Large Circle of Friends Discuss James Clerk Maxwell

Artist: Mark Esper

Portfolio Online: Catalogue of Past Projects

June 1- October 10, 2003

For a follow up on Mark Esper's acclaimed debut last year, he returns with for a second electrified solo exhibit at Dam, Stuhltrager and work simultaneously shown in Zap! Electric Narratives at Greenhouse Projects.

Mr. Esper explains the mechanics of a “Large Circle of Friends Discuss James Clerk Maxwell”:

“This installation is a mushroom shaped installation. A 9 ft. high stem contains 109 circuits and 109 pendulums. A 14 ft. circular ceiling apparatus holds 109 speakers, each one corresponding to one of the circuits.

The pendulums contain magnets. When a pendulum passes over its corresponding circuit, the circuit momentarily switches on, energizing its electromagnet. This pushes the pendulum away so that each time the pendulum passes over its circuit, a little energy is added to the swing of the pendulum, and by extension, the average level of kinetic energy contained in all the pendulums. Because the polarity of the magnets in all the pendulums is the same, they have subtle effect on each other’s movement. The movement begins by looking random, though it isn’t. Soon, local organized movement arises. After a while all the pendulums move in phase with each other.

The way a pendulum signals a circuit to come on is by reflecting infrared light onto the sensor that crowns its electromagnet. This happens when a pendulum passes directly over the sensor. The source of the infrared light is the seven lamps that sit on the floor below the circuits.

There is an audio component to this project. An audio track is constantly played and made available to the speakers. A speaker plays the audio track when its corresponding pendulum passes over its circuit, turning it on momentarily. While the circuit is on, the speaker plays the on going audio track. The audio track is a reading about James Clerk Maxwell and his discoveries. At the beginning, the audio track is understandable. Soon, it becomes progressively hashed up. When the pendulums are swinging together in phase, the audio is musically rhythmic experience. So, the self-organized movement of the pendulums drives spoken word into an other ways organized aural experience. I have seen groups of people watching this, gently swaying their bodies in the same rhythm. This is very satisfying to me.” -M. Esper

Mr. Esper explains the mechanics of a “2973”:

“2973 is a memorial for the 2973 people murdered in the terrorist attacks of 9-11-01.

The clear polycarbonate panel holds 2973 simple circuits set in a one-inch grid. Each circuit includes an infrared light sensor and a yellow light emitting diode. When the sensor sees infrared light, the light emitting diode is off. When the infrared light is blocked from the sensor, when it is in shadow, the light emitting diode shines. This is seen through the clear polycarbonate panel.

Placed at least twenty feet away will be a lamp that shines in invisible infrared light. When a person is between the lamp and the panel with the 2973 circuits, some of the infrared light is blocked; a shadow is cast. This shadow is seen as light against dark instead of dark against light.” - M. Esper