ACoralReefshowslifeandbreathwithouthavingaface.Itisarigidstructurewithnocontrolofthemovementofitstentacles.ThepathofcurrentsintheGreatBarrierReefinthePacificOceanvarygreatly.Theycauseaneverchangingandconstantmovementonthefloor.Thecreaturestendtoberesponsivebutnotconscioustothelifearoundthem;similartophototropism.SeaAnemonesbecomeavolumetric,habitablespacewithlotsofmovementandahometosome. WhenfirstanalyzingthepathofthecurrentsInoticedthedifferent,yetadjacent,pathsfirst.Iappliedthesetotheoverarchingsculpture,thepath.Thenmovementwasaddedthrougha3-Dfactorafterstudyingwhathappenstothetentaclesundertheconditionsofdifferentpressuresofwatermovement.Theresultwasafluidshapethatvisitorscouldmoveunderandlookatfromabove. Assomebodymovesunderthestructureandthenoutintotheopenspaceacompressandreleasefeelingoccurs;theindividualtentaclestookonthislifeformalso.Whenabitmapwasappliedtothesculpturecoveredintentaclesthepathofthecurrentbecamecompressedasit“moves”overthehumanandisthenreleasedintotheopenasitmovesupthewall.Likewise,thetentaclesarepackedcloselytogetherandfollowthecurrentovertheobstacleandthenmovefreelyandgrowtallerwiththereleasefromthepressureofthecurrent.Thedensityofthetentaclesdecreaseasthesculpturemovesfromrighttoleftandupthewall. Thebasicstructureofatentaclewascreatedfromaspline.Itfollowstherulethatifthesculptureisthinanddenselypackedthenthetentacleisclosetoitsbaseandshort.Ifitisopenandwidethenthetentacleisstandingtall,longandangledouttothesidetoindicatefreemovement. Thewholespaceisaphysicalexperiencewheresomebodycanfeelasiftheirmovementthroughthespaceandaninvisiblecurrentiswhat’scausingthetentaclestomovehowtheyare.Thestructureandmaterialsofthetentaclearemeanttobelightandfluidtocreatemovementeventhroughanon-movingsculpture.Likeafishisdrawntotheanemoneforprotection,avisitorisdrawntothesculpturetoexperiencemovementthroughthespaceandinteractwithit.

KineticSculptureMuseum:SeaAnemone

MajorcurrentpathsovertheGreatBarrierReef

Highlightedcurrents SculptureformbasedoffofcurrentsandaSeaAnemone’sreactiontothem

StudyofhowaSeaAnemone’stentaclesmoveunderwaterindifferentconditions

Puncturesinframesothatneighboringstructurescanbeattachedeasily.

L-shapedtabonthebackoftheframescrewsintothe“tentacle”form.Thissecuresittotheframeandcanbeplacedonanyplaceofthemetalframe.

Lightgaugealuminummetalframe.TheinvertedL-shapeallowstheframetoappearlessbulkywhileprotectingagainstwarp.

“Tentacles”arecreatedoutofclearacrylictubesandshapedintoaspline.Theycanthenbelitupattheendsothattheoverallstructurecomestolife.

Asolidmetalrodsupportstheend(ormiddledependingonthelength)oftheacrylicshapeandhelpsitkeepitsshape.

Compression&Release:Asthestructuremovesacrossthespacethe“tentacles”growlonger,lifthigher,anddevelopmoreofafree-flowingangle.Thedensitydecreasesasthestructuregetswider,similartoaseaanemoneincalmwater.

BitMap

PlanoftentaclesonflatBitMap

Elevationofrowoftentacles

Plan1/8”=1’-0”

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