In 1979, The Century of Light was the world’s first public outdoor electronic interactive  sculpture. To win the commission for this work, I built a working  maquette of the major component, an 18 feet mandala of 144 electronically controlled lamps.   The electronic design for the maquette was a 9 inch diameter mandala comprised of 144 red LEDs (light emitting diodes).  Four of these units were made.  One was used in the maquette.  The remaining three were made into 2 table top sculptures, “Moon Bark” and “Oriental Landscape” and one wall sculpture, “Rocket and Flower”. Century of Light maquette (1978)  Once a sculpture is built, the maquette, not being a work of art, is generally discarded.  I decided to make a maquette that could stand as an independent work of art so if my proposal was rejected - the rate of success is about 4 or 5 rejections to one acceptance - I would have a nice artwork.  It was accepted and built.

Oriental Landscape (1979) (Allan Stone collection)

The circuitry for each of these three works employ a 32 digit binary counter to animate the mandala.   the counters are identical except for their inputs.  In the latter two, the counter counts vibrations produced by a sensor that vibrates at a rate dependent on ambient light. The more light the slower the count. the counter rolls over at 2,147,483,647.   At 4 peaks per second the counter will roll over to zero and start a new count in a little over 17 years.  This binary "dance" of digits  animate the LEDs of the mandala.  The mandala is based on an 11th century religious tile pattern with a four-fold symmetry.  It contains 144 intersections.  The LEDs are positioned. at these intersections.    Each of the 32 digits control a set of four lights.  These four lights are in the same relative position in each of the four folds of symmetry.   As the counter advances, a symmetrical pattern on the mandala evolves. What is this artwork about?  I’m not sure. Maybe the relationship of mathematics to reality?   Maybe the passage of time?  The rituals of religion?  The way small changes over time produce large changes overall.   The paradox of mathematical infinity? You tell me.

* Three scultures related to Song for Luke