WIND LUPINE ( + Plebejus melissa), Reclaimed 6061-T6 & 3003 Aluminum, mirrored acrylic, machined teflon & HDPE, polychrome, 4’x4’x14′, 2021
This wind-activated kinetic sculpture was fabricated from reclaimed commercial signage project scrap, in aluminum alloys that require less energy to recycle, than to refine from extracted bauxite ore. The vertical-axis turbine and tower designs are based on the geometry of Wild lupine (Lupinus perrenis.) This biomimetic design is mechanically enmeshed with a 19th-century animated zoetrope of the Karner Blue butterfly (Plebejus melissa😉 an endangered species that depends on this ‘invasive’ plant to survive. Conservation efforts are never quite as straightforward as they seem, because their unpredictable side effects can outlast even the best-intentioned human interventions. Seeing old technology with new eyes, and thinking several steps ahead of our decisions are vital parts of restoring the balance threatened by climate change.
Sponsored by the City of Madison Arts Commission, BLINK Temporary Public Art Opportunity
Thank you to Crucible nightclub, Twisted Fitness Gym, Paul Davis Restoration & the UW Nelson Institute
Madison, WI | www.theparadigmforge.design