Client: Georgia Institute of Technology

Overview

Poly, 2017
Cast bronze with patina, plants
73″ x 83″ x 46″ (186 x 211 x 117 cm)
Weight: 300 lbs (140 kg)
Location: Engineered Biosystems Building, Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, Georgia)

Goals

“Poly” is a public art project for Georgia Tech’s new Engineered Biosystems Building (EBB). The EBB houses research labs for chemical biology, cell and developmental biology, and systems biology.
Inspired by my ongoing investigations into the physics of foams I have created a design approach that is evocative of biological cells and patterns similar to light diffracted by moving water. A cell-like lattice defines a female figure sitting on the ground, gazing over an overgrown pond. Her quiet presence brings a tranquil and poetic quality to the site. The open structure allows plants to grow freely through the sculpture, engulfing its lower portion during the summer season and visually unifying the figure with nature.
Through the use of design principles found in nature, the sculpture offers the viewer an expanded experience of the landscape through subtly contrasting the natural with the engineered, while drawing attention to the water, a fundamental element of all life.

Additional Information

"Poly" was fully 3d-printed in 150 individual parts and then directly bronze cast. For more information see: "10,000 Hours of 3D Printing Bring Larger-Than-Life Cast Bronze Sculpture to Georgia Tech" (3dPrint.com, June 23, 2017) https://3dprint.com/178836/sculptor-lulzbot-bronze-statues/