Derek Porter, director of the MFA lighting design program at Parsons The New School for Design in New York, will discuss his work in a lecture, “Explorations in Light,” on Thursday, Oct. 17, on the University of Iowa campus.

The free public event, another in the UI Museum of Art’s series of Smart Talks, begins at 7:30 p.m. in Room 240 of Art Building West, 141 N. Riverside Drive, Iowa City.

“Explorations in Light” emerges from Porter’s interest in exploring the relationships among light, human perception, memory, and how societies inhabit the constructed world. Through his multidisciplinary practice, spanning more than 20 years, he considers human evolution and inherited ancestral traits, psychological and physiological responses to environmental conditions, relations to natural systems, and how cumulative historical influences affect our contemporary associations with technology and spatial contexts.

In addition to presenting his own work, Porter will discuss selected works by scientists, researchers, and artists who have influenced his personal vision and helped to shape questions about the responsibility that design should assume for our society’s future and within its ever-increasing complexity.

For further information about this event, please visit the museum website.

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all UI-sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to attend this lecture, contact the UI Museum of Art in advance at 319-335-1727.