Client: Private

Overview

This dramatic, shimmering wall sculpture is an ever changing work of art created for the main room of a stylish Greenwich Village duplex. The two 45″ x 45″ panels form a deep red and pale blue diptych that consists of 1,458 triangular wooden blocks covered with 5,832 hand-cut, silvered waterglass tiles.

Goals

SBSG Interior Design commissioned me to create a large statement piece that would command the room and delight and intrigue visitors. I approached their vision by proposing a design that would incorporate the colors in the space while offering up a bit of kinetic "magic". With a repetitive tessellated pattern, each of the 1,458 blocks has a blue side and a burgundy side. When viewed head on, the diptych is an amalgamation of the two colors. However, because the second panel is inverted, it creates an intriguing color flip: when viewed from the left side, the left panel is blue and the right panel is burgundy. As the viewing angle moves across the room, the left panel morphs into burgundy and the right panel into blue. Additionally the reflective materials work together to create a variety of visually interesting patterns that change from every angle, including a diagonal checkerboard which is actually a mirage created from the reflection of the sides of the triangular blocks. All elements combine to engage visitors and act as a point of conversation.

Process

We began with an in person meeting of artist, interior designer, and client. Ideas were exchanged and I then created a concept presentation depicting a large number of rendered possibilities. The chosen design was agreed upon quickly and production began soon after. The process involved gauge cutting myriad blocks of wood, and silvering and cutting pieces of glass to cover them. Once created, the blocks were wet sanded and then carefully assembled onto their respective canvases. After six solid weeks of production, the piece was ready for installation.