Lyre’72 – ORBS
The latest iteration of my Lyre lantern series.
Lyre – an instrument as old as ancient Greece. Symbol of harmony, union of cosmic forces, love and devotion. ‘72: the year I was born into a house filled with mid-century modern design. Lyre ‘72 explores how our worlds are intricately woven together, that no matter the era, we can find commonality.
Mission: Small versions of lamps like these were created in the 70s, but I modified and recreated the concept at a scale and intention that gives it new life, and a new way to interact with a piece of historical industrial design. This art evokes a collective nostalgia. People who see the smaller versions tell me it reminds them of their grandmother, or how she loved weaving, or that her house was so “mid-century”. I also hear nods to crafts like spirographs, and even Eames.
Story: This art is a memorial to my mother, who just passed from Dementia and Alzheimer’s. As is so often the case with these diseases, one begins to remember more about the past than to understand the present, so I wanted her memorial to focus on the idea of nostalgia. I first wove a small laser cut prototype that I designed, just to see if I could do it, because I wanted to honor her, and her cool lamps, and her love of mid-century modern design. Through that process, I realized that the act of weaving itself was a meditation of sorts. I made 20 at that scale. It helped center me on bad days. I started making larger and larger versions, which brings me to the large scale options today. The shift in perspective that large scale art provides is fascinating to me. I would like to include a few words inside the orb so that citizens can better understand my concept, and to be encouraged to share their memories, and their nostalgia.
Physical Description:
Seven wooden orbs of various sizes are woven on-site with thousands of feet of neon paracord. Guests have the opportunity to interact with the art, hang out inside, and take impactful social media photos and videos. The pieces look great for both daytime and night time event schedules. The orbs can be placed in a group approximately 40×40 which includes room to walk around them, or they can be spread out throughout an event depending on power sources. The largest four are lit with sound reactive addresseable neon LEDs, and have the option to be solar powered. The smallest three are lit with pre-charged LED bulbs.
Events: In 2023, we have brought Lyre ’72 to Apogaea (https://apogaea.com/), Global Dance Fest (https://globaldancefestival.com/) and we will be installing it for the upcoming Tahoe Live (https://tahoelive.net/)
