guess that they felt an urge to preserve such beautiful illusions beyond the boundaries of their normal circumstances. The art of bending light has evolved greatly during the past centuries, from the use of natural crystals and mirror surfaces into a separate art domain, requiring both chemical proficiency and aesthetic intuition. Nowhere in the entire galaxy has it, however, reached such a level of complexity and subtlety as on Corellia.

Technical aspect

What comes as a surprise to anyone who starts to take interest in the corellian flames is the fact that their basic structure is fairly uncomplicated. The idea is to take the light of Goolish bulbs, usually two of them, and beam it through a structure composed of transoptical fibres and pieces of pseudoluminescent plant tissues. The latter is usually faldhorian moss, found in deep caverns of the Faldhoi region on the northern hemisphere of Corellia. These plants absorb and give back light according to cycles unique to every particular specimen. The dancing light patterns are the reason why the sculptures from Corellia are often referred to as 'flames'. Finding one that suits the artist's needs more often than not requires serious endeavour. That is why many light sculptors prefer to use less moody and more easily available material. However, the real masters of the craft share the opinion that faldhorian moss is vital for a sculpture to be genuine.

Contrary to the plant material, transoptical fibres are usually of crystalline or synthetic origin and provide the constant element of the light structure. They form a symbolic counterbalance to the unpredictable, ever changing plants.

The process of combining all three elements, the light sources, the floral material and the fibres, requires extreme delicacy and sensitivity. One false move may dispel the desired effect and the whole work has to be started all over again. Moreover, the faldhorian moss is delicate in its nature and easy to damage. The final effect, however, is always worth the effort.