Tim Prentice and his 64" Loose Circle...

The form moves as if to glide across the gallery floor. In Tim Prentice’s “64” Loose Circle,” an amoeba-like sculpture spins with the gusts from those walking by and the various fans pointed in its general direction. This sculpture most resembles a combination of an Alexander Calder mobile and a biomorphic shape one would see depicted in a Joan Miró painting. This loose circle, measuring a fluctuating 64” in diameter, is hung from the industrial ceiling in the gallery, held up in close proximity to the gallery floor by a hefty wire. The entire sculpture is a cross of scientific and industrial elements, as it is namely made of stainless steel and aluminum. The wire then leads to a series of stainless steel tubes which vary in size. The majority of the structure is anchored by a thick tube at the top, followed by a cascading of smaller tubes that play the part of a marionette controlling the range of movement of a puppet, which in this case is the biomorphic circle at the bottom of the sculpture. The circle itself is made of thin, rectangular aluminum panels. All 130 of these panels are strung vertically with intricate wiring. Each is then placed in close proximity to the next, barely overlapping each other, rotating with the movement of the tubes above to create a simultaneous, fluid movement. The sculpture itself is masterfully crafted, with every wire curved and bent to precision, and perfection from one aluminum panel to the next. These formal elements allowed me, as the viewer, to absorb the artwork with no distraction of minor flaws, as well as admire the pure quality of the entire piece. The structure is also a miniature of the intended outdoor sculpture, yet evokes a strong sense of movement and space within the confines of the gallery space provided. “64” Loose Circle” is masterfully created into a fusion of fluidity in space alongside industrial elements, and showcases past influences of engineer, navigator, artist, and child from the life of Tim Prentice himself.