Access a slow-looking exercise related to this work.

Transcript
Marilee Talkington: This work by Gego, titled "Sphere," from 1959, is a spherical structure made of various semicircular panels affixed together, each composed of linear rods made of painted brass and steel. The metal lines of the work crisscross over one another to create an optical effect of motion as the viewer’s position changes in space.

At its core, the structure stands on the tips of three straight tilted legs that twist around one another. The legs are connected in the middle but somewhat camouflaged by the mass of rods radiating out from the sphere’s core. The connection of each of these elements creates the appearance of a balancing sphere.

Off of each leg are panels that are made up of a set of straight, thin, parallel rectangular rods, sticking out from the leg perpendicularly. The rods themselves are relatively uniform. They are flat rectangles placed parallel, with a bit of space in between, like the teeth of a comb. The space between each rod varies slightly, giving the illusion that the lines oscillate. The overall effect is an engineering marvel of precarious balance and voluminous shape with very little mass.

The arches of these semicircular panels are made from various length rods that fan out like a book open at an acute angle on its spine. The rounded edges created by the different lengths of rods of the semicircle panels are jagged and uneven, but culminate with intention and careful calculation to not disrupt the illusion of the sphere. The individual rods, however, are difficult to see depending on the viewer’s angle due to the cacophony of rods.

New shapes emerge from the overlapping and crisscrossing rods as the viewers position changes in space.

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