Conversations: How Healthy Communities Interact and Maintain Balance
Conversations is a large-scale, kinetic mobile sculpture that symbolizes healthy communities - how they interact and sustain balance.
The concept for Conversations developed over several years, with initial fabrication beginning in June 2025. Designed as a fully mobile artwork, the piece responds to minimal air currents, creating ever-changing relationships between individual characters.
Measuring approximately 12 feet in diameter, the sculpture is composed of 12 abstract, human-like figures. Each figure represents a distinct individual within a diverse community.
As the mobile moves, the figures rotate in and out of conversations with each other in never-ending interactions. Like real communities, these characters compliment and contrast as they interact. And regardless of their shape, color, size, style, orientation, or attitude, ultimately they depend on each other to maintain balance.
Conversations is both playful and contemplative, inviting viewers to reflect on cooperation, diversity, and the delicate mechanics that allow communities to thrive.
Installation Requirements
Minimum ceiling height: 15 feet
Ideal for atriums, public gathering spaces, cultural institutions, and architectural environments that allow for open vertical air flow
Hundreds of working sketches were made to define the structure and gesture of individual characters. Each is unique. A selection of sketches for potential figures are pictured in the animated clip. Exploration includes a variety of gestures, sizes, shapes in a consistent style.
Initial conceptual sketch from about 2020.
This was one of my preliminary conceptual images. The additional images below demonstrate the creative process. This project was a continuous series of problem creation and problem solving. All fun!
The figures evolved taking on a more abstract style than the conceptual rendering.
Balancing elements physically and aesthetically was the next challenge. The suspension system, 3D printed connectors and sculptures combined weigh less than 6 lbs which will respond to the slightest air movement with a graceful motion.
The video doesn’t convey the experience of seeing this in motion. The frictionless movement of the figures is hypnotic. All will move gracefully until one catches a draft sending it into rotation. Like a chain reaction, that motion impacts everyone else. And so it goes…
3D-printed connector and hardware
Materials: The suspension system is carbon fiber tube with custom-designed, 3D printed connectors and stainless steel ball bearing swivels. The motion is extremely smooth and subtle depending on ventilation at the location. Figures are constructed from wire, paper, and polymer for light weight. The surfaces are painted with acrylic paint.