lightscape means an illuminated environment; a lighting arrangement that picks out some details and obscures others. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 89 out of 100.
Why “lightscape” is a great word
An illuminated environment or a lighting arrangement designed to highlight specific details while obscuring others. From *light* (illumination) + *-scape* (suffix denoting a kind of scene or view, as in *landscape*). Unlike *landscape* (which delineates physical terrain) or *illumination* (which denotes the general state of being lit), a lightscape is a deliberate composition of visibility. It is the sodium-orange grid of a city that gilds rain-slicked asphalt while leaving doorways in shadow; the single gallery spotlight carving a sculpture from the surrounding void; the intimate pool from a desk lamp that carves a sanctuary from the gloom—the art of revealing a world by deciding what to hide.
Etymology
From light + -scape.
noun
- An illuminated environment; a lighting arrangement that picks out some details and obscures others.“The theater house can encourage the lighting designer to imagine extraordinary lightscapes or it can limit the placement of lights, resulting in constant frustration that is stimulating to no one.”
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