The Design and Realization of Large-Scale Free-Form Sculptures

Abstract

Two new sculptures conceived and designed by Brent Collins and Carlo Séquin are currently in their final phase of fabrication and were scheduled to be installed at the beginning of May 2012 in a Science Building at Missouri Western State University. Fabrication problems encountered in these sculptures prompt this review of various issues one may encounter when taking a small sculpture model and scaling it up to a larger-than-human dimensions. This talk will review the design and realization processes for a few large-scale sculptures based on Collins' geometrical inspirations, involving materials that include: compressed snow, translucent epoxy, cast bronze, and carved granite. Bio: Carlo H. Séquin has been a professor of Computer Science at the University of California, Berkeley since 1977. His research interests lie in the fields of Computer Graphics, Virtual Environments, and Computer Aided Design Tools. He has built CAD tools for the layout of integrated circuits, for the conceptual phase in architectural design, for the design of mechanical systems, and – more recently – for artists who create abstract geometrical sculptures. During the last few years, Séquin has also been very active in the field of mathematical visualization, tackling problems at the intersection of geometry and topology. The visualization models created in this context form again a bridge to the world of art and sculpture.