Mel Ristau / Kinetic Sculptor

A kinetic sculpture is an artwork designed to move. Having mechanical advantage, levers can make it easier to get things moving. Movement can be achieved by capturing environmental energy (effort) like wind or water or by employing effort generating devices like motors or muscle wires. The presence of effort can result in movement that rearranges parts of the sculpture.

Class 1 Lever

the fulcrum is between the load and the effort — as when balancing a scale or seesaw or using a crowbar or scissors

insufficient effort to balance the load

effort and load balance

effort and load balance with fulcrum moved closer to load

crowbar

scissors - double lever

air movement (effort) against the sail (which is also a load) rotates a lever as well as the balanced loads

balanced, a class 1 lever is optimized to capture and transfer the wind’s effort

air movement against the sail (effort) rotates a lever lifting the load

Class 2 Lever

the load is between the fulcrum and the effort — as when lifting a wheelbarrow or using a nutcracker or opening a door

as the load moves father from the fulcrum, the amount of effort needed to move the load increases

door

nutcracker - double lever

air movement (effort) causes the sail (which is also the load) to rotate

effort used to lift the load through a class 2 lever system

Class 3 Lever

the effort is between the fulcrum and the load — as when swinging a bat or hammer or using tweezers

as the effort moves closer to the fulcrum the amount of effort needed to move the load increases

bat

tweezers - double lever

air movement (effort) causes the sail (which is also the load) to spin and wobble

effort used to lift the load through a class 3 lever system

A river stone shape with bent ends . . .

is common in my kinetic sculptures. The bent ends catch air movement as does the small sail that is made of translucent polycarbonate. This whole assembly is composed of two lever systems.

1 – The stone shape is both a load and a sail as are the smaller sail and its lever. This simple machine’s fulcrum has been placed at the balance point. Each of the sails collect effort causing movement.

2 – The small sail (also a stone shape) is a load and the only collector of effort. The portion of the lever that extends to the left of the fulcrum, becomes a load. Again, the fulcrum has been placed at the balance point.

Many of my monumental works are built for a specific architectural space. Often I receive the architect’s building plans and we agree on an appropriate height, width, and depth for the sculpture — before the building’s construction has started. A drawing that describes how the new sculpture will look is the result of this first and most creative phase. 1

Next, I make detailed drawings of every part, considering how its size, weight, and material thickness will relate to other parts in the sculpture. 2

Shapes are cut from sheets of aluminum. Many shapes are then folded and painted. Stainless steel cable, tube or rod are cut and holes are drilled. From this kit of parts, nut and bolt assembly begins. My experience with the materials that I use guides my creative thinking in that first drawing. Yet, assembly often reveals issues that I did not anticipate. So, adjustments are made in a way that does not alter the basic design. For example, if a section does not quite balance as intended, if the lever is a tube, I can insert additional weight from one end or the other or I can shift the position of the lever in relation to the fulcrum.

The sculpture is then completely disassembled and packed for shipping. On site it is reassembled, and for the fist time, I see the entire hanging sculpture. 3