Client: Private Commission

Overview

8’x 20’x 12′
Aluminum, rivets, paint, cable, hardware

I designed Kuroshio to be suspended within the space between two large wooden trusses. It is consists of two independently hung sections. By dividing the mobile into two sections, I was able to elongate the overall design to make optimal use of the space between the trusses. I worked within a CAD program to experiment with scale, placement, and proportions. The precision of the program helped me to include within the design numerous points at which adjacent, moving pieces almost touch as they pass.

The title “Kuroshio” comes from the Kuroshio Current, which flows in the Pacific Ocean. I did not set out to design a mobile with this theme in mind, but when it was complete, I looked at the sparkling, watery, wave-like forms and I began to imagine those as waves. The colored spheres seemed to be floating in those waves. I thought of the traditional glass fishing floats that sometimes break away from Japanese fishermen’s nets and drift across the ocean to be found by beachcombers on the west coast of the U.S. In searching for the name of those floats, I learned that the Kuroshio Current is what carries them across the Pacific, and that seemed to be the right title for the mobile.

Goals

Through this design, I aimed to enliven the room with movement, contrast the wood ceiling, match the scale of the room, and interact with the structural trusses.

Process

I presented several design options to the clients. Over the course of a few visits, we narrowed the choice down to this design.

Additional Information

While this suspended sculpture was created for a residence, it is of a scale that would fit many public buildings. It is currently available to be purchased, because the clients sold the house and I bought back the sculpture.