23 Oct Galaxy No. 3, Kinetic Wind Vane Sculpture

Galaxy No. 3, 2005
recycled steel
139 H x 133 W x 14 in at the base
NOTE: effective width/length is a radius of 133 in

Galaxy No. 3 is the first kinetic piece I’ve done using sleeve bearings instead of pillow blocks. The bearings are inside the tubing that attaches the sculpture to the base, which keeps them out of the weather. The piece spins readily to point into the direction of the wind. It’s a slow and graceful motion… I’d kind of like it if there was enough inertia to keep the piece in rotation, but I guess if the wind changes directions often enough (which it does here) you wind up with the same effect.

I love the way these abstracts are open to various interpretations. In one glance, you might see stars, planets and moons. In another, perhaps a fish. Yet another look suggests a man riding a boat… the way these different interpretations play off of one another is what really drives the poetic essence of each sculpture, at least for me. I end up with visions of a sailor riding a fish across the sky.

The Galaxy Series are Modernist inspired, abstract wind vanes made from recycled steel. The designs feature simple lines and shapes balanced to spin easily in a light breeze.The sculptures disassemble into two pieces (horizontal arm and vertical base) for shipping. Each is one of a kind and will not be reproduced.

The Galaxy Series was inspired in part by David Smith’s sculptures and Royal Bird. They are also an exploration of negative space. The Galaxy pieces are structured around lines and curves, but depend heavily as well on the open shapes enclosed by the lines.