''Imploding Cube'' is a
public artwork by American sculptor
John Simms. It is located on the grounds of the ARTSPARK at the
Indianapolis Art Center in
Indianapolis
Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...
, Indiana, United States.
Description
Number five in a series, ''Imploding Cube'' consists of a 1.5-metre cube made of
aircraft aluminium mounted on one of its
apices
The apex is the highest point of something. The word may also refer to:
Arts and media Fictional entities
* Apex (comics), a teenaged super villainess in the Marvel Universe
* Ape-X, a super-intelligent ape in the Squadron Supreme universe
*Apex ...
. Each face of the cube points inwards to create a
cube
In geometry, a cube is a three-dimensional solid object bounded by six square faces, facets or sides, with three meeting at each vertex. Viewed from a corner it is a hexagon and its net is usually depicted as a cross.
The cube is the only r ...
- shaped
negative space at the centre of itself. A
bearing sits underneath the apex, which stands on a pole, allowing the cube to revolve in the wind.
The sculpture stands in a
reflecting pool
A reflecting pool, also called a reflection pool, is a water feature found in gardens, parks, and memorial sites. It usually consists of a shallow pool of water, undisturbed by fountain jets, for a reflective surface.
Design
Reflecting pools are ...
.
Acquisition
This sculpture was acquired as a permanent addition to the Art Center's ARTSPARK. A gift of Bob and Pat Anker, ''Imploding Cube'' was purchased from
Shidoni Gallery and Foundry in
Tesuque, New Mexico
Tesuque (Tewa: Tetsʼúgéh Ówîngeh / Tetsugé Oweengé ) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States. It is part of the Santa Fe, New Mexico, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 909 at the 2 ...
, in the winter of 2002.
About the artist
Born in
Rochester, New York
Rochester () is a City (New York), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, the county seat, seat of Monroe County, New York, Monroe County, and the fourth-most populous in the state after New York City, Buffalo, New York, Buffalo, ...
, and a self-taught artist, most of Simms' work involves the use of
geometric
Geometry (; ) is, with arithmetic, one of the oldest branches of mathematics. It is concerned with properties of space such as the distance, shape, size, and relative position of figures. A mathematician who works in the field of geometry is ca ...
forms such as
circle
A circle is a shape consisting of all points in a plane that are at a given distance from a given point, the centre. Equivalently, it is the curve traced out by a point that moves in a plane so that its distance from a given point is const ...
s,
triangle
A triangle is a polygon with three Edge (geometry), edges and three Vertex (geometry), vertices. It is one of the basic shapes in geometry. A triangle with vertices ''A'', ''B'', and ''C'' is denoted \triangle ABC.
In Euclidean geometry, an ...
s and
rectangle
In Euclidean plane geometry, a rectangle is a quadrilateral with four right angles. It can also be defined as: an equiangular quadrilateral, since equiangular means that all of its angles are equal (360°/4 = 90°); or a parallelogram containi ...
s.
Simms generally creates a
maquette which can often weigh upwards of fifty pounds. Influenced by
Euclidean geometry, his larger works are created from aluminum or steel, with smaller and medium-sized works being created out of copper,
stainless steel
Stainless steel is an alloy of iron that is resistant to rusting and corrosion. It contains at least 11% chromium and may contain elements such as carbon, other nonmetals and metals to obtain other desired properties. Stainless steel's corros ...
or
bronze
Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids such ...
. A finish is usually placed upon the sculptures to add texture and color.
Simms has exhibited work at the Grand Teton Music Festival and other regional
Western events and his artwork is also seen in permanent collections of the
Science Museum Oklahoma
Science Museum Oklahoma is a science museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The museum is home to the Kirkpatrick Planetarium, the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame and a number of specialized galleries. The facility covers over 390,000 square ...
, the
Bellevue Downtown Park
Bellevue Downtown Park is a park located in downtown Bellevue, Washington, United States, a suburb of Seattle. The park consists of a circular ring with a large central greenspace that is surrounded by a moat and walking trails. It is situated be ...
,
Hudson Gardens, among others. Simms lives and works in
Jackson, Wyoming
Jackson is a town in Teton County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 10,760 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, up from 9,577 in 2010. It is the largest town in Teton County and its county seat. Jackson is the principal town of ...
, where he is represented by Diehl Gallery.
References
External links
''Imploding Cube''from the
International Sculpture Center
The International Sculpture Center is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded in 1960 by Elden Tefft and James A. Sterritt at the University of Kansas. It is currently located on the old New Jersey Fairground in Hamilton, New Jersey
Its goal is ...
''Imploding Cube''video showing the artwork in motion
{{IACartworks
Indianapolis Art Center artworks
Cubic sculpture
Outdoor sculptures in Indianapolis
Aluminum sculptures in Indiana
2000 sculptures