Nebulous

“Brazil” building, Amazon Campus, Seattle WA

Glass, transparent conducting film, aluminum, photovoltaics, LEDs and electronics

Glass, transparent conducting film, aluminum, photovoltaics, LEDs and electronics

 

Seattle is known for its inclement weather and computer innovation. The climate is changing, both environmentally and technologically. We are currently shifting from our analog hard copy world and local computer storage to “cloud-based” systems. The intricacy of these systems eludes most software users and yet clouds of radio waves constantly transport masses of information all around us. The two large pixelated cloud forms above us, inspired by this evolution in technology, float over the Amazon courtyard with two solar lighting shadows imbedded in the pavement below. Neither fully transparent nor fully opaque, these “low res” clouds have select glass discs that shift between levels of opacity in a digital dance resembling old school calculating computers or perhaps pulsing lightning within clouds on a stormy night.

A variety of glass and switch-glass panels designed by parametric modeling form the skin of the cloud-inspired sculptures

A variety of glass and switch-glass panels designed by parametric modeling form the skin of the cloud-inspired sculptures

 

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Special thanks to all of our great project partners:

Vulcan Real Estate Commissioning Agency, property owners
Metalistics Fabrication/installation
NBBJ Architects, parametric modeling (Andrew D. Heumann)
Turner Construction General Contractor
Craig Nelson Electrical Engineer
D&K Electric Electrical Installer
American Switchglass Switchglass fabrication
Peter David Studio glass supplier
Jeff Thon circuit board design/fabrication
Paul Strong programming
Solaright PV LED supplier

 

 

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Eidolon

Christian Petersen Art Museum, Ames, IA

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lasers, first surface mirrors, steel, safety and control systems, glass, dye, water, mylar

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Like its namesake, these sculptural forms appear to appear out of mist and light. Blue lasers enter the glass vessels holding a dye infused water capturing and bringing form to undulating veils of light. Distortions of the optics of the glass, and crinkled mylar send secondary bounces throughout the pieces further animating the optical geode.

 

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I would like to recognize and give special thanks to the folks who helped contribute to this exhibition:

The Iowa State University Museums
Christopher Edrington
Christian Wehr
Mat Wymore
Dorothee Nygren,
Sydney Marshall
Natasha Porizkova,
Lynette and John Pohlman
Emily Morgan
Martin Blank
Trond Forre
video: Bill Gebhart
documentation music: Zoe Keating
and of course Nancy Gebhart

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Coherence

Christian Petersen Art Museum, Ames, IA

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Lasers, playback hardware, mirrored floor, various filamentous materials ©2015

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Coherence, utilizes the special inherent quality of spatial coherence to create the illusion of infinite spaces and provides the magic that will illuminate one filament and not the one next to it. Exploiting this special and unique nature of lasers elevates this environment to more than just a science experiment by creating the appearance of internal illumination where there is none, motion where there is none and with the addition of a mirrored floor, produces a subtle perceptive disorientation while defining and marking space in infinite and mesmerizing ways.

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This exhibit utilizes 2 synchronized RGB lasers to project onto hundreds of suspended filaments creating an oceanic undulating immersive environment of light.

 

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I would like to recognize and give special thanks to the folks who helped contribute to this exhibition:

The Iowa State University Museums
Christopher Edrington
Christian Wehr
Mat Wymore
Dorothee Nygren,
Sydney Marshall
Natasha Porizkova,
Lynette and John Pohlman
Emily Morgan
Martin Blank
Trond Forre
and of course Nancy Gebhart