Kaynor Technical High School

Waterbury, Connecticut

Cast Glass, LED Lights, Brass, Computer

This sculpture is comprised of 54 cast glass elements, each one centered in a polished brass plate, illuminated from underneath by LED light, and precisely arranged under each of the 54 24” square glass panels that comprise a 12’ by 18’ glass floor area. When any one of the 26 perimeter glass floor panels is stepped on by an individual passing through the lobby, an illuminated path through the array of sculptural elements is triggered, beginning at the panel that is stepped on and radiating outwards. The implied metaphor is clear – different steps taken create different career path possibilities. Duration, color, and particular path illuminated are some of the variables controlled by software programmed to direct the entire lighting array, with the possibility of a wide range of potential cause and effect scenarios. For example, all the LED elements glow a soft blue when no one is walking on the floor – the blue is diffused upwards through each of the cast glass elements and reflected in the polished surface of the brass plates. When a perimeter panel is triggered by someone walking on it, a line of lights glows brightly red for five seconds and then returns to the soft blue. When two perimeter panels are triggered at the same time, two pathways light up, glow for a short time, and return to ambient. Each time a given perimeter panel is stepped on, the lit pathway that results is different, embodying the metaphor that is at the heart of this sculpture.

Gar Waterman

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