Seeing this Kenneth Snelson piece entitled Forest Devil (1975) exhibited at the Seattle Museum of Art transported me back to by childhood in Iowa City. It was there where I was first introduced to Snelson’s work.
I remember walking under and around one of his large outdoor public tensegrity sculptures. It was absolutely magical. I was mesmerized by the massive stainless steel pipes that seemed to float in midair. At the time I did not understand how the structure even stood up. To the dismay of onlookers, I remember shoving one of the pipes and watching my youthful curiosity ripple through the entire piece. The work was not just mystifying but equally beautiful in its composition and interplay with its surroundings.
I learned much later about tensegrity structures and how their various elements are divided into two categories — compressive (pushing the ends) or tensile (pulling the ends).
This allows the elements that are in tension to be replaced with thin flexible cables. I have always been moved by work that unites technical knowledge with artistry, so it made perfect sense when I discovered that Snelson was a student of the renowned architect, inventor and futurist Buckminster Fuller. Snelson, who holds a degree from University of Oregon, unfortunately died of cancer two years ago at age 89. It always astounds me how great works of art can make such an indelible imprint on a young person’s mind.