Client: College of Creative Art, West Virginia University

Overview

This sculpture is sited at the main entrance to the College of Creative Art on the campus of West Virginia University. It is constructed from stainless steel solid bar stock and Vermont Danby marble. The base contains a bearing mechanism, not for it to spin, but for it to change positions in varying wind directions (see video). This change in positions is much like a weather vane and provides a different view on any given day.

18’H X 5’W x 2’D

Goals

The College of Creative Art at West Virginia University is a very distinct building but there was need for a signature piece of sculpture at the main entrance.

Process

I was contacted by Alison Helm, the Director of the College of Creative Art, and asked to design a prominent work for the entrance to the main building. She was aware of my body of work and suggested that the new sculpture might be one in the series of The Discovery series. Since permanence and durability are primary concerns for an outdoor sculpture in the public realm, I chose to use stainless steel and marble. I designed the bearing and spindle mechanism which allows for rotation and then consulted a mechanical engineer prior to fabrication. The bearing itself is constructed with stainless steel, laser cut teflon and standard ball bearings.