Mingle

Limited Edition of 95

• Size: 23” w x 35” h x 6” d

• Approximate Run Time: 20+ Hours

• Price: $3900.00 - opening bid

• Limited Edition of 95

• Mingle © 2023

• To Purchase

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About Mingle

This sculpture combines two distinct patterning concepts, resulting in a unique and captivating design. While both of these patterns have appeared in my previous sculptures, I have never before combined them into a single 'patterning wheel'. The inspiration for this piece was serendipitous, as I was experimenting with nested arc patterns and decided to add a fan shape to see what would happen. I quickly sketched and animated some initial designs, and was excited by the results.

Over the course of several months, I explored many different combinations of the two forms, with the goal of achieving both physical balance and visual harmony. After building numerous prototypes with wheels of different sizes and mechanisms, I eventually settled on the current design, which I feel achieves the perfect balance between the two patterns.

As an artist, I find the mixture of optical patterns within the same sculpture to be particularly fascinating. The interplay between the two patterns creates a dynamic visual experience that keeps the eye and mind engaged. I hope that viewers will also find the piece to be engaging and enjoyable.

About the Sound:

The sculpture will make 1 soft click per revolution and a somewhat louder click periodically when the mechanism pushes the wheels.

Nexus Spiral

One-of-a-kind

• Size: 45” w x 55” h x 7” d

• Aproximate Run Time: 15 hours

• Price: $10,000. - Opening bid at future auction

• Nexus Spiral ©2021

• Sold

About Nexus Spiral:

I made Storm, Nexus Arc and Nexus Spiral all as part of the design challenge. This was an study I set for myself several years ago. I wanted to explore what would happen when I used the the same basic pattern of wheels moved with different mechanisms.

In Storm’s case I drove each pattern wheel independently creating an energetic chaotic pattern. For the Nexus sculptures I kept the 6 satellite patterning wheels synchronized using a completely different mechanism. This creates a calmer more relaxing pattern that draws you in and then releases you. It’s almost like breathing in a way. I find the Nexus designs very relaxing, almost meditative as the pattern starts out moving quickly and gently, over several minutes slows down and stops before getting another push and repeating the cycle.

During my computer animation studies for Nexus I could not decide if I wanted to use a spiral arm to connect the fan spokes or an arc. Both created patterns that were interesting. My indecision inspired me to make both! In all other aspects these 2 sculptures are the same. Can you see the difference? Does either speak louder to you?

Nexus Arc

• One-of-a-kind

• Size: 45” w x 55” h x 7” d

• Aproximate Run Time: 15 hours

• Price: $10,000. - Opening bid at future auction

• Nexus Arc ©2021

• Sold

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About Nexus Arc

One of my joys in semi-retirement is the time to fully explore new ideas. Nexus Arc is the second part of my exploration that started with the sculpture Storm released in 2021. With Storm I used 6 separate mechanisms to create a “stormy” mix of 6 independent elements. 

Nexus Arc is a study of what happens when I use 6 wheels set in a Storm’s radial pattern but synchronized. I incorporated a different mechanism to achieve this variation. The result is a completely different pattern that seems to collapse toward the center and then burst out again but all in a repeating and orderly fashion. The rotation starts out fairly rapidly but over the course of several minutes gradually slows down and finally stops and reverses. This reversal is the signal for the spring-based mechanism to give the entire assembly another push. The cycle time is long so during the beginning of the video I cut out 90 seconds of time so you can see both the start and end of the motion quickly. The video then continues and shows the full cycle. 

If you listen carefully you can hear 1 click per rotation and a louder click then the main push happens.

Nexus Arc creates endless evolving patterns as it moves. The still photos to the right shows three of its many different orientations.

Thunderbird

• One-of-a-kind

• Size: 31” w x 43” h x 6.5” d

• Approximate Run Time: 35 Hours

• Sold

• Thunderbird © 2016

• To Purchase

About Thunderbird:

I designed and built this sculpture in 2016. It was partially inspired by my sculpture Infinity but I wanted a pattern that was more complex. Infinity had a pattern that was fairly simple.  I designed a chaotic mechanism to drive the pattern in unpredictable ways. I wanted to try the inverse,  a more complex patterning wheel with a predictable drive mechanism. To this end I started playing with an inside out wheel where the spokes were asymmetrical. Asymmetrical wheels are harder to design because finding the balance point is not a simple matter of just finding center. The mass of each section of the wheel has to match its opposing section on the opposite side of the wheel, regardless of the shape of that particular section. I love this kind of challenge. It often reveals interesting patterns. 

I draw my parts in Adobe Illustrator and then animated them in Adobe After Effects. The calculation of center of mass is accomplished in a program no longer produced for the Mac called Working Model.  I use a vintage Mac to run this software and it still preforms admirably. 

The result was a new pattern that I really enjoyed. I decided to drive it with a double spring long running mechanism and live with it in our home. I like living with long running sculptures because my workday is filled with winding and I don’t need more at home. 

The more I watched it the more I wanted to share it. I decided to simplify the wheels a bit using fewer, somewhat thicker spokes and power it with a center drive mechanism. Eventually this became Duality which I introduced in 2017 and it became a collector favorite. 

So now it’s years later and although I still enjoy my long running Thunderbird it’s time to sell it and make room for some new designs. I’ve been doing a lot of designing since my “retirement” and I need the wall space!

Complexity 3

• One-of -a-kind

• Size: 32” w x 47” h x 6” d

• Approximate Run Time: 20 Hours

• Sold

• Complexity 3 © 2020

• To Purchase

About Complexity 3

My edition sculpture Boomerang was the result of a systematic study using patterns created by the swept-back spoke design. I’ve been experimenting with this type of pattern for years but never systematically. In my retirement I decided to take the time to do a more detailed study. In this phase of the study I varied the number of bends in the spoke; Complexity 1 has one bend followed by Complexity 2 with two bends and 3 bends in Complexity 3. My normal working method of studying computer animations was not definitive so I decided to make all three and compare them side by side. The time to do this is another luxury of retirement. Each sculpture had it’s own qualities and I liked them all. In the end we chose Complexity 1 to become Boomerang.  But…….

Complexity 2 and 3 are both fascinating sculptures so I’ve decided to sell them as one-of-a-kind sculptures. In the past I would have hung on to them for future editions but there are too many new ideas to try and not enough time to do it all.

Complexity 2

• One-of -a-kind

• Size: 32” w x 47” h x 6” d

• Approximate Run Time: 20 Hours

• Sold

• Complexity 2 © 2020

• To Purchase

About Complexity 3

My edition sculpture Boomerang was the result of a systematic study using patterns created by the swept-back spoke design. I’ve been experimenting with this type of pattern for years but never systematically. In my retirement I decided to take the time to do a more detailed study. In this phase of the study I varied the number of bends in the spoke; Complexity 1 has one bend followed by Complexity 2 with two bends and 3 bends in Complexity 3. My normal working method of studying computer animations was not definitive so I decided to make all three and compare them side by side. The time to do this is another luxury of retirement. Each sculpture had it’s own qualities and I liked them all. In the end we chose Complexity 1 to become Boomerang.  But…….

Complexity 2 and 3 are both fascinating sculptures so I’ve decided to sell them as one-of-a-kind sculptures. In the past I would have hung on to them for future editions but there are too many new ideas to try and not enough time to do it all.

Boomerang

Limited Edition of 95

• Size: 32” w x 47” h x 6” d

• Approximate Run Time: 18 Hours

• Price: $4400.00 - opening bid

• Boomerang © 2021

• To Purchase

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About Boomerang

I started experimenting with “switchback arms” in my patterning wheels as early as the 1980’s with sculptures like Star Shadow and Crystal. It wasn’t until Illusion in 2005 that this pattern started to come together. This led to Radiance in 2007 and Shimmer in 2009 which were smaller more accessible sculptures that basically used the same patterning wheel with completely different mechanisms. In 2018 I returned to the switchback spoke for Deja Vu because I had a new mechanism to try with a large patterning wheel. This concept generates seemingly endless pattern variations with just a small tweak in the spoke’s shape. 

Boomerang is an extension of this design path. This sculpture creates yet another interesting pattern by using a shape reminiscent of a boomerang as the switchback spoke. The variations are endless. I liked this one because it creates a pattern that is both familiar and completely new. It reminds me of gentle waves in a small pond that are growing and shrinking at the same time as they interfere with each other. 

This is a long running sculpture (around 20 hours) that uses only a single spring. I designed a simple symmetrical base and winder system the lets the pattern do all the talking. The recording has no music so you can listen to the wooden clicking sounds generated while in motion.

Calligraphy

Limited Edition of 7

• Size: 40” w x 54” h x 7” d

• Approximate Run Time: 4.5 Hours

• Price: $3900.00 - opening bid - USA only

• Calligraphy © 2023

• To Purchase

• View Calligraphy Prequel Video

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About Calligraphy

Two years ago, I introduced what I am now calling Calligraphy Prequel, a sculpture with an interesting chaotic motion. Despite its uniqueness, I never offered it for sale due to its frenetic and noisy nature, which proved to be more disruptive than I had anticipated. It was a sculpture I couldn’t envision living with, let alone anticipating others enjoying it.

Over the past two years, I've been experimenting with and refining Calligraphy. The joy I find in retirement is having the luxury of time which allows me this continued exploration. The sculpture now runs for longer periods, is quieter, and the motion is significantly less frenetic. The updated mechanism has evolved to behave more like the one found in my sculpture Chaos, incorporating quiet intervals of non-engagement seamlessly interspersed with bursts of energetic dances.

I’ve left the original Calligraphy page including the video on the website here. The narrative detailing the decades long development of this piece is shared there. Those of you that are interested in the nuances of my work should compare the two videos. Can you perceive the difference in the motion?

I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.

Links to sculptures that led to this design:

Serpentine

Chaos

Calligraphy Prequel