This article was printed in
Chic Compass Magazine – Issue 6

Field of Light at Sensorio (c) 2019 Bruce Munro. Photo by Serena Munro.

Cosmic Field of Light

BY STACEY GUALANDI
PHOTOGRAPHY BY SERENA MUNRO

In Paso Robles, California, the hills are alive with…mounds of illuminated fiber-optic spheres (58,800 to be exact).

Bruce Munro: Field of Light at Sensorio is an impressive outdoor, walk-through art installation nestled along Route 46 in Central California’s wine country. It is a sight to behold.

British artist Bruce Munro, 61, designed the solar-powered orbs to slowly morph from translucent white to a rainbow of colors, lighting up the landscape as the sun sets over the horizon. The 15-acre interactive attraction is a stunning array of originality and must be experienced to be believed.

“[Field of Light at Sensorio] is the biggest I’ve ever done by quite some margin,” Munro says.

The Internationally-acclaimed artist planted his latest scenic sculpture in Paso Robles last year following successful Field of Light exhibitions in the UK, Australia, Mexico City, and Houston. The unique location allows visitors to stroll along its half-mile walkway and fully immerse themselves in the artwork.
The New York Times listed it #6 on its “52 Places to Go” in 2020, while The Guardian noted, “This is art you feel, rather than art you view.”

Munro says his distinctive light show is a lifelong passion: “It’s something that I’ve dreamt of taking across the world to simply bring a bit of joy and connection to people.”

It’s quite an accomplishment for someone who was criticized in his youth for being a daydreamer. But in his 20s, Munro took a trip to Australia, where he began illustrating and soon realized he could make money from his imagination. He noted in his sketchbook at the time moments of “condensed connectedness with nature” that he wanted to recreate through art.

In 1992, while camping at Australia’s Uluru National Park, Munro envisioned an “illuminated field of stems that, like the dormant seed in a dry desert, would burst into bloom at dusk with gentle rhythms of light under a blazing blanket of stars.”

Twelve years later, he unveiled the first Field of Light on his seven-acre property in Long Knoll, England. But his long-held dream wasn’t fully realized until 2016 when he opened his solar-powered stems in Uluru, the source of his inspiration. That exhibition now remains indefinitely.

There’s also good news for visitors to Paso Robles: the light show was recently extended through January 2021 at Sensorio, a Central California “destination for entertainment, exploration, meditation, and nature.”

To get the maximum enjoyment, I recommend arriving before sunset so you can witness the orbs changing colors in real-time. While there, you can also listen to live bands, lounge on the hillside VIP area, and lavish your taste buds with a flood of food trucks (beignets, all the way!)

Munro’s goal to connect with nature is possible, even in the age of COVID-19. On my recent visit, there was a line to get in because organizers have set up a checkpoint to monitor temperatures. Masks and social distancing are mandatory, and once inside the exhibit, there is one clockwise flow of traffic. If you prefer smaller crowds, then simply arrive after dark.

But no matter when you go, there are 58,800 reasons not to miss it.

To learn more about Bruce Munro: Field of Light at Sensorio, visit www.sensoriopaso.com

Internationally-acclaimed artist Bruce Munro has created his largest work to date at Sensorio in Paso Robles, CA. Photo Courtesy of David Greer.

Cosmic Field of Light

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