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Nature motion background1/2/2024 ![]() ![]() Play the clip “Too Slow to See” from the Mysteries of the Unseen World film. Tell students that time-lapse photography is a technique where you shoot the same subject over a period of time, and then play back at regular speed, effectively speeding up time. Introduce the time-lapse photography technique the rising and setting of the sun or moonĪsk students if they can think of a way to "speed up" any of those events so that we could view them easily.Students might list any or all of the following, or come up with ideas not listed here: “I prefer beauty, balance, and symmetry.Lead students in a discussion about what it means to see something with the "naked eye." Ask for volunteers to name some things that happen too slowly to see clearly with the naked eye-or for which their movement is subtle. “Many artists make things that are ugly and shocking,” he said. In many cases, he adds a third dimension to the formerly 2-D sculpture by adding a series of bends to create a wavy appearance (see Figure 3). The ensuing reaction creates colors and patterns in the pottery’s surface. “I was inspired by raku,” he said, referring to a traditional Japanese pottery-making process in which pottery items are fired at a relatively low temperature and then moved while still hot to a closed container with combustible materials, such as paper or sawdust. While the colors that develop are somewhat predictable, it’s not a controlled process. First is heat, which he uses to impart color. After cutting and weaving copper strips to form a 2-D wall sculpture, he adds something extra (or two somethings extra). ![]() He has found that copper is ideal for this concept. “I started making weavings in paper, from an idea I saw in a book, and later I tried the process in metal,” Searles said. ![]() Although it appears to have two sides, the half-twist means that this ribbon has one continuous side (see Figure 2).Īnother of Searles’ specialties is weaving. A Möbius strip is made by imparting a half-twist on a strip of material such as paper or metal and joining the ends. Like the ribbon sculptures he creates, they appear almost weightless, flowing freely on a breeze, but they have a little something extra, a mathematical curiosity: They have just one side. Related to ribbons are Möbius sculptures. ![]() Although they’re heavy, rigid, and immobile, they have the look of a paper streamer, light and delicate, buffeted by a breeze (see Figure 1). What better medium to use to express natural forces such as wind and waves? To that end, Searles uses his metalworking expertise to create beautiful, flowing ribbons. Working With Nature’s WondersĪlthough the many processes needed to mine ores and turn them into useful metals are anything but natural, metals are inherently products of nature. He worked as a paint chemist for several years before taking a job selling lab equipment, and eventually rolled all of those experiences into a new vocation, becoming a full-time artist in 1993. Drafted into the United States Air Force in 1972, Searles worked as a Chinese linguist during his four-year stint and later he completed a degree in chemistry. Not that Searles’ background doesn’t include experience in other fields. Trips to art galleries in London and Paris ensued, imparting a lifelong devotion to the arts. His family moved to Britain when he was 10 years old and he found himself immersed in the storied land of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Encouraged to paint at a mere 4 years old, he started piano lessons at the same age, violin at 9, and guitar at 14. Searles had anything but a traditional upbringing. Capturing the tranquil motions and peaceful flow that many natural processes exhibit is the aim of John Searles, a man of many careers who became a full-time artist. For the most part, nature’s actions are gentle and soothing-a stream tumbling down a short waterfall, a refreshingly cool breeze on a warm day, the undulating waves at a waterfront. The forces of nature can be vast and terrifying, taking the form of tornadoes, volcanoes, and hurricanes. Although sculptor John Searles works primarily in metals, which are heavy and rigid, his work often creates a sense of weightlessness. ![]()
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