Lunar Drift:  Sun and Moon Pointers by Rebecca Cummins and Paul DeMarinis (2014)

Lunar Drift

“Lunar Drift:  Sun and Moon Pointers” is a multi-media sculpture by Rebecca Cummins and Paul DeMarinis.This 3-piece kinetic sculpture was commissioned by the Washington State Art Commission and Western Washington, and installed inside WWU’s Miller hall on October 11th, 2014. The installation consists of photographic patterns on the south and west walls, and 2 sun/moon dials.

Sun Pointer

The sun and moon pointers are kinetic sculptures designed to constantly point towards the sun and moon, respectively. Despite overcast weather conditions, the dials reveal the general location of these celestial bodies, staying in slow motion to follow them. The pointer and dials are made from metal and electronic parts, and kept safe but viewable through glass display cases.

Moon Pointer

The West wall of the installation features 365 images circular images of the moon, creating a pattern of phases over the course of year. The moons are arranged chronologically, each row representing a month and each column representing a week. The South wall shows the Bellingham sky over a year through 48 circular snapshots, lso chronologically ordered with each column represents a month, and the 4 rows represent a time of day:  6 AM, noon, 6 PM and midnight. These photo installations are made from digital prints and acrylic.

West Wall

Cummins and DeMarinis are both interested in the notion of time, thus in this collaboration, the lunar and solar cycles represent the passage of time during a year period — 2014 specifically.

The Rebecca Cummins is a professor at the University of Washington and multimedia artist. She explores the properties of light and natural phenomena, as shown in the wall photography of “Lunar Drift. Cummin’s cross-disciplinary themes show the artistic possibilities of science and technology, with how light changes the phases of the moon and how light appears different in the atmosphere through the seasons. The arranged photos explore the physics of light as it changes over time.

South Wall

DeMarinis is a professor of art at Stanford University in California. His other works show his interest in audio, interactive electronics, and computer installations. He applies ‘interactivity’ to the moon pointers through the participation of the viewer and their perceived relation to the sun and moon. The purpose of the dials is to give the viewer a ‘heightened sense of spacial awareness for the planetary bodies’.

Artist Statement:  “Tidal Reflections”

Timelapse of creating “Tidal Reflections”

Our response to “Lunar Drift:  Sun and Moon Pointers” by Cummins and DeMarinis was to create our own multimedia sculpture, “Tidal Reflections.” We incorporate similar themes about the passage of time and add to the artistic conversation by introducing Bellingham’s tidal cycle. We use a similar, cyclical natural phenomena local to Bellingham and linked closely to the lunar cycle in our “Lunar Drift” inspired piece. The black, fluctuating lines are the height of tides over a day, for 30 days within the month of September. Where each numeral sits is approximately midnight, so the space between the numerals shows how the tide ebbs throughout the day. We accent our sculpture with small glass bits to resemble sand from Bellingham shorelines.

Tidal Reflections

The center of our piece are clock hands that give our sculpture kinetic, circular motion similar to the slowly moving dials, as a homage to DeMarinis. The clock hands are another, more literal, representation of the passage of time. Where clock numerals should be, we have numbers 1 through 30 for our monthly tidal chart. In the way that a clock cycle repeats, we wanted to show that the lunar and tidal cycles repeat after the snapshot we portray in “Tidal Reflection.”

The edge of Tidal Reflections

Much like “Lunar Drift”, our sculpture suggests the passage of time and, more importantly the continuation of time. Our sculpture is created in a specific year to portray a specific year and we’re shown a snapshot of a larger cycle. The natural phenomena of the lunar cycle continues past the given snapshot, and so “Lunar Drift” also gives a heightened temporal awareness as well as the spacial awareness from the dials. Our piece, “Tidal Reflection”, could also be created with another timeframe’s data to create a different pattern, and also reflects a smaller cycle within a much grander phenomena.

The moon phases before being added.

We link “Lunar Drift”’s lunar cycle by applying different phases of the moon just inside of out of the outer edge of our sculpture. The addition of the moons emphasizes the natural aesthetic we’re trying to capture, and shows that two natural phenomenas are connected.

Attaching moons around the edge of Tidal Reflections

The moons around the edge are a direct reference to how Cummins explores the sky in circular photographs, in Lunar Drift and her other works. To parallel Cummins’s interest in the properties of light, we place small mirrors around the clock hands to reflect light. We also use the mirrors to simulate interactivity or viewer participation, as you can see a distorted version of yourself in the multiple mirrors in the center.

Mirrors around clock hands

As “Lunar Drift” revolves around the use of natural whites, blues, greys and blacks, we match the color scheme in our piece. “Tidal Reflection” is multi-media, using a background of acrylic paints, black pen, marbles, glass bits, mirrors, and clockwork.

The finished sculpture

Credits:

Group 27

Blog Post and Sculpture by: Amanda Korn, Hayley Weatherstone, and Nina Bilger

Inspired by “Lunar Drift:  Sun and Moon Pointers” by Rebecca Cummins and Paul DeMarinis

Bibliography:

Alterwitz, Linda. “ART SCIENCE: Rebecca Cummins.” LENSCRATCH, LENSCRATCH, 5 Oct. 2016, lenscratch.com/2016/10/art-science-rebecca-cummins/.

Baker, Chris. University Public Art Collection. University Public Art Collection, College of Fine and Performing Arts, Western Washington.

“Lunar Drift, 2014.” ArtsWA, Washington State Arts, 2014, www.artswa.org/mwebcgi/mweb?request=record%3Bid.

“Paul DeMarinis.” Paul DeMarinis | Department of Art & Art History, Stanford University, art.stanford.edu/people/paul-demarinis.

Western Today Staff. “’Lunar Drift’ kinetic sculpture to be dedicated Oct. 11.” ‘Lunar Drift’ kinetic sculpture to be dedicated Oct. 11 | Western Today, Western Today, 1 Oct. 2014, 11:29am, westerntoday.wwu.edu/news/lunar-drift-kinetic-sculpture-to-be-dedicated-oct-11.