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Is it perpetual motion?
How do they move?
What type of wood do I use?
What is a Limited Edition?
Where do the ideas come from?
How long does it take to design a new sculpture?
Do your sculptures tell time?
Are the sculptures hard to install?
Do the sculptures require assembly?
Do the sculptures require more space than
the given dimensions?
Where do you get the sculpture names?
Will you stain or paint them different colors?
Do you use different color fabric backings
in the designs that have them?
Are your sculptures guaranteed?
Where did you learn to do this? Are there any
books you used?
Do you sell plans for your sculptures?
Can we visit your studio?
Is it perpetual motion?
No, but don't I wish!
How do they move?
Click
here to view a short video showing a constant force spring.
Hamsters! Not really. Each of my 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 varying lengths of
time. Increasing run times has always been a goal. Some will
run for 1 1/2 hours while others keep moving for up to 15 hours!
That is quite an increase over my original designs which stopped
after 20 minutes.
My earliest work was powered by descending weights. I have
also designed several electric pieces.
What type of wood do I use?
Solid birch plywood is the main material in the sculptures.
It is a solid hardwood plywood with the interior plys being
of as high a quality of wood as the surface veneers. I use a
plywood verses a plain hardwood because of its stability. For
the sculptures to keep moving in all environments, the wood
must be as stable as possible. This type of plywood is imported
from the Baltic region either from Finland or Russia.
What is a Limited Edition?
My designs are made by me in limited editions. That means I
only make a predetermined number and no more. I sign each piece
and number it. My large editions are of 150. Others have only
36 and some designs are one-of-a-kind. The smaller the edition,
the more a sculpture costs because design time is a significant
factor in the creation of each piece. I limit the edition to
maintain the value for collectors but also to allow for variety.
I have many, many design ideas and only so many hours and I
need a change.
Where do the ideas come from?
Click
here to view a short video showing a brief history.
I don't know. There always seems to be something new to try
and one thing just leads to another. The piece I end up building
is usually nothing like my original idea.
How long does it take to design a new
sculpture?
I'm always designing so it's hard to say. Some design ideas
have been bumping around in my head for years and sometimes
something new will pop up and I'll have a working model in just
a few days.
Do your sculptures tell time?
No, my mechanisms remind many people of clockworks. That's
not surprising because they are escapements. The difference
is my escapements divide time into fairly large and sometimes
random chunks. They would not keep time very well, at least
not in this universe!
Are the sculptures hard to
install? View Sample Directions.
Click
here to view a short video showing a sample installation.
The sculptures are designed to be unpacked and installed by
the owner. (You?) Every sculpture comes with detailed mounting,
operating, and care instructions. A mounting template is included
with all sculptures in which the orientation is critical. Screws
and wall anchors are provided. It is imperative that they be
installed in a location that can be reached. Remember, you do
have to wind them!
Do the sculptures require assembly?
The sculptures are assembled. The only parts that may require
being added are the larger weights which will need to be positioned
on the string. All strings and belts are in place. Some of the
larger sculptures (like Reflections) ship in two boxes and are
installed in two halves.
Do the sculptures require more space
than the given dimensions?
The given dimensions reflect the space needed while the sculpture
is in motion. Extra requirements for descending weights are
noted where necessary.
Where do you get the sculpture names?
This is a tough one because Marji and I are not word people.
We collect words that might be good sculpture names. Science
museums are a good source as well as yacht names. You'll also
notice we rely heavily on music vocabulary and dance references.
We often live with a sculpture for months before a name sticks.
Have any good ideas?
Will you stain or paint them different
colors?
No. I use the different wood colors to separate the motion
aspects of the mechanisms. I don't do custom staining because
it would be too expensive and time consuming.
To Pulsar
Do you use different color fabric
backings in the designs that have them?
I am willing to install your fabric into the frame of any sculpture
that has a fabric background ring, like Pulsar. I charge a small
fee for this service. You need to supply 1 square yard of fabric.
The patterning of the wheels is most impressive when backed
by a darker fabric verses a pastel. Prints interfere with the
design. The fabric should be a medium weight.
Are your sculptures guaranteed?
Workmanship and materials are guaranteed. I will repair a sculpture
if it is returned post paid. A reasonable repair fee will be
charged if the sculpture was damaged due to misuse.
Where did you learn to do this? Are there
any books you used?
The best description of how I started designing and building
kinetic sculptures is in the History section of this web site.
I didn't study in any formal manner to learn to build kinetic
sculptures. I have found one book that has some great mechanism
drawings.
- Five Hundred and Seven Mechanical Movements by Henry T.
Brown copyright 1868, 1896
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Do you sell plans for your sculptures?
- I make my living designing and building original pieces
in strictly limited editions. I freely provide quite a bit
of information about my work and the process I go through
creating it on my web site. I encourage others to try their
hand at a creative endeavor.
I never sell plans for my sculpture. It would be a betrayal
of my loyal customers, collectors and galleries. I enjoy creating
and building, not publishing. Maybe someday, when I can no
longer spend my days in the studio, I'll write a book. Hopefully
that is many years in the future.
My advice to those who would like to make mechanical kinetic
sculptures is to start simple. Try making a simple escapement
from the book above or check out the links section of this
site for sites that do sell plans.
Can we visit your studio?
Visitors are welcome at my studio but please call ahead to
make an appointment.
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