I'LL TELL YOU HOW THE SUN ROSE
1977
15 feet x 23 ft. x 6 ft.
Dismantled by the Artist in the 1990's
Blueprint for I'll Tell You How the Sun Rose
Reverse Ozalid Print ©1978
24 inches x 36 inches - Unlimited Edition
I'll Tell You How the Sun Rose moved through a 24-hour cycle. The artwork presented an imaginary, incorrect explanation of the natural phenomena that creates the Earth’s daily cycle of sunrise and sunset. As the mechanical assembly slowly teetered, a circle of light expanded on the floor until the sculpture reached its apex and began a slow descent.
"...a heat, wind and time construction which rises and falls in a 24 hour cycle and is named for the poetry of Emily Dickinson."
~ Margaret Shearin, Triad Style Magazine.
This sculpture was based on a 1972 sculpture by the Artist entitled Umbrella Piece (see slideshow).
Note: The title, I'll Tell You How The Sun Rose, is taken from a poem by that name by the poet Emily Dickenson.
I’ll Tell You How the Sun Rose has been exhibit at:
O.K. Harris Gallery, New York City. 1977.
Rutgers University Gallery, New Brunswick, NJ. 1978.
Fine Arts Gallery, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC. 1978.
Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art, Winston-Salem, NC. 1991.
Technorama Museum, Winterthur, Switzerland. 1993.
Technical Explanation:
The piece was essentially a giant balance scale. Air heated by six 150 watt electric heat lamps located within the luminous "lamp shade" spun a small propeller as it rose through an upper opening. The whirling fan drove a complex train of gears and chains to ultimately move a chain-mounted weight. As the weight moved it effected the delicate balance of the entire piece. The ends of the long arm of the counter-weighted assembly gradually rose and fell in a 24-hour cycle. The sculpture moved so slowly that even this inefficient method of turning electricity into motion provided sufficient energy to animate the piece.