John Cunningham
Phone: 518-584-8325
Email: sculptor@skidmore.edu
Architectonic Sculpture - Homeostatic Engineering
Egyptian tomb paintings depict people manipulating heavy loads with configurations of poles that I was exploring in sculpture. It turned out to be a mechanism for a forcemultiplier that is so mechanically simple that it works automatically for systems supported elastically.
With the encouragement of Dr. Larry Sprock of the Physics Department at NYU, I published the principle in the scientific journal Nature. The mechanical advantage this process can produce is very large. There is no friction, which reduces the effectiveness of pulleys.
If you are interested in this idea, examine the videos and construct a model yourself. Any bending support works: Straws, sticks, thin dowels. Use a small book for a load. My first sculpture-models used a brick for a load and welding rods for bending supports.
One commentator, who never tested the process himself, had concerns that pole systems would bounce excessively. On the contrary, loads carried this way act like they are mounted on shock absorbers. I have consequently received patents for unusually effective shock and vibration isolation devices based on this principle. You can find these patents under my name (seismic isolation devices and others) using Google's patent search function. The company I created, Seicon Limited (www,seiconlimited.com), is successfully commercializing numerous applications.
My present work involves what I call Kinetic, Architectonic Sculpture and I also have produced architectonic performance works like "Walk Like an Egyptian" as shown in the video on this site.
As Calder or George Rickey used scientific concepts like center of gravity and lever arm "moments" to make their works move in space, I utilize "homeostatic engineering" to manipulate objects that move in space to create sculptural form.
This site is under construction. JC
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Force Multiplier Hatshepsut I. Maple, Granite, Pultruded Fiberglass. 2012
Sculpture "Brick". 1987. Illustrated in Nature paper. Shown with one rod end blocked up. Mechanical advantage is 14.
