Drawings of Kinetic Sculptures – Stabiles

These are the original drawings / designs of the abstract kinetic sculptures I came up with and made last summer. Most of them consist of three loose elements, meaning they’re not attached to each other, they simply stand on top of each other through balance. With the exception of the base piece, each part rotates independently full circle with the wind / air currents. They’re made with sheet metal, rivets, washers, thick wire and metal weights. You can see the actual sculptures on my kinetic sculpture / stabile page.

I still don’t have them for sale in the shop, I just keep thinking I need to improve them a little more before they’re “retail ready”. I’m also experimenting with them to see if they could be installed outdoors as a kinetic garden sculpture, in front of a commercial building, public art, http://www.buyambienmed.com etc. maybe even as large scale sculptures.

They’re true “stabiles”, a term I see sometimes defined as “an abstract sculpture resembling a mobile but having no moving parts.” I always thought of a “stabile” as a standing mobile, as opposed to a hanging mobile, though.

I think these abstract sculptures have mid century modern elements, they also have a very new and contemporary design element to them, and I think they are rather unique and differentiate themselves nicely from the works of other kinetic sculptors such as Lyman Whitaker, Len Lye, Theo Jansen, Reuben Margolin, Arthur Ganson, Yaacov Agam, Fletcher Benton, Starr Kempf, Ralfonso Gschwend, and Alexander Calder (obviously more known for his hanging mobiles than his stabiles).

See my ready-made hanging mobiles for sale (also available through Etsy) or get in touch for a custom made hanging mobile or hanging kinetic art installation …

Alexander Calder shapes in Stella McCartney’s Fall/Winter 2012 campaign

Alexander Calder’s hanging mobile shapes are all over Stella McCartney‘s Fall/Winter 2012 campaign. See the following campaign video:

No mention of Calder in the official press release though:

“Cutting into the tradition of the English countryside with urban energy, colour and shine.

Jacquard is textured. Embossed on double crepe in rich hues of bark, all white and midnight blue, then stamped symmetrically onto molded architectural forms, and embroidered with fine silk thread to create bold graphic illusions to accentuate shoulders and necklines. Ruffled collars in parchment white organza are inserted in a delicate and playful way.

Damask Jacquards are embroidered and layered on top of each other for evening, paired with the same hues of blue in tuxedos. Gold ruffle metal cuffs and collars, exaggerated double curved stitching and deep folds sharpen and highlight the absence of lapels.
Bold cuts of white pique and Men’s Sea island cottons in Oxford blue play on the tradition of school girl meets school boy worn with low slung pants. Knitwear is hand tufted with a tapestry technique mixing Alpaca, mohair and silk in bark and soft greys with short full skirts kicking out.

Felted Aran stitch knitwear is sculptured in an hourglass shape that mirrors the molded tweed tailoring. A smoke colored dress brushes the waist. A knitted cardigan dress twin set in washed out blue. A high buttoned cardigan skirt suit in pink and dusty rose mélange, accentuated with pockets for a more laid back attitude.

Outerwear is architectural, using bonded tweeds with highlights of double bonded satin, translating traditional Savile Row techniques into a feminine hour glass with ribbed collar details. Bright color blocked knits in Cornflower blue and Black with Jockey inspired vests, worn with mens pants in shocking pinks are paired with giant buckles molded onto shoes.

English tweeds, with added technical stretch, using ergonomical inserts of Egyptian blue and ultra white high shine are sliced and sculpted into body contouring silhouettes. Skirts in shades of bark with a flaired godet create movement and energy. Overtly pointed shoes with bold white tech inserts on a biodegradable platform rubber sole and Betty envelope bags, with zips inserted and edged in bold colors in mock croc, give an urban edge.”

Large custom hanging mobiles

Large custom made hanging mobile commissioned for a private residence at the Butterfield House in New York City.

The design of the kinetic mobile is based on the architecture of the building. Made of aluminum, it weighs only about 8 pounds, which enables it to move with lighter air currents.

[Photo of unpainted mobile not on location – I should have one painted on location soon]

The four inner elements, meaning the red dotted circles inside the white circle with the arrows, can rotate full circle both as a group or independently from each other.

The following shape on the left symbolizes the architecture of the building. It can be found in the bay windows, the entrance to the building and in the courtyard. But to make it a little more dynamic and interesting for a mobile, the shape was stretched in different ways for each element like the ones with the arrows pointing to on the right.

To give the mobile a little more resistance to air currents (which will make it move) and to give it a little more presence when looking at it from a more horizontal angle, the shapes were given a fold in an angle that also brought back the angle found in the architecture of the building. It also gave the shapes a strong mid-century modern feel and provided an original design that distinguishes itself clearly from the designs of Alexander Calder’s mobiles.

If you’re interested in having me make a custom mobile or a hanging kinetic sculpture for you, small or large, please see my custom mobile page or contact me directly.

Destructive Testing – Artist of the Day – Marco Mahler

Destructive Testing – Artist of the Day / Marco Mahler

Posted on May 17, 2012

“Since I’ve recently become interested in making mobiles, I thought I would start checking out artists who actually know what they are doing.  Marco Mahler obviously does.  And with great style and artistry.  His beautiful mobiles are more stylish and ‘finished’ than what I’m interested in doing.

And, his are almost exclusively indoor models.  I want mine for outdoors where there is wind blowing!  So, nothing too delicate for me.  But, I love his work (and maybe he will be so thrilled about being Artist of the Day that he will give me a few clues!)

Update:  What a great guy!  Marco just sent me a link to a post of his that explains everything I wanted to know: https://www.marcomahler.com/how-to-make-mobiles“