Over the last several months we have been prototyping and testing materials for a new piece of public art titled Shimmering Sea for The Watermark, an upscale residential, shopping, and business center located in Tempe, Arizona.
Shimmering Sea is a wind-activated kinetic sculpture composed of an array of polished stainless steel discs. Each of these discs is suspended from just above its center of mass so that it will move with the wind. Arranged in this faceted array, the polished discs will create a rippling surface similar to the surface of water. The discs will reflect a pixelated version of the sky and surrounding architecture down to viewers on the ground, resulting in an ever-changing art piece that will be compelling for viewers upon each visit.
Below are photos of our design and fabrication team working on prototyping different ways to fasten the discs onto a mockup railing, as well as some renderings of what the piece will look like once complete.
Stay tuned for more updates as Shimmering Sea comes together!