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Chris Cole: Kinetic Sculpture

Wendy Campbell — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 15:30:01 +0000

Oregon based artist Chris Cole’s work is derived from a fascination of physics, gravity, motion, light, and a definition of space.

“My kinetic sculptures and paintings are the result of a life spent exploring the relationships between the industrial and natural worlds, between human progress and humanity’s excesses. The Northwest, and the small towns that have been my home, provide the stark contrast of immense natural beauty overlaid with an industrial superstructure.

It is in this intersection of nature and industry that I find inspiration. So many of the seemingly surreal organisms that exist in the wild are both mirrored and threatened by human machinery.

My sculptures are heavily influenced by the visionaries of the industrial revolution. The quest for flight, the ceaseless desire for faster, more versatile and efficient transportation relied undeniably on the workings of the natural world. The 19th century produced mechanism from organism. Though I am thoroughly fascinated by machines, I am troubled by our culture’s resulting disconnection with the natural world. My work, therefore, considers a regression from mechanism back to organism.

Sculpture is a means through which I can explore the concepts of movement, functionality and esthetics. Understanding physics, and the way things work, has always been a fascination of mine. My paintings, alternatively, provide an avenue for a departure from the laws of physics. Through painting, I conceive of things as a blend of organism and mechanism. Since I was very young, I have been taking things apart and reconfiguring them in new and different ways, and painting allows me the greatest freedom in this aspect.”

For more about Chris Cole, visit ChrisColeDesigns.Squarespace.com.

David C. Roy: Kinetic Sculpture

Wendy Campbell — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 23:39:19 +0000

Mechanics and motion have always fascinated kinetic sculptor David C. Roy. Roy studied physics, engineering and chemistry at Boston University and graduated with a degree in physics in 1974. His intuitive understanding of motion and mechanics combined with the artistic influences of his wife, Marji, led Roy to the creation of kinetic sculptures. In 1975 the couple started “Wood That Works” and he became a full time sculptor. Since that time, Roy has exhibited in numerous juried, invitational and group events. His work is displayed in galleries and private collections around the world.

“Each of Roy’s kinetic sculptures is a wooden machine powered by a constant force spring which must be wound. While visually interesting sculptures when still, they become truly fascinating when in motion. After a simple winding they entertain with motion and soft sounds for hours.”

Roy currently lives and works in Ashford, Connecticut. To see more of Roy’s work visit WoodThatWorks.com.

Kinetic Sculpture: BMW Museum – Munich

Wendy Campbell — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 16:00:22 +0000

The BMW Museum opened in June 2008. Featured in the Museum is the Kinetic Sculpture you see in the video below. “The sculpture is a metaphorical translation of the process of form-finding in art and design. 714 metal spheres, hanging from thin steel wires attached to individually-controlled stepper motors and covering the area of six square meters, animate a seven minute long mechatronic narrative. In the beginning, moving chaotically, then evolving to several competing forms that eventually resolve to the finished object, the Kinetic Sculpture creates an artistic visualisation of the process of form-finding in different variations.”

To see pictures and more video of the Kinetic Sculpture, visit ART.com.