Client: Scottsdale Public Art

Location: Scottsdale, AZ, United States

Completion date: 2018

Project Team

Artist

Martin Taylor

Client

Butch Coyne

Santa Clara University

Client

Jennifer Gill

Scottsdale Public Arts

Client

Katie Hazard

Burning Man Foundation

Art Consultant

Cory Barr

AntiClockwise Arts

Overview

“Re-Cyclone” is a rotating 20’ tall sculpture made from upcycled plastic bottles arranged into a parametric tornado design that becomes animated when spun and lit by LEDs. A computer gaming engine generates the light shows in real time in response to the rotation of the sculpture. Participants can rotate the sculpture using a large horizontal hand-wheel at the base.

Goals

The goal of the sculpture was to make a powerful statement about the power of creativity to turn problems into solutions and waste into art. The sculpture was designed for temporary public display at different locations for a few weeks to a few months at a time. The design combines a kinetic sculpture, physical interaction, and LED light art into a cohesive design. The sculpture was installed at Burning Man, at the Scottsdale Canal District and at Santa Clara University in conjunction with talks and workshops about recycling and sustainability.

Process

The sculpture was created with a grant from the Burning Man Arts Foundation and subsequently debuted at Burning Man. Martin Taylor worked with multiple high schools, volunteers, and waste reduction companies to collect the 5000 bottles needed to create the sculpture. Cory Barr, of Anticlockwise Arts developed the LED lighting system and programmed the reactive light shows. After Burning Man the sculpture was transported to Scottsdale and later to Santa Clara for temporary installation.