Art

Item Description

Nested Circles, by artist Bernie Zubrowski, is an oscillating hanging piece with multiple elements connected to each other. Unlike the usual mobile, when activated these pieces temporarily form surfaces since the pieces are closely coupled together. The overall movement is an oscillation where the surface continually changes. See a video of Nested Circles.

The outer circle is 42" in diameter, height 8-10 feet. Materials: Stainless steel welding wire, tape. Activated by a person gently pushing on the outer circle. Parts will continue to move for several minutes. Can also be activated with a blower. Nested Circles should be suspended from a ceiling at least 8 feet high. Mr. Zubrowski will be available to advise on installation. 

Bernie Zubrowski is a Senior Scientist for Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC), who has spent much of his professional life devising ways to educate young people about science, both while they're at school and when they're out in the world, away from the classroom. He has contributed to many landmark science curricula, including Elementary Science Study and the African Primary Science Program.

Artist's Statement: When I first started playing around with materials more than 25 years ago, I assembled pieces mostly in a highly intuitive manner. I wanted to see what I could do with the materials and what I could construct. I found that what was most interesting to me was the aesthetic of the movement. I explored with ways of making both outdoor and indoor pieces. As I started to accumulate these different constructions, I came to realize that one theme kept recurring besides the aesthetic of the movement. This was the juxtaposition of multiple parts that were of the same shape. The question for me has been: How do the different parts move in relationship to each other? Or, how are the pieces and their shadows related to one other? Nowadays, I am much more conscious of this property, paying more attention to how it can be made more evident in each piece. More recently I have been playing around with hanging pieces where the moving parts appear to slice up the enclosed space.

I try to stay with a very limited set of materials and simple constructions. There is a dialogue with the materials whereby I play around with different arrangements to see what interesting aesthetic effects will appear. I have found that my more interesting pieces were ones that were discoveries instead of inventions. While working on one project I notice some effects that catch my attention. I focus on these effects and find that something emerges that I could not have anticipated beforehand.

Item Special Note

Outer circle is 42 inches in diameter. Requires a ceiling at least 8 feet high with ceiling hook or crossbar. The winning bidder will be responsible for shipping and handling costs, in addition to the purchase price. Alternatively, the winner may arrange in advance to pick up the item at The Discovery Museums office (Monday – Friday, between 8:30 and 4:30).