Labyrinthe De Lumière

Fig. 9. Austine Wood-Comarow, Labyrinthe de Lumiere, 16 panels, polarizing filter and clear cellophane, 71 fl x 64 ft, 1989. (La Cite de I have spent many hours flying and viewing the landscape below with its rectangular gridwork of fences, fields and roads. These observations are the basis for the rectangular format of all the pieces in this series. My preference for clear anodized aluminum stems from its durability, its workability and its inherent surface quality that subtly reflects the colors of its environment . Each sculpture is made of many individual kinetic units balanced with counterweights. The size and method of suspension of the counterweight in each unit is designed for a more quiet and slowly undulating movement, closer to natural movement in nature. The utilization of many such units in a single piece results in a composition of random order with its infinite variations of sequence. 'Smpe 89-4 (Fig. H) is constructed primarily of aluminum with stainless steel at points of wear. Aluminum pop rivets are used extensively to join various parts together. Lead fishing weights counterbalance the 65 individualmoving units. Each moving unit has three stainless steel rods attached to it-two provide pivot points and the third is used for counterbalancing. The pivot points are designed around a variation of the traditional ball-and-socket joint. Instead of using a ball shape, the lower ends of the stainless steel 84 Abstrar Is rod attached to the individual kinetic units are honed to needle-sharp points to minimize friction. The upper ends of the rod are formed into loops that fit inside keyholeshaped holes along the bottom edge of each unit. These are secured in place by pop rivets with flat washers to sandwich the wire loops. The socket part is provided by drilling oversized holes about VH in deep into an aluminum plate directly under the units. The counterweight is attached to the third rod. which goes through a rectangular' opening in the plate. The end of the rod is passed through the hole in the lead weight, after which the rod is slightly crimped about V4 inch from the bottom end. The lead weight is then pulled down and forced onto the crimped section. The rectangular slots are created by using a cutter on a milling machine. LABYRINTHE DE LUMIERE Austine Wood-Comarow, P. O. Box 106H. Solana Beach, CA 92075, U.S.A. Received 28 Februarv 1990. Acceptedfor publication fry ROKer F Malina. As part of the French Bicentennial celebration in 19H9, I was commissioned to produce Lalrcnnth« de l.umiPrt ' (Fig. 9), based on the theme of 200 veal's of scientific and technological revolution. The new Parisian science center chose my medium of kinetic polarized light because it combines principles of science, technologv and an. Unlike most others who have worked with these materials , I stimulate ideas through figurative imagerv. Important to mv method is the way that I draw the viewe-r into interaction with the art. I do this in two ways. First. viewed with the naked eye, the linear arrangement of lighted panels with its frieze of graY shapes and accents of color onlv hints at the fuller imagery. The viewer must look through a filter to see the icons of science and n-chnologvs 200-year history [II. In addition, the viewer may vary the levels of visibility of different images by rotating the filter. The sequence and juxtaposition of images afford the onlooker new ways to formulate meaning from what is seen. For example, the Montgolfier brother's' balloon becomes a space shuttle leaving the Earth: the Eiffel Tower fades to reveal oil and gas derricks extracting fossil fuels from the earth. I use this onlooker-activated metamorphosis of imagc-rv to pose a crucial question in the last two panels. Will our use of science and technologv save or destroy us? Prometheus , the mvthological father of tech- Sciences et de l'Industrie, Pare la Villette, Paris) nology, is depicted lying next to his torch and a column representing the Greek origins of Western science. Teetering on the column is an inverted, cracked triangle, symbolizing the precarious balance of technology. As the viewer looks through the...