LORAX
A 22 ft tall interactive flower that uses data / sensors to respond to movement, creating unique breathtaking light arrays day and night.
The design idea behind “Lorax” was to design a whimsical piece that was tall and captivating at night. The Village of Skokie Art Committee was infatuated with my past stainless sculptures that were shown in Chicago Sculpture Exhibition. It was requested to make something similar to my past flowers but 3x times the size.
This Stainless Steel sculpture stands over 22 ft with a 5ft flower bloom attached. Inside the bloom there is outdoor-rated interactive light system. This lighting system has the ability to use data / sensors to drive the light array, giving the pedestrian control of the experience. Depending on how the viewer walks through the space, incorporates different sensors, initiating custom colorful light patterns, washing over each other.
22 ft tall.
5 ft wide bloom.
the process
the process
For this particular project, the clients requested the flower Bloom be as polished and gleaming as possible. To capture this desired effect, the whole 5 ft Bloom itself was cut up into 8 sections then dipped individually into the electropolish chemical solution. This process removes 3 micron layers of the material surface, cleaning and purifying it. The Electropolished finishes leaves a mirror polished / chrome like finish that refracts lights extremely well. Once complete, it was welded back up and made structural.
The Village of Skokie was adamant about using state-of-the-art outdoor lighting systems that can withstand the harsh Chicago winters. Before, the city had issues with previous artists delivering lighted sculptures that never worked properly. It was imperative we chose a IP Rated Light System that could endure the wind, snow, and salt that comes with living in the mid-west. Our lighting system is still working perfectly, 8 years later.
The Bloom for “Lorax” was roughly 3x larger than the previous sculpture, Sol Invictus. In the end, the flowerhead reached 5’ wide and weighed over 700 lbs. It contains over 1,000 petals, each petal receiving a slight pattern and etch. The Bloom stands 22’ tall and still lights up the night sky to this day.
