Sculptures, Wind Art, And a Particular Austin Artist

Art has always been a shining staple of civilization and it touches all of our lives eventually. A main branch of art is sculpting, which brings to most people's minds images of sweet grandmotherly types making pottery, or perhaps Patrick Swayze trying to work clay at the same time as Demi Moore and ruining her hard work. However, a modern artist may be just as likely to sculpt with materials that most of us would take to the junkyard without a second thought. These minds of brilliant creativity work metal and wire together to produce a beautiful result: wind sculptures.

What Is A Wind Sculpture?     

Wind sculptures, or kinetic wind sculptures, are a kind of abstract art that are designed to move in the wind. They are usually made from metal, but other materials, like wood and plastic, are also sometimes incorporated. I even saw one made of buttons and string once.

These beautiful sculptures can be completely abstract or they can be intended to produce a certain image or idea when moving in the wind. For example, randomly placed metal plates interlock when the wind blows and become a face, if only for a moment or the movement of individual balls may mimic an atom (That's a popular one for museums and science centers, I'm sure).

How Difficult Is It To Create Wind Sculptures?

It can be quite challenging, actually, especially for those who have never done it before. You need to create sculptures that will move in just the way you want them to. A lot of calculation goes into it (And if you're anything like me, you probably don't do math. I'm more of a "splash paint onto a canvas randomly" type of guy) rather than unique art. You would also need to ensure that the material you use won't blow away in the wind and that the structure won't fall apart in heavier winds.

How Does Wind Art Compare To Other Types Of Art?    

That ultimately depends on who is doing the evaluating. Early forms of kinetic art garnered a lot of negative criticism due to their unique style (Art was much more conservative back then) but it became very popular with the public. The great kinetic artist Max Bill would display his work at showings with a successful turnout. Today wind art is an accepted cog in the machine of mainstream art.

Where Can I Go To See Wind Sculpture?

Have you tried the Windy City? Wind art is obviously popular in places that get a lot of wind or have few obstructions to block air currents. Deserts and plains are good areas, for example. Many farmers create their own wind sculptures and art institutes in Arizona and Nevada incorporate them all the time. As mentioned earlier, kinetic wind art is popular and fine examples of it can be found at any number of art museums around the country.

Wind sculptures are a wonderful form of art and should definitely be observed at some point by the art aficionado. Take caution if you decide to create your own, however. If you use metal, you'll probably need metal cutters and/or welders at some point. Creating wind art may be dangerous, but the end result is certainly worth the risk! As an end to my article, and thanks for stopping by, I'd like to mention my favorite in the realm. When you're done reading this, check out an artist based out of Austin named Jim LaPaso. You will not be disappointed!