I can almost hear the theme of "Twilight Zone" now...
One night as I was jogging along the flats - just a little after sunset - I was suddenly confronted with a large coil-like object beckoning me in the distance.
Ah, had some space aliens landed, or what?
I drew closer, ever so cautious, staring at the glowing object with fascination.
Ah, they left a note on a plaque below its ominous reach. In a familiar human script, the object was identified as a sculpture by artist, Dan Carson.
No little green men; ah shucks!
But as I stood underneath, and gazed skyward, I was sure it was actually a vortex.
I just knew that at any moment - I might be swept up - transported off to Kansas with my little dog, too. Who knows! After all, this was West Hollywood - wasn't it - land of the rainbow and Dorothy lovers?
Suddenly, I was shaken by a loud, eerie blast to my right.
"They've landed," my inner voice shouted out from the innermost recesses of my soul.
As I turned, a speeding motorist barked out,
"Get out of the street, buddy."
Ah, jolted back to reality.
I stepped back up on the curb and proceeded to inspect the work more closely.
"Empyrean Passage" was inspired by mathematical formulas that the artist has translated into 3-dimensional forms and is reminiscent of a theoretical black hole.
The artist chose the word "Empyrean" because it is the final, fiery level of heaven as depicted by Dante.
The sculpture, utilizes "green" electroluminescent light, measures twenty feet tall, and consists of a series of metal hoops of various sizes. At night, the rings glow to create a floating form inspired by a black hole's absence of light.
The intriguing sculpture which delights passers-by was crafted out of aluminum, paint, vinyl, and electroluminescent tape.
Although the air was calm on the night when I happened across it, the entire sculpture swings in the event a gust of wind whispers by, with the assistance of a trio of suspension poles and invisible wires strategically placed.
"Empyrean Passage" will light up the dark night sky each evening - at the intersection of Santa Monica Boulevard and Doheny Drive - through May 15, 2008, and is part of the City's "Art on the Outside" program.
The mission of "Art on the Outside" is to nurture the arts and cultural life of West Hollywood - and at the same time - inject some vitality through the installation of dynamic temporary art installations on medians throughout the postage-sized city.
The artist is known for his innovative environmental pieces which facilitate the artful use of space, light and sound. His temporary and permanent light-based artworks employ a range of media from the primal (sun and fire) to the high-tech (neon, lasers, LEDs, and fiber optics).
A handful of his large-scale public artworks range from installations in rail stations, to placements in heavily-trafficked intersections, and the solemn confines of inner meditation sanctums.
Carson's work has been received well in Washington, California, Oregon, Maine, Nevada and Hawaii, and garnered acclaim by virtue of commissions he has nabbed both nationally and abroad.
