168 Lightbulbs
Jim Campbell, 2001
Commissioned by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust in conjunction with his solo exhibition Time + Data at Wood Street Galleries, 168 Lightbulbs is a permanent public artwork by renowned media artist Jim Campbell. Using a matrix of 168 LED lights, Campbell created a low-resolution portrait that shifts from abstract light patterns into the recognizable image of Claude Shannon—the pioneering engineer and mathematician widely considered the father of information theory. The work pays direct homage to Shannon, whose groundbreaking contributions deeply influenced Campbell’s practice and ongoing exploration of data, perception, and the limits of visual representation.
168 Lightbulbs exemplifies Campbell’s distinctive approach to time-based, light-driven media and can be viewed on the exterior of Wood Street Galleries in downtown Pittsburgh.
About the Artist
Jim Campbell (b. 1956) is an internationally acclaimed artist known for his innovative use of light, technology, and data. With degrees in electrical engineering and mathematics from MIT, Campbell has spent his career exploring the intersection of science and art, creating works that challenge traditional forms of visual perception. His installations and public artworks have been exhibited widely, including at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Campbell’s contributions to the field of media art have earned him numerous awards, and his works are held in major museum collections around the world.