Lunar Drift: Sun and Moon Pointers is a three part sculpture created by Rebecca Cummins and Paul DeMarinis in 2014 commissioned by the Washington State Arts Commission in partnership with WWU. All three of the sculpture show different things to the viewer, but they all portray the artists’ intent of “Exploring the sculptural, humorous and experiential possibilities of natural phenomena and light,” and “emphasizing the spatial and physical aspects of time in unique ways.”

Rebecca Cummins and Paul DeMarinis are both professors.  Cummins is teaching art at the University of Washington, and DeMarinis is also an art professor, but he is located at Stanford University. Cummins and DeMarinis have collaborated together before this piece. They both work to meld science and art together. Cummins makes a point to work with light and photography and chooses to demonstrate scientific properties through art and aesthetics. DeMarinis focuses more specifically on the “overlap between human communication and technology,” both in his art and in his work.

The West Wall

This work of art is made up of three different pieces. Two are photo sets and the third are the actual Sun and Moon Pointers. The West Wall is what usually stands out the most and is the largest part of the sculpture. It is made up of 365 pictures of the moon arranged chronologically. Each row represents a month and each column is a day of the week. The way each photo is placed makes for a stunning view when first seeing it. Each photo of the moon is also raised from the wall on individual circular panels, which allows for the shadows to become a participant. The movement of the light and shadows throughout the day create a fluid feeling that represents what this piece is trying to show the audience.

The South Wall

This movement is part of the South Wall, too. These are also circular photos on panels, covering a wall. However, these photos are all of Bellingham throughout the year. There are twelve columns and four rows of these photos; each column is a month and each row represents a different time during the day. The top row is 6:00am, second is 12:00pm, third is 6:00pm, and fourth is 12:00am. Cummins took the photos throughout each month at the same time and same place every day and then went back and averaged them all out to create a picture of what Bellingham looks like throughout the seasons at different times. The viewer is able to travel through time and can almost feel the seasons pass as they travel across the photos on the wall.  The South Wall ties in really well with the North Wall. One of the most significant parts of this wall is the photos are all of Bellingham, it’s a site specific piece that seems like it could fit anywhere, but has a special place in Western Washington University.

Vitrines

Finally, the Vitrines are the Sun and Moon Pointers. No matter what is going on outside, if it’s cloudy or if there’s a massive blizzard, the Vitrines are always pointing directly at the sun and at the moon. Both pointers are kept in glass display cases to ensure that they don’t get damaged, but they are both fully visible and the case doesn’t disrupt the viewer. The Vitrine further to the left is always pointing at the sun. It moves at a consistent 15 degrees every hour to keep up with the sun. The pointer on the right side doesn’t move at a rate that is quite as constant, but it also keeps with the moon. What is interesting about these two Vitrines is that even if you don’t know what day it is, you’ll still be able to get some sense of time and placement in the world by realizing that if the two pointers are facing completely away from each other it means that there is a full moon. But if they are facing anywhere else, that can’t be the case.

Each of these pieces works to make sure that the viewer leaves with a new understanding of both physical space and time in new ways that hasn’t been broached before. They all work with each other, the Vitrines lead to the West Wall, Which leads to the South Wall of Bellingham and brings the audience back home from the moon.

 

 

Created by: Lani Defiesta and Mikaela Sadri

 

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Paul, Christiane. A Companion to Digital Art. John Wiley & Sons, Mar 2, 2016.

“Paul DeMarinis.” Paul DeMarinis | Department of Art & Art History. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Feb. 2017.

“Paul DeMarinis.” Stanford Department of Art and Art History. https://art.stanford.edu/people/paul-demarinis. Web. 07 Feb. 2017.

“Rebecca Cummins.” Rebecca Cummins | School of Art + Art History + Design | University of Washington.N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Feb. 2017.

“Rebecca Cummins.” Society for Photographic Education, https://www.spenational.org/ conferences/transfixed-transmedia/speakers/rebecca-cummins. Web. 07 Feb 2017.