chronohelion

A glittering, color-shifting clockwork orrery of dichroic mirrors casts its sunlit reflections across the park. This kinetic sculpture invites exploration of the dualities of light (reflection/refraction), perspective (narrow/wide), and entropy (order/chaos). Rotate the primary axis, and shift your duality from viewer to performer: you cast a pattern of colored reflections uniquely determined by the time of day and the coprime ratios of the sculpture's gear system. Will you find islands of order in the apparent chaos?

Background

Chronohelion was inspired by the sunny weather in September, the glass sculpture in front of Redmond City Hall, and the mirrored stage in Downtown Redmond Park itself — proposed for the Downtown Redmond Art Walk. The mechanism consists of laser-cut acrylic sheet, miter-sawn acrylic rod, and press-fit bearings for the gear system. The disc is fastened via a large "lazy susan" bearing to a round table frame, anchored with a weighted base.