LIQUID SHARD

by: Patrick Shearn of Poetic Kinetics

Liquid Shard dazzled downtown Los Angeles as a surprise to the city from July 28th to August 11th 2016.  This large-scale, kinetic sculpture made of holographic mylar and monofilament was installed across Pershing Square in downtown Los Angeles.  The piece spans 15,000 sq ft. and is comprised of two layers that rise from 15 feet off the ground to 115 feet in the air.

“The inspiration comes from observing nature and the feeling that we are only aware on a very surface level of what is really going on around us. Unexpected things revealed in time-lapse or hyper-spectrum photography fascinate me. Like fractals recurring progressively, we feel the currents of air on our skin but do not see the larger movements.  I wanted to play in that realm with this piece.”- Patrick Shearn.

As the center square for downtown Los Angeles, this work was created site specific to be viewed both from the ground perspective looking up to the sky and from the offices surrounding, looking down. This project allows viewers to slow down, and observe the wind slowly undulating and transforming the piece, similar to watching clouds or observing the slow mesmerizing motions of sea flora. The reactions have been overwhelmingly positive, as just the contrasting rhythm of this artwork to the hustle and bustle of downtown adds something unique and positive to the urban environment.

Now Art LA secured the location at Pershing Square which made the display of the project possible while Patrick Shearn of Poetic Kinetics had the privilege of designing this piece specific for this site with his students of AAV School.