Light Column

LIGHT COLUMN

Main Gallery, Museum of Art, The Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI

Year:
1982

Dimensions:
Height: 42′ (1280 cm), Diameter: 48″ (121.9 cm), tapering to 44″ (111.8 cm)

Materials:
Plaster, Plexiglas, 5000 Round Elastic Threads

In a high-vaulted sky-lit space, a delicate, transparent form appearing to be a vertical shaft of light stood alone at the southeastern edge of the gallery. Constructed from thousands of fine elastic threads, the tapered column collected the fluctuations of natural light throughout the passing day. The fine threads descended from the transparent skylight above to a turned plaster column base below, transmitting the light, mirroring the sky.

Light Column suggests a classical, structural column, but is in fact completely intangible.