By Lois Rodin March 2013

LIGHT KNOTS by LARRY BELL are three-dimensional, kinetic Vapor Drawing sculptures.

MATERIALS/MEDIUM:

7mm sheets of polyester film coated with aluminum and/or Inconel for reflectivity, and SIO (silicon monoxide) to produce light interference colors or refraction.

FABRICATION/INSTALLATION:

Curvaceous cuts are made into the sheet of polyester film.  The uncoated sheet is either pulled up at a point to form the Knot, and a hole is punched at the top of the folded point, and it is attached to a rack for coating; or the uncoated sheet is attached relatively flat on the rack or a fixture.  The rack with the uncoated sheet or Knot configuration is placed in a thermal evaporative vacuum chamber (tank) where it is gradiently coated with vaporized materials.  The coated flat sheet is then pulled into a Knot.  The already knotted sculpture is now coated and complete.  A transparent cord is attached to the hole to hang the sculpture from any height.

IMAGERY:

Light Knots are viewed as layers of reflective, undulating shapes in motion, as the weightless sculptures are free to rotate with the slightest air movement.  The transparent and opaque coatings change the way light interfaces with the surfaces of the sculpture, and reflect the surrounding environment.  The surface coatings transmit, reflect and absorb light.

REFRACTION by Larry Bell:

“I discovered that the coating could isolate any wavelength in the visible spectrum. The colors you see are not pigments they are what is known as interference color..  the same as a little gas on a puddle of water at a filling station.  In that case the water enhances the reflectivity of light off the pavement, a varying thickness of gasoline interferes with the reflected light at wavelengths equivalent to the thickness, so one sees the rainbow refractions off the water.

In the Vapor Drawings a thin film of aluminum raises the reflectivity of the paper surface, a layer of a quartz like material (silicon monoxide) interferes with the light reflected off the aluminum and the paper surface disburses the light.  Where you see blue on the paper the coatings are thinner than where you might see red.  The same happens with water and gasoline but the surface of the water and the pavement disburse the light differently, but the basic process is the same.  It is a phenomenon found a great deal in nature.”

Larry Bell

Pricing for this work is available upon request.
Work featured courtesy of Frank Lloyd Gallery