sky

Jan 1, 2014

sky

permanent light installation for the san francisco international airport, terminal 3, boarding area e, san francisco, ca
light programming in collaboration with morgan barnard
client: sfo, commissioned by the san francisco arts commission

materials: mirror-polished stainless steel, led lights, mineral paint
size: 27 spheres, dia. 2’ – 5’
structural engineer: brad w. smith
fabrication: weltkugelmanufaktur
installation: atthowe fine art services
photos: san francisco art commission, merge
‘sky’ is a suspended light sculpture composed of 27 mirror-polished stainless steel spheres, ranging in diameters from 2 to 5 feet. the globes are hollow with circular openings facing various directions. illumination levels in the interior of each globe change slowly and give the illusion of an expanding and flattening space: it becomes indiscernible whether one looks at a surface or into an opening. the color shades, created both by the painted interior and the lighting components, are representative of various sky colors.

the installation explores the human perception of space. the exterior of the mirrored spheres use reflections to camouflage themselves in their surroundings; they reflect their environment, and distort and reproduce it in miniature. the optical effect caused by the color and light changes in the interior causes the viewer to lose a sense of the spheres’ proportions as objects. the space becomes unreadable – opening and closing at the same time.

sublimare

Jul 15, 2013

sublimare

permanent installation for the new arrivals and departure plaza, terminal 2, san diego international airport, san diego, ca
light projection in collaboration w/ morgan barnard
client: san diego county regional airport authority

materials: glass, painted aluminum, light projectors
size: roadway ±800’x60’& 2 facades ±36‘x20’
glass: triview industries
metal fabricator: paragon steel
lighting components: martin lighting, els
photos: san diego airport, morgan barnard, merge
video: morgan barnard
the artwork for the new arrivals and departure plaza at the san diego international airport connects travelers to their current location – the san diego bay and the pacific ocean. two natural phenomena that occur in and around the san diego bay are the basis for the artwork: the unique giant kelp beds at point loma and the seasonal phenomenon of bioluminescence.

two distinct, but related art installations envelope the plaza: one visually enlivens the underside of the elevated departure roadway that runs alongside the plaza, the other one is located on two facades of the check-in pavilions facing the plaza.

a pattern of kelp leaves was applied to the pavilions’ façades’: the glass panes received a screen print treatment in two grades of translucency, and cut-out, painted aluminum panels were applied to the lower sections of two facades.

bioluminescence in the bay occurs due to a small marine-dwelling unicellular organism called noctilucales. these organisms produce small flashes of light stimulated by wave movement. this is the inspiration for a light projection onto the facades at night time. the projected light pattern is continuously generated from real time data drawn from a noaa buoy in the san diego bay, representing tidal motions and other wave characteristics of the bay.

a flowing pattern of kelp algae with schools of fish weaving in and out made from 1/8” painted aluminum panels are installed flat against the ceiling of the elevated departure roadway.