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Janet Echelman's 1.8 Renwick
Janet Echelman's 1.8 Renwick uses fiber and colored light to examine the complex interconnections between humankind and our physical world and reveals the artist's fascination with the measurement of time. The volumetric form suspended from the vaulted ceiling of this historic Grand Salon is inspired by the data recorded March 11, 2011, following the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami that rippled across the Pacific Ocean toward Japan. The geologic event was so powerful it shifted the earth on its axis and shortened the day by 1.8 millionths of a second, lending this work its title. The lines on the carpet below trace the topographic patterns of the three-dimensional form above. Viewers can immerse themselves in the installation and find a contemplative moment, watching the dynamically changing shadows gradually unfold in vivid colors from wall to wall. The color permutations take as long to unfold as it takes to watch a sunset. Echelman's knotted meditation explores the contrast between the forces we can understand and control and those we cannot, and the concerns of our daily existence with the larger cycles of time. |