Anthony Howe’s amazing metal sculptures need nothing more than a gust of wind to spring to life. The intricately crafted kinetic sculptures spin and spiral in fluid patterns powered entirely by the passing breeze. Howe first designs his pieces on a computer before turning the resulting animation into larger-than-life sculptures - check out a video of them in motion after the break!
When static, Howe’s sculptures are impressive. Extremely detailed and made up of hundreds of tiny parts, the pieces appear like delicate metal infusions that are reminiscent of flower shapes, outer space, and even faces. But once a breeze passes through them, the sculptures come to life, moving and contorting so smoothly that they seem to shape shift effortlessly. This movement is accompanied by the gentle tinkling of lightweight metal pieces as they undulate from one shape to the next.
Each of the sculptures begins as a computer animation that Howe designs in his studio. Rather than deciding a shape first, the artist decides on the movement and works backwards from there. Howe’s creations are mostly made from stainless steel and fiberglass bent, contorted and hammered into dozens of curvilinear pieces. The pieces are thin and lightweight, which is why they react to even the slightest breeze.
Howe, who works from Eastbound, Washington, uses the Pacific Northwest’s beautiful landscape as the backdrop for his kinetic sculptures. The gently moving pieces harmonize with the forested land, interacting with trees, wind and other elements to create a true vision of artistic beauty.
