Time & Place Series . . . 2009

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  • Vicki Gunter and Peter Brown collaborated on Time & Place as an Art and Science project for the Oakopolis Creativity Center 2009 Gratitude Altar show. It is an exploration of the earth in motion at seven different latitudes. The piece involves a Brass Pendulum, Clay Earth Vessels and dirt from seven cities.
  • Click on video below to see the piece reveal our earth in action!
  • Scroll down to the Earth Vessel Gallery and full explanation. ENJOY!
Please slide the blue volume bars off to all gray for this video.

   = Understanding 'Mr. Duling' and his sidekicks =

  ❍
'MR. DULING'
Pendulum
Peter Brown

  • When Mr. Duling, Peter’s seventh grade science teacher, explained how pendulums illustrate the rotation of the Earth, Peter felt an explosive epiphany in his head and heart. “Their motion expresses great truths for me about the motion of life. For me they connect earth and infinite sky.”
 
  • If you watch the pendulum long enough you will notice the earth turning under it!
 
  • At the latitude where you are standing (37º 48 minutes north), “Mr. Duling” will swing 220.7 degrees in a 24 hour period, or, one full rotation of the earth.

  •  Only a pendulum at the North   or South pole will swing in a  full 360º circle in 24 hours.

  •  The degree of latitude is the  angle between the equator, a  place on earth and the              gravitational pull directly          toward the center of the        earth.
 
  •  At the equator the axis of the  pendulum swing would not      rotate in a circle. It would      simply swing back and forth.

  • “Mr. Duling” is solid brass & was created using lathes & milling machines.

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EARTH VESSELS
Seven Latitudes
Vicki Gunter

  •  Each Earth Vessel contains a bit  of soil from seven different places  on earth:
  •  Chugiak, Alaska, USA - 61º  23   minutes north latitude
  •  Paris, France - 48º 52min. n
  •  Mt Jiuhua, China - 32º 10" n
  •  East Usumbara Mts, Tanzania,  Africa --- 5º 45" s
  •  Hawaii, USA - 19º 3" n
  •  Al Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem,Israel   - 31º 47" n
  •  Blenheim Gardens,   London, England - 51º 30" n

  • The soil collection was randomly brought to Vicki by friends and family over the years. It began with Carol’s trip to Paris. She asked what Vicki wanted from France, Vicki replied, “Dirt from Monet’s garden.” Well, that wasn’t allowed, so she got dirt from Paris! Then others followed suit. Thanks for the dirt:
  1. Lillian Egloff
  2. Janine Grigsby
  3. Tenaya Gunter Brown
  4. Sarah Fuhro
  5. Delayne Medoff
  6. Allegra O’Donoghue
  7. Arlene Olson
  8. Carol Schwamberger

  • The large ring of soil is from the  West & East of the USA, Vicki’s garden & Oakopolis -  both  Oakland, CA &  Natick, MA

  • Earth Vessels are unglazed, pit-fired clay with copper sheet bits.

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EARTH BUOYS
Three Latitudes
Peter Brown

  • The base angle of each metal Earth Buoy is cut to represent the same latitude as the location of the soil in its nearest matching Earth Vessel.
 
  • If you watch an Earth Buoy carefully you will notice that when it completes a full rotation it, like Mr. Duling, falls-short of a full 360º circle.

  • The number of degrees it does       rotate is equivalent to the              number of degrees a pendulum      would swing at that latitude!

  •  An Earth Buoy representing the   equator at zero degrees latitude,   would not have any angle, and       would therefore just sit still.  
 
  • Earth Buoys are solid metal handmade on lathes:
  • Stainless Steel = Chugiak, Alaska USA - 61º  23 minutes north latitude
  •  Copper = East Usumbara Mts,       Tanzania, Africa - 5º 45" s
  •  Brass = Hawaii, USA - 19º 3" n
© Vicki Gunter 2002-2012