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Wednesday, 15 August 2007 | Levent OZLER
Density Fields by Oyler-Wu Collaborative
October 12, 2007 to March 14, 2008
Opening October 12, 2007 an "extreme cantilever" built from aluminum and silicon tubing will hover over the courtyard of Materials & Applications (M&A) in Silver Lake, Los Angeles. This structure is an outdoor installation created by Sci-Arc professors Dwayne Oyler and Jenny Wu, called Density Fields. Defying classification as either sculpture or architecture, the piece will flex with a gesture that extends imaginary lines of force beyond the small courtyard, seeming to pierce buildings and features in the neighborhood.
The primary structural question Oyler-Wu Collaborative asked is, "What makes the idea of using lines different in terms of their structural properties?" The idea addresses tensile properties, thereby limiting the structural possibilities, but also allows for a more specific way of designing that exploits tensile strength. This line of inquiry led them to a structural principle that utilizes a dense field of lines. The installation consists of two basic materials: (1) an aluminum frame extending up from the ground and out into the space, and (2) a series of fine, tensioned cables pulling the cantilever in the opposite direction -- forcing it to hover above the ground.
The development of this piece began with the imaginary violent attack of the bristling sculpture on the neighboring buildings, then with careful editing of the geometrical elements, the sculpture retracted back to its tensed position in the M&A courtyard. Oyler-Wu Collaborative's goal is to negotiate the structural ideas, the programmatic needs of the space, and the desire to use basic geometries to create a rich spatial experience within the space itself. With the help of engineer Bruce Danziger from Arup LA and many volunteers, the piece will be another traffic-stopper in the Silver Lake neighborhood.
Materials & Applications (M&A) is a research and exhibition center dedicated to pushing new and underused ideas in art, architecture and landscape into view. Its outdoor exhibit site, open free to the public from 10a.m. to 10 p.m. every day, year round. It is located at 1619 Silver Lake Blvd., Los Angeles. When the space is closed, the exhibit is visible from the street.
M&A hosts installations twice yearly. The exhibits last for six-months from the beginning of construction to the dismantling of the installation. In addition to installations, M&A hosts an architecture and design-related lecture series, hands-on workshops and other events. This Fall, M&A will conduct a Do-It-Yourself Solar Hot Water Heater workshop - to find out more about this and to sign up, send them an email: contact  emanate.org
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