Continuum (sculpture)
Encyclopedia
Continuum is a public artwork by American
sculptor Charles O. Perry
located in front of the National Air and Space Museum
in Washington, DC, United States
.
, a product of pure mathematics formed by joining two ends of a strip of paper after giving one end a 180 degree twist, thus creating only one edge. The center of the bronze sculpture symbolizes a black hole
, while the edge shows the flow of matter through the center from positive to negative space and back again in a continuum
."
A similar sculpture exists, by Perry, called "Continuum II" which is installed Marina Square
in Singapore
and dates to 1986.
that formed on the sculpture. Perry's vision was for the piece to remain black. The piece was removed from its location to the west end of the building where it underwent its conservation by a contractor. The granite base that holds the 7,000 sculpture was also repaired.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
sculptor Charles O. Perry
Charles O. Perry
Charles Owen Perry was an American sculptor particularly known for his large-scale public sculptures....
located in front of the National Air and Space Museum
National Air and Space Museum
The National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution holds the largest collection of historic aircraft and spacecraft in the world. It was established in 1976. Located in Washington, D.C., United States, it is a center for research into the history and science of aviation and...
in Washington, DC, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Description
The sculpture is a large swirling abstract that consists of 8 bronze pieces painted black and placed on a pole. It moves freely.Information
According to the artist the piece "began as an exploration of the Möbius stripMöbius strip
The Möbius strip or Möbius band is a surface with only one side and only one boundary component. The Möbius strip has the mathematical property of being non-orientable. It can be realized as a ruled surface...
, a product of pure mathematics formed by joining two ends of a strip of paper after giving one end a 180 degree twist, thus creating only one edge. The center of the bronze sculpture symbolizes a black hole
Black hole
A black hole is a region of spacetime from which nothing, not even light, can escape. The theory of general relativity predicts that a sufficiently compact mass will deform spacetime to form a black hole. Around a black hole there is a mathematically defined surface called an event horizon that...
, while the edge shows the flow of matter through the center from positive to negative space and back again in a continuum
Continuum (theory)
Continuum theories or models explain variation as involving a gradual quantitative transition without abrupt changes or discontinuities. It can be contrasted with 'categorical' models which propose qualitatively different states.-In physics:...
."
A similar sculpture exists, by Perry, called "Continuum II" which is installed Marina Square
Marina Square
Marina Square is a shopping mall in Singapore which opened in the late 1980s. It is part of the first building complex built on the reclaimed land at Marina Centre, and was the largest shopping mall in the country at the time...
in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and dates to 1986.
Condition
In July 2010 the piece underwent restoration to remove a green patinaPatina
Patina is a tarnish that forms on the surface of bronze and similar metals ; a sheen on wooden furniture produced by age, wear, and polishing; or any such acquired change of a surface through age and exposure...
that formed on the sculpture. Perry's vision was for the piece to remain black. The piece was removed from its location to the west end of the building where it underwent its conservation by a contractor. The granite base that holds the 7,000 sculpture was also repaired.