Music of the Sphere
Above is me modeling a sculpture called Music of the Sphere,
made of steel and silver brazed. It is actually a musical
instrument that you wear. There are two parts: the icosahedral ball hanging
in front of me and the head piece. The 30 spiral components of the ball resonate
and the sound is conducted in stereo by a pair of wires from the ball up to
the head piece, which has two bumps that rest lightly against your skull.
You play it percussively with sticks, or by closing your eyes, walking around,
and banging it into things. The sound conducts directly into your head
through your skull, and it sounds like you are inside some kind of gigantic
vibrating metal cathedral.
The picture above shows John Horton Conway wearing and playing
Music of the Sphere at the 1997 Mathematics and Art Conference at S.U.N.Y.
Albany
NY. (Great shirt for this!)
copyright 1999, George W. Hart
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