cyclical interplay
Client: City of Austin - Art In Public Places
Location: Auditorium Shores, Austin, Texas
Completed: 2014
*co-designed with Adam Pyrek
This kinetic sculpture is inspired by the cyclical nature of our climate at different time scales. From diurnal swings to seasonal changes, El Niño, and Milankovitch cycles, the condition of our climate is constantly changing and the interplay between these cycles can compound or minimize their perceived effects. Austin is a city at the forefront of the sustainable movement and people here are genuinely interested in living within our environmental conditions rather than overpowering them. The piece is cohesive with the city and an icon for the park; but most importantly, it engages visitors on an individual scale and encourages them to consider the current state of our climate.
Cyclical Interplay is designed to be both beautiful and informative. In its form, this sculpture relentlessly studies notions of balance, symmetry, harmony and proportion. It offers an initial simplicity defined by an underlying complexity which allows a vast collection of individual pieces to convey a single message. Every evening at dusk, the sculpture comes to life. As the eighteen fins on the outside circle spin in one direction, the six fins on the inside circle spin in the opposite direction creating a complex dance visually similar to a moiré pattern. At the end of the dance, the sculpture collects local and regional water data, then sets its resting position to reflect current climate conditions. The rotation of the fins allows the profile of the sculpture to expand and contract, implying fullness and emptiness. The outside profile swells and constricts dependent on the last eighteen days of rainfall measured by a gauge on site, whereas the position of the inside fins is determined by current levels at the city’s primary water supplies -- Lake Travis and Lake Buchanan. It is through this juxtaposition of immediate rainfall and long-term storage capacity that we can begin to understand the changing climate in Central Texas.
