Kinetic Sculpture

I’ve always been a big fan of wind chimes — a soft tinkle in the wind or the louder melodic sound of tuned pipes that play their own song. Here are three artists that have taken it a bit further.

When I was living in Carrboro, NC, I would often walk by Mike Roig’s house just to hear the sounds and see the sights of his huge recycled metal sculptures. Not only do they tinkle and boom in the wind, they seem to be in constant motion; sending out glints of sun light and creating all sorts of interesting shadows.

I had almost forgotten this small pleasure until recently when I stumbled on another site, Back Yard in Motion.   Bill McHugh of Narberth, PA also creates outdoor sculptures. McHugh’s sculptures are moved by air, sun, water, and birds but his principal energy resource is squirrels.

Vollis Simpson took up the art of whirligigs after retirement. He just had too much time on his hands. Simpson’s work can be seen in as diverse places as his Windmill Farm in Wilson, NC to his four-story tall whirligig on display outside the American Visionary Art Museum on Baltimore’s Inner Harbor and another at the Courtland Avenue Bridge in Atlanta.

Do you have a favorite whirligig? Hope you will share the tinkle, motion, and the joy!