Atoll

ATOLL

Pacific Lagoon, Santa Barbara, CA

Commissioned by:
University Art Museum, University of California at Santa Barbara, CA

Dimensions:
30′ H x 50′ Diameter
(900 x 1524 cm)

Materials:
Steel and fiberglass

Rising from the Pacific Lagoon at the Santa Barbara University Art Museum, two concentric rings of tall, banded tapers set into an underwater armature appeared to be growing out of the water, like a curious, tall stand of grass. Banded in precise, black and white increments, the light strata of the form emerged against the dark water in a sharp, staccato formation.

A large gilded disc floated within the enclosure, as if it were a portion of an enormous submerged sun. Outside the rings of tapers, a black disc floated mysteriously apart upon the water’s surface.

In the University setting, the work took on a distinctly experimental tone. One viewer was curious to know what was being calibrated. Few suspected that the work was for the Art Museum; rather, it was often seen as an experiment of some mysterious kind.

Metaphorical questions between reality, reflection, mirage, scientific experiment and mystery were investigated in Atoll, a work delicate enough to dissolve into a staccato haze in the slightest amount of moving air.

Atoll 2’48”