Angela Bulloch & Rolls-Royce: “Cipher of L.” Unveiled for Frieze London

Cipher of L is a large “pixel box” that combines particular physical and conceptual elements of a Rolls-Royce car with sculptural aesthetics. The artist is known for blurring the boundaries between mathematics and visual art by creatively manipulating her interests in systems and patterns. She first developed the “pixel box” with engineers in the late nineties and it has become a staple component of her practice. Her “pixel boxes” are made of tubes that project light housed in a wooden or metal casing. This particular commission explores the relationship between art and technology and is rooted in the ideas behind the fine craftsmanship of Rolls-Royce vehicles.

Cipher of L. has the exact dimensions of a Rolls-Royce Phantom and emits colorful beams of light over the other cars in the showroom. The colors incorporated into the installation mimic the colors found on the exterior of Rolls-Royce cars: they were selected from the brand’s 44,000 hues and translated into RGB values. Other components of Rolls-Royce design, like fine wood details, are translated into the “pixel box” through the use of wooden veneers. After a visit to the plant at Goodwood, Bulloch was inspired to create a work that “appears to float in the same way that a Rolls-Royce motorcar does.”