Bucky Art
In partnership with Arena Stage, the Crystal City Business Improvement District (BID) is introducing a temporary, outdoor art exhibit that pays homage to the great scientific mind of R. Buckminster Fuller and his creation of the geodesic dome. “Bucky-Art” celebrates Arena Stage’s spring production of R. Buckminster Fuller: THE HISTORY (and Mystery) OF THE UNIVERSE which runs May 28 – July 4, 2010. The exhibition will open April 1, 2010, and will last throughout the summer.
Winning Selections
PHI
Jeff Chyatte
Description
The sculpture “Phi” is inspired by Buckminster Fuller and his interest in Tensegrity. The sculpture derives its name from the symbol of the Golden Ratio (1 to 1.618) and from one of the greatest classical Greek sculptors, Phidias who used the ratio in his creations. As the basis for the Geodesic Dome, this icosahedron is designed using 6 paired high carbon steel pipes in x, y, and z planes whose dimensions are consistent with the Ratio. Further, the proportions utilized Fibonacci Sequence numbers with a factor of Phi adding a number of intriguing mathematical implications. The pipes are suspended in place by braided stainless steel structural cables using Tensegrity to achieve a static balance. Tensegrity, which was of special interest to Fuller, uses the synergy of tension and compression to provide for the integrity of the structure negating the need for bolts, nuts and welds. These contrasting forces maintain the configuration while requiring each of the 30 cables to stabilize the entire structure. “Phi” is open, allowing the viewers to truly appreciate the icosahedron’s internal and external beauty. Fusing math, art and aesthetics, Phi fosters appreciation for Fuller’s ideas and demonstrates the ubiquitous relevance of his designs. Phi will inspire viewers to explore the relationships of Buckminster Fuller, Tensegrity, Euclid, Fibonacci, Design and Art.
ELEMENTS
Jeff Chyatte
Description
The sculpture “Elements” is inspired by Buckminster Fuller and his fascination with the icosahedron. It also incorporates the work of Fibonacci and Euclid. Fuller had a special interest in Platonic solids specifically the icosahedron. His piece, Dymaxion utilized the shape as a vehicle for the world map and his Geodesic Domes are built upon the icosahedron structure. Elements is unique in that it represents the three intersecting planes that define the icosahedrons internal structure in steel. Connecting the vertices of the intersecting planes creates 20 equilateral triangles. The 30 metal rods connecting Elements perimeter points complete the icosahedron while leaving the piece visually open. Further, the three planes are Golden Rectangles with dimensions from the Fibonacci Sequence, adding intriguing subtlety and other mathematical implications to the construction. Euclid studied the icosahedron and the Golden Ratio 1 to 1.618 (represented by the Greek letter Phi) for its many interesting properties as described in his manuscript Elements. Those proportions were used by great artists and architects throughout the Renaissance in the form of the Golden Rectangle. Revered for its beauty, we see it in the Parthenon and in Da Vinci’s portrait of the Mona Lisa. Fusing math, art and aesthetics, Elements fosters appreciation for Fuller’s ideas and demonstrates the ubiquitous relevance of his designs. Elements will inspire viewers to explore the relationships of Buckminster Fuller, Euclid, Fibonacci, Design and Art. Painted High Carbon Steel and Concrete.
THE EXPLICABLE REQUIRES THE INEXPLICABLE
Sandra Bacon
Description
Buckminster Fuller was a visionary architect, who worked with geometric integrity to fashion structures utilizing natural forces. Biodomes are built upon the principals of “doing all the right things for all the right reasons” : and the concepts behind them are to provide shelter for the largest section of humanity. These shelters naturally capture heat, and deflect wind. My concept is to highlight the history of the biodome: from The hangar of the Spruce Goose, to the Epcott Center, the aviary at the Queens Zoo (1939 World’s Fair), the Montreal museum of the St. Lawrence Seaway, a “Greenhouse “ dome, the dome as stage set for a movie, the dome at the South Pole, the temporary structures at “Burning Man”, a marine biosphere. . .and of course humane shelter.
STEEBAMSHEE
Sergio Martinez
Description
Buckminster Fuller inspired shelter—shelter from sun, wind, and rain Relationship to Buckminster Fuller’s Legacy: The name of the shelter is called “STEEBAMSHE.” It’s a new term derived from Steel Bamboo Shelter. Buckminster Fuller would coin his words. The function of “STEEBAMSHE” is inspired by the concept of the geodesic domes, to provide efficient, economical shelters. “Solve humanities most pressing problems regionally specific yet globally applicable.” One of the world’s most pressing problems is the need for shelter. “STEEBAMSHE” is easy to construct and portable and could be used in emergencies like the recent earthquake in Haiti where many temporary shelters are needed quickly. “Regionally specific.” The bamboo culms inserted into the rings of the curved steel frame can accept whatever local material is available; bamboo, tree branches… Design Science – “Aligned with nature – reflecting nature’s underlying processes and principles.” “STEEBAMSHE” would be oriented in a direction where its back would be set against the prevailing wind direction of a geographic area providing shelter from the wind. The curved form allows the air flow of the wind to flow over the structure. Also, the curved overhead form provides shade from the sun and protection from the rain.
ISOTROPIC VECTOR MATRIX
John Arden Hiigli and Stephen Metcalf
Description
The isotropic vector matrix is the key to Fuller’s Synergetuic Geometry. IVM identifies a “family” of polyhedral relationships united by a common edge‐length, which demonstrate a whole, rational, volumetric values:
Tetrahedron = 1
F0 Cube = 3
Octahedron = 4
Rhombic Dodecahedron = 6
Cube Octahedron = 20
F2 Cube = 24
HOUSING BUBBLE
Andrew Wodzianski
Description
Remarks on the American real estate market while paying homage to Buckminister Fuller’s geodesic dome and his Dymaxion Award for Drop City.
ART ENABLES DOME
Art Enables
Description
Our proposal would consist of one geodesic dome set (from www.domeclimber.com) and the panel inserts would be pieces of Gatorboard (an all‐weather material) with a series of small holes drilled down the sides so that we may lash each piece in the corresponding triangle with parachute cord. Please note that the artwork in the photoshopped image would not be the final pieces. These are all representative of past work from the Artists from the Art Enables studio. Favorite themes of our artists are: Cars, pets, flowers, hearts, gardens, musicians, and geometric designs. Art Enables is a studio working with artists with mental and developmental disabilities. Altogether there are 30 artists from the DC area. You can find out more at www.art‐enables.org.
THE EARTH IS NOT A TOY
Vanessa L. Levesque
Description
This piece features a small child‐like human figure reaching for a geodesic dome which appears to be constructed of Tinkertoys. With this design I hope, in a whimsical way, to assert that we are expected to care for the earth, and not treat it as our personal plaything.
PANOGEOSPHERE
Rob Lindsay
Description
The photographic element is a panorama. Unlike a standard panorama, which shows only a 360 degree view, Panogeosphere will virtually reflect the entire environment of the placement site of the sculpture. This concept is inspired by a Buckminster Fuller work, known as the Dymaxion Projection, where Fuller wrapped a projection of a map of the earth onto polyhedron forms. Fuller's work was often focused on the environment, and Lindsay has similarly focused on the environment of the streetscapes of Crystal City for this project, borrowing from Fuller's vocabulary of geometric forms.
SPACESHIP EARTH WITHIN THE UNIVERSE
Matt Costanza and John McNeill
Description
Buckminster Fuller, an impressive man with impressive accomplishments, was at the core a humanist and environmental activist. He recognized the interconnectedness of all people with one another, and our need for international collaboration to ephemeralize with Earths resources, to “do more with less.” He designed the Dymaxion map, showing all of earth’s continents with minimal distortion when folded flat and showed the continent’s as an island in the world ocean, and when constructed into a 3d shape, it took the form of an icosahedron, the most complex platonic solid.
In this sculpture, we present his notion of Spaceship Earth, as presented in his dymaxion map in the shape of an icosahedron. An interesting quality of the icosahedron, is that it is perfectly bisected into planes in an x‐y‐z coordinate system, a three dimensional space, which happens to be only type of measurable physical dimensions we have in the universe. The sculpture represents these planes with clear acrylic, upon which are scribed fundamental equations from fields ranging from physics, thermodynamics, electromagnetism, and calculus.
Spaceship Earth is presented as supported by these planes, with a surrounding shell of the universe. Constellations are man’s mythologies written across the sky, and these are traced amidst a field of stars upon this shell, which happens to be another icosahedron, just split along an axis. The shell is opened, towards the top, and the design connotes an upward motion of the Spaceship Earth, as we now are exploring more and more of the universe, more unified as a global people than ever in human history, with international collaboration in the sciences, and a rich global heritage of myth and mythology.
BIG LITTLE
James Mallos
Description
Fuller’s work sometimes implicitly involves weaving, especially the tensegrity domes, and the plydomes and other panel‐covered domes. His 1954 geodesic dome patent can be taken as the first Description of how to weave a sphere uniformly. In 55 years of progress in mathematics and computer science we have learned how to weave any shape of surface uniformly, including the surface of the human body. “Big Little” uses 3‐D anatomical scan data published by the French research institute INRIA to weave a geodesic dome in the shape of a pinky. The data’s public license will require crediting the rights holders, and, for any commercial use, preapproval by the rights holders.
