Wheel of Storms and Stillness
2008

Project description

This kinetic sculpture in which a ring of spinning faces appear to animate by speaking and transforming. They are lit by a starscape of lights that are suspended in twisted branches.

Technical description

The sculpture is made of multiple casts of my face that were manipulated in clay to have successively different expressions. They are mounted to a motorized wheel that spins sensors then determine the speed of rotation and trigger an analog circuit to flash lights that illuminate the sculpture. They rate of flash aligns with the rotation so that sculpture appears to animate in place.

Undergraduate research

I designed and developed this project as part of an independent course for my major at UNCA. I first presented it at the UNCA Undergraduate Research Spring Symposium, in 2008. Since then it has been featured at multiple art events and festivals.

Note on Video Documentation

Because this sculpture is illuminated by short flashes of light that are not in sync with the frame rate of the camera it's footage does not capture the fluidity and vividness of this sculpture's animation. Please see in person for intended experience.