Photo: Marinco Kojdanovski. © Powerhouse Museum, Sydney
Transcript
This work, Tsunami 1.26, takes the play of scale to altogether new heights. The work is the play of techniques in widely different scales that can create the most dynamic works. Janet Echelman used simple netting techniques magnified many times in scale to create this extraordinary and grandiose piece. Its size and scale was planned by complex net-building software and uses Spectra fibre, a material 15 times stronger than its comparative weight in steel. It is a work of grand understanding of our planet Earth. Echelman's installations have stunned many cities around the world. She imbues her work with powerful global themes. '1.26' reflects the microsecond shortening of the day that resulted from the 2010 Chilean earthquake's re-distribution of the earth's mass. The gigantic 24 x 20 metre aerial net installation was displayed in the centre of Sydney during the City of Sydney's Art and About Festival from September to October 2011. Dramatic coloured lighting enhanced the impact of the work which pulsed gently in the wind across Sydney's main thoroughfare, George Street.
Tsunami 1.26
Janet Echelman
Dimensions
Materials
Aerial lace installation: machine netting using Spectra® fibre
Artist statement
Tsunami 1.26, an aerial lace installation, was inspired by the 2010 Chile earthquake’s ensuing tsunami and the 1.26-microsecond shortening of the day that resulted from the earthquake’s redistribution of the Earth’s mass. By meditating on these epiphenomena, the work underscores the interdependence of Earth systems and the global community. It asks the viewer to pause and consider the larger fabric of which they are a part.
My studio generated a 3D model of the tsunami using data from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the NOAA Center for Tsunami Research. I then used software to transform an outline of the model’s higher amplitude area into a sculptural form. My studio created hand-knotted models to achieve the complex shaping of the piece.
This artwork utilizes Spectra®, a material 15 times stronger than steel by weight. The mesh is knotted by machine in order to withstand winds, but is engineered to reflect the intricacy of handmade lace.
See this work installed above George Street, Sydney (outside Town Hall) between the 23 September – 23 October 2011.
See Sydney Art and About website for more event details.
Media release