Something Is In the Air

Cornwall-based artists Tim Prentice and David Colbert have gifted a kinetic sculpture to Housatonic Valley Regional High School in Falls Village, Conn.

Recently installed in the Del Eads Reading Room in the library, adjacent to Two Walls Gallery, the work is suspended from the ceiling, and is comprised of 10 segments of wire and tubular aluminum, highly sensitive to moving air.  The piece appears fragile, but dances to the wind’s force with resilience that belies the elegance of the sculpture.

“I am trying to concentrate on the movement, rather than the object,” Prentice said. “I take it as an article of faith that the air around us moves in ways that are organic, whimsical and unpredictable.”

The sculpture, which changes with every opening of a door or window, has captivated the imagination of the students, some of whom go to sit and gaze upward in a state of meditation.

The title of the piece is left in the hands of the students. Several Native American titles are being considered, among them Mishe Pohkok; “The Great Clear Sky.”

The acquisition came about when art teacher Patricia Vanicky approached Prentice with the idea of donating a sculpture for the school’s permanent collection. Vanicky’s original thought was for a piece for one of the school’s courtyards.

When Prentice visited the school, he was interested in the octagonal room with a dome-like ceiling, which has several sources of ventilation. The combination of factors lead to Prentice donating a site-specific piece.

To learn more about Prentice’s work, go to https://timprentice.com; to learn more about the work of David Colbert, go to www.davidcolbert.com.