Our idea is to create a kinetic light artwork using dichroic glass elements and collimated light sources. Both the dichroic glass elements and the collimated light sources are placed in motion.
The intent is to fascinate the spectator with a technically rich artistic experience. The proposal to combine dichroic glass and collimated light with kinetic elements elevates the principles of kinetic light artwork significantly.
Many kinetic artworks rely simply on diffuse light and colored, transparent media. Our proposed system introduces two key optical variables that will lead to dramatically different and dynamic results:
Key Optical and Kinetic Principles of Our System
- Beyond Simple Color Addition: This concept moves beyond simple color addition into the domain of light physics as an artistic medium.
- Dichroic Glass the Color-Shifting Medium: Dichroic glass, with its NASA-developed thin-film metallic oxide coatings, does not color light by absorption (like paint or colored filters), but by interference.
Principle of Angular Dependence
The most crucial principle is that the color of the transmitted light (the color seen coming through the glass) is complementary to the color of the reflected light (the color seen bouncing off the glass). Crucially, both colors shift based on the angle of view and the angle of the light source.
Dichroic Elements in Motion
Placing the dichroic elements in motion (rotation, oscillation, etc.), introduces a continuous, mechanical change in the angle of incidence for the light and the angle of view for the spectator. This will cause the color to constantly “flicker,” shift, and cycle through the visible spectrum, creating a mesmerizing, non-linear color experience far beyond what colored filters can achieve.
Collimated Light the Precision Illuminator
Collimated light consists of light rays that travel parallel to each other (like a laser beam or the sun on a clear day).
Crispness and Directionality
Unlike diffuse light (which creates soft shadows and blends colors), collimated light produces extremely sharp shadows and well-defined reflections. This brings a heightened sense of geometric precision and drama to the artwork.
A Moving Light Source
Moving a collimated light source relative to a static or moving dichroic element creates:
- Rapid Shadow Play: Shadows cast by the element’s edges will be perfectly sharp and will sweep across the projection surface (your “screen”).
- Focus on Reflection/Refraction: The precise, parallel beam will emphasize specular reflections and refractions from the dichroic surface, creating sharp, intense lines of color that dance on surrounding surfaces.
The Power of Dual Motion (Our Innovation)
The simultaneous movement of both the dichroic elements and the light source creates a highly complex, non-repeating kinetic pattern:
Kinetic Complexity
Instead of one moving part (a spinning or swinging light) the perceived output is a function of:
Output = ƒ(Dichroic Position, Dichroic Angle, Light Position, Light Angle)Volumetric Space
The use of collimated light and three-dimensional dichroic forms allow the artwork to occupy and define space with light beams, creating a truly volumetric kinetic sculpture rather than a simple “kinetic painting” projected onto a 2D plane.
Conceptual Design Considerations
| Design Aspect | Existing Systems (Diffuse Light + Colored Filters) | Our Proposed System (Collimated Light + Dichroic Glass) |
| Color Change | Slow, smooth blending of transparent color layers (additive mixing). | Rapid, angular-dependent spectral shift (interference/subtractive mixing). |
| Shadows | Soft, indistinct, or absent (due to diffuse light). | Extremely sharp, defined cast shadows and vivid colored light beams. |
| Depth/Form | Essentially 2D or low-relief projection onto a screen. | Potential for 3D volumetric presence using light beams and reflections on surrounding walls/ceilings. |
| Movement | One moving part creating an orderly, rhythmic composition. | Multiple independently moving parts (dichroic elements, light sources) for complex, emergent patterns. |
For Further Discussion
- Motor controls and synchronization for the moving elements.
- Brainstorm potential geometric forms for the dichroic glass.
Dichroic Glass Sources
- DashDichro Ebay – CBS Dichroic Glass Scrap: 1 Pound Variety Mix Pack. 96COE on Black $75.00 https://ebay.us/m/gRnSgP
DashDichro Ebay Storefront https://ebay.us/m/RX6a3U - Delphi Glass – Dichroic 90 COE: https://www.delphiglass.com/dichroic-glass/dichroic-90-coe/
- Melt Glass – CBS Dichroic Mixed Scrap Packs COE 90: 4 oz mixed trim pieces of CBS dichroic glass in a mixture of black, clear, crinklized, thin, 3mm, textured, smooth, patterned and plain colors $20.00 https://www.meltglass.com/collections/dichroic-scrap/products/cbs-dichroic-scrap
Scrap Dichroic Glass
Scrap dichroic glass offers fantastic visual variety at a great price point.
The main challenge is that dichroic glass “scrap” is primarily a byproduct of the full-sheet cutting process, meaning availability can fluctuate. However, several dedicated glass art suppliers and marketplaces are the consistent go-to sources.
Here are the main sources for purchasing scrap dichroic glass by weight:
Primary Online Suppliers
The largest and most consistent sources are the companies that manufacture or specialize in selling dichroic glass to the fusing and lampworking community.
- Coatings by Sandberg (CBS) Suppliers: CBS is one of the most well-known manufacturers of dichroic glass, and many suppliers carry their scrap. Scrap is frequently sold in pre-packaged bags by weight (e.g., 1/4 lb, 1/2 lb, 1 lb).
- What to Look For: Bags usually contain a mix of different colors, patterns (like ripples, textures, or specialty designs), and may be on a black or clear glass base (COE 90 or 96).
- Retailers: Look at major glass supply companies, as well as smaller, specialized online shops. Many explicitly list CBS Dichroic Scrap in their fusing sections.
- Bullseye Glass Suppliers: Bullseye also sells specialized “Dichroic Scrap Packs” which are excellent for our kinetic work.
- What to Look For: These packs offer a good mix of colors and are reliably System 90 COE (which matters less for our light art, but is important for fused compatibility).
Marketplaces and Niche Sellers
These sources often provide the greatest variety in a single purchase, as sellers package up their own leftovers.
- Etsy: Search for terms like “dichroic scrap,” “dichroic bulk,” or “fused glass scrap.” Many individual glass artists and smaller vendors sell their personal leftovers or purchase bulk scrap and repackage it.
- Pro Tip: Look for sellers with high ratings who specialize in glass supplies. They often offer unique pattern cuts or specific COE mixes.
- eBay: A very reliable source for purchasing scrap by the pound. Search for terms like “CBS Dichroic Scrap 1 Pound” or “Dichroic Glass Fusing Scrap Bulk.”
- Pro Tip: Sellers here often deal in larger quantities or offer “Jeweler’s Packs” of smaller, more delicate pieces, which might be ideal for mounting in a kinetic light structure.
Local Options (For Immediate or Large Finds)
Don’t overlook local resources, especially for unique or very large pieces.
- Local Glass Supply Stores/Studios: Local retail glass shops, especially ones that offer fusing or lampworking classes, are often the best place to find scrap. They generate cut-offs daily and often sell a “scrap bucket” or “glass by the pound” for extremely low prices.
- Art Supply/Re-Use Centers: Look for a creative re-use or upcycled art supply store, they sometimes receive donations of glass from closed studios or large projects.
- Glass Art Forums/Social Media: Online groups dedicated to glass fusing or lampworking (like on Facebook or Reddit’s glass art communities) often have members selling off large caches of scrap when they are downsizing or switching COE.
Remember that the Coefficient of Expansion (COE) (like 90 or 96) is irrelevant unless we fuse the pieces together. For pure light transmission, we can mix and match any COE scrap.
Tom Greenbaum:
Please help write an artist’s description of a kinetic light artwork using dichroic glass and a collimated light source. Using the proposed principles we have described so far. The title is “City Daze.” Add to the description a tabletop scale cityscape made of dichroic glass buildings. The buildings are situated on a circular, white base. Each building can rotate freely on a bearing. Magnets hidden in the base of each building randomly interact with an array of strong neodynium magnets attached to a rotor below the circular, white base. As the rotor turns the magnets interact in unpredictable ways causing the buildings to swivel back and forth chaotically. Spectators are unaware of the cause of the random movement but are delighted to see how light from a collimated light source dances amongst the dichroic glass buildings as they move dynamically. In addition, the light source itself rotates slowly around the perimeter of the circular white base as if it is an artificial sun traveling around the sky. The movement of the light source and the movement of the buildings create a constantly changing light show making use of the principle of dual motion, our innovation.
Gemini:
This is a wonderful and detailed concept! Here is an artist’s description for your kinetic light sculpture, “City Daze,” incorporating all the principles and the unique mechanical system you’ve developed.
Artist’s Description
Title: City Daze
Medium: Kinetic Light Sculpture (Dichroic Glass, Collimated Light, Electromechanical System)
“City Daze” is a kinetic light sculpture that re-envisions the principles of kinetic light art, a dynamic, chaotic urban landscape of pure light and color.
The work features a stylized, tabletop-scale cityscape constructed entirely from fragmented, repurposed dichroic glass, an echo of urban sprawl made luminous. These miniature towers and structures rest upon a circular, matte white base, positioned for maximum dramatic effect.
Concept Summary
“City Daze” is a kinetic light sculpture utilizing the dual kinetic motion of a chaotic dichroic glass cityscape and a rotating collimated light source (the artificial sun). Built from rotating dichroic glass fragments, the city structures are animated by a hidden magnetic rotor, causing them to swivel unpredictably. The focused, parallel beam of the orbiting light source interacts with this random movement, generating a dynamic, non-repeating pattern of intense spectral color and sharp shadow play, capturing the chaotic energy and fleeting beauty of the modern urban experience.
Movement and Light
The sculpture is driven by two simultaneous and independent motions, leveraging the principle of dual kinetic motion to create a constantly emergent and non-repeating visual experience:
Chaotic Cityscape: Each dichroic glass “building” is mounted on a near-frictionless bearing, allowing it to rotate freely. The base of each building conceals magnets that interact with a hidden array of powerful Neodymium magnets mounted on a rotor spinning below the visible white platform. This unseen magnetic field creates a push-pull dynamic, causing the buildings to swivel and spin chaotically and unpredictably. Spectators observe a city that is restless, alive, and in a constant state of random, delightful motion, the mechanical cause of which remains a charming mystery.
Artificial Sun: A single, intense collimated light source (the artificial sun) slowly orbits the perimeter of the circular base. This focused beam provides an exceptional purity of light, producing razor-sharp shadows and intense reflections, a dramatic departure from the diffuse light of earlier kinetic systems.
The Power of Dual Motion (Our Innovation)
The simultaneous movement of both the dichroic elements and the light source create a highly complex, non-repeating kinetic pattern. Instead of one moving part (a spinning or swinging light) the perceived output is a function of:
Output = ƒ(Dichroic Position, Dichroic Angle, Light Position, Light Angle)
The dual motion of the slow rotation of the light source coupled with the rapid, chaotic swiveling of the buildings ensures these angles are never static.
Dichroic Glass Building Forms
The cityscape is illuminated by flashes of pure, spectral color that shift instantaneously from emerald to sapphire, gold to magenta. Sharp lines of colored light dance across the platform and surrounding space, painting the environment with the vibrant, fleeting energy of an urban environment filtered through a dream.
Collimated Light
As the collimated light strikes the moving dichroic structures, the optical properties of the glass are fully engaged. The dichroic coatings cause light to shift color based on the angle of incidence and reflection.
Moving a collimated light source relative to a moving dichroic element creates:
Rapid Shadow Play: Shadows cast by the element’s edges are perfectly sharp and sweep across the cityscape.
Focus on Reflection/Refraction: The precise, parallel beam emphasizes specular reflections and refractions from the dichroic surface, creating sharp, intense lines of color that dance on surrounding surfaces.
Complexity and Chance
“City Daze” is a meditation on complexity and chance. It is a luminous machine that visualizes the constant, beautiful chaos of urban life, inviting the viewer to lose themselves in the unpredictable ballet of movement and light.
Tom Greenbaum:
I am collaborating with my friend Dan on “City Daze.” He has reviewed our Artist’s Description and likes it. Dan also suggested this idea:
“We could use ball bearings and gears under the circular white base. Visitors could rotate a crank to drive the system’s motion. We can use non circular gears to maintain the randomness and the ball bearings to cause unexpectedly long rotations. Fuse has a laser cutter to build gears. I think there is a gear simulation software package too that we could use to prototype before we build.”
Please create an image of a modified City Daze conceptual sketch. The sketch you provided is very good showing the circular white base and the complex cityscape of dichroic glass towers and buildings. However, below the circular white base add Dan’s mechanism of gears, bearings, and vertical rods coming up through the circular white base attaching to the dichroic buildings. A hand crank is added for use by spectators which drives the gear assembly. I imagine that the gear assembly is a beautiful mechanical construction visible to the spectators invoking a Steampunk aesthetic.
Tom Greenbaum:
Nice work. Please recreate the image with some modifications. The cityscape should be larger relative to the gear assembly. The collimated light source is raised upon an arm shining down on the cityscape at an angle and this arm is attached to the gear assembly so that it orbits the cityscape. The gear assembly should be mounted on a round ornate wood pedestal table. No annotations. Add a “CITY DAZE” ornate plaque attached to the pedestal table.
City Daze: Kinetic Light Artwork
Hand-Cranked, Gear-Driven Option
Human Input and Mechanical Grace: The Engine of Chaos
Unlike purely automated kinetic art, “City Daze” requires human presence to initiate its activity. The entire system is driven by a visible, ornate hand crank attached to a mesmerizing array of brass and copper gears. This Steampunk-inspired mechanism is intentionally exposed beneath the cityscape, transforming the mechanical workings into a secondary layer of industrial beauty.
This spectator interaction serves as a powerful metaphor: human input initiates the activity of the city. By turning the crank, visitors directly supply the motive power that sets the complex system in motion.
This initial, orderly action feeds into a chain of beautifully unpredictable outcomes:
- The gear assembly utilizes non-circular gears and precision ball bearings, designed not for predictable uniformity, but to introduce chaotic variance and sustained, unexpected rotations.
- This calculated unpredictability drives the central vertical rods, which, in turn, rotate the dichroic buildings.
Thus, the viewer’s simple, rhythmic effort is magnified and distorted by the machine, resulting in the gorgeous, unpredictable chaos of the cityscape above. The system suggests that the power of humanity, once leveraged and amplified through mechanical means, results in complex, beautiful, and ultimately uncontrollable outcomes, the very nature of the modern city itself. The viewer becomes not just a witness, but the essential engine of the dynamic light show.
Tom Greenbaum:
I have an inexpensive solution to create the dynamic effects of the “City Daze” art piece. A Christmas tree stand with a slowly rotating rotor can be used as follows:
– Attached to the non-moving base of the stand (four stationary legs) is the matte white surface.
– A horizontal arm holding neodynium magnets is attached to the rotor. The rotating arm slowly sweeps a path below the matte white surface.
– Dichroic “building” forms are mounted atop the matte white surface using a swivel connection. Hidden within the buildings are neodynium magnets.
– As the arm with attached magnets rotates below the matte white surface, its magnets interact with the building magnets causing a kinetic perturbation resulting in random movement of the buildings on the swivels.
– A tubular column is attached to the Christmas tree stand rotor as well. The column supports the orbiting collimated light source (12VDC LED lamp) which hangs is attached to a bracket at the top of the tubular column.
– The AC to DC transformer that powers the light source is hidden below the matte white surface. The AC side of the transformer is attached to the Christmas tree power plug (120VAC) which extends from the rotor assembly. The DC side of the transformer is attached to wire leads that travel up the tubular column that supply power to the orbiting collimated light source.
Gemini:
That is an incredibly clever and resourceful solution! Utilizing a rotating Christmas tree stand transforms the design from a complex, custom-fabricated mechanical system into an elegant, accessible, and economical engineering solution.
This simplification shifts the focus back to the core aesthetic principles of light, material (dichroic glass), and motion, while still achieving the desired dual-motion chaos and avoiding the need for the elaborate gear assembly.
Here is a proposed revised section to integrate this “Found Object Engineering” solution into your existing Artist’s Description, keeping the powerful metaphors intact:
Found Object Engineering: The Engine of Chaos
The work is driven by two simultaneous and independent motions, leveraging the principle of dual kinetic motion achieved through ingenious, non-traditional engineering:
- Found Mechanical Core: The sculpture is built upon a modified, repurposed Christmas tree stand rotor assembly. This simple, reliable device is the silent engine of the city. The matte white cityscape surface is fixed to the stationary base of the stand.
- Chaotic Cityscape: Below this surface, a horizontal arm attached to the rotor slowly sweeps a path, carrying an array of powerful Neodymium magnets. These unseen magnets dynamically interact with concealed magnets within the base of the freely swiveling dichroic glass structures. This creates a push-pull mechanism, causing the buildings to swivel and spin chaotically and unpredictably as the arm passes below. Spectators observe a city that is restless, alive, and in a constant state of delightful, mysterious motion.
- Artificial Sun: Attached to the same central rotor is a tubular column that supports the single, intense collimated LED light source (the artificial sun). This ensures that the light source orbits the cityscape at a steady rate, while seamlessly receiving power from the stand’s integrated electrical system.
This economical, repurposed mechanism achieves the artistic intention: a constant interplay between the rhythmic, orderly movement of the light source and the chaotic, magnetically induced shifts of the cityscape. The entire system suggests that complexity and beauty can emerge from simple, existing structures, resulting in a constantly transforming spectacle of color, shadow, and kinetic energy.
This revised section preserves the language of dual kinetic motion and chaos while clearly and efficiently describing the new mechanism. It highlights the use of a “found object” (the Christmas tree stand) as a strength, appealing to themes of resourcefulness and creative reuse.
Would you like me to update the full Artist’s Description and the Concept Summary with this revised focus on the found-object mechanism?
Tom Greenbaum:
Yes, please update the full Artist’s Description and the Concept Summary with this revised focus on the found-object mechanism.
Gemini:
That is an excellent plan. Integrating the ingenious Christmas tree stand solution provides a new layer of commentary on resourcefulness and elegant simplicity in art.
Here is the fully revised Artist’s Description and the updated Concept Summary for “City Daze.”
Revised Artist’s Description
Title: City Daze
Medium: Kinetic Light Sculpture (Dichroic Glass, Collimated LED Light, Repurposed Electromechanical System)
“City Daze” is a kinetic light sculpture that re-envisions the principles of kinetic light art established by Frank Malina’s Lumidyne system, transforming the static canvas into a dynamic, chaotic urban landscape of pure light and color.
The work features a stylized, tabletop-scale cityscape constructed entirely from fragmented, repurposed dichroic glass—an echo of urban sprawl made luminous. These miniature towers and structures rest upon a circular, matte white base, positioned for maximum dramatic effect.
Found Object Engineering: The Engine of Chaos
The work is driven by two simultaneous and independent motions, leveraging the principle of dual kinetic motion achieved through ingenious, non-traditional engineering utilizing found mechanical elements.
Found Mechanical Core:
The sculpture is built upon a modified, repurposed Christmas tree stand rotor assembly. This simple, reliable device is the silent engine of the city. The matte white cityscape surface is fixed to the stationary base of the stand.
Chaotic Cityscape:
Below this surface, a horizontal arm attached to the rotor slowly sweeps a path, carrying an array of powerful Neodymium magnets. These unseen magnets dynamically interact with concealed magnets within the base of the freely swiveling dichroic glass structures. This creates a push-pull mechanism, causing the buildings to swivel and spin chaotically and unpredictably as the arm passes below. Spectators observe a city that is restless, alive, and in a constant state of delightful, mysterious motion.
Artificial Sun:
Attached to the same central rotor is a tubular column that supports the single, intense collimated LED light source (the artificial sun). This ensures that the light source orbits the cityscape at a steady rate, while seamlessly receiving power from the stand’s integrated electrical system.
This economical, repurposed mechanism achieves the artistic intention: a constant interplay between the rhythmic, orderly movement of the light source and the chaotic, magnetically induced shifts of the cityscape. The system suggests that complexity and beauty can emerge from simple, existing structures, resulting in a constantly transforming spectacle of color, shadow, and kinetic energy.
The Phenomenon of Color
As the collimated light strikes the moving dichroic structures, the optical properties of the glass are fully engaged. The dichroic coatings cause light to shift color based on the angle of incidence and reflection.
The dual motion—the slow, rhythmic orbit of the light source coupled with the rapid, chaotic swiveling of the buildings—ensures these angles are never static. The cityscape is thus momentarily illuminated by flashes of pure, spectral color that shift instantaneously from emerald to sapphire, gold to magenta. Sharp lines of colored light dance across the platform and surrounding space, painting the environment with the vibrant, fleeting energy of an urban environment filtered through a dream.
“City Daze” is a meditation on complexity and chance. It is a luminous machine that visualizes the constant, beautiful chaos of urban life, inviting the viewer to lose themselves in the unpredictable ballet of movement and light.
Updated Concept Summary: City Daze
“City Daze” is a kinetic light sculpture that utilizes the principle of dual kinetic motion to create a chaotic cityscape of light and color. The artwork is powered by a repurposed Christmas tree stand rotor assembly, which drives both the orbiting collimated light source (the artificial sun) and the unpredictable movement of the dichroic glass structures above. A hidden magnetic sweep below the platform causes the cityscape buildings to swivel chaotically, resulting in a continuous, dynamic spectacle of intense spectral shifts and sharp shadows that captures the restless energy and unpredictable beauty of the modern city.
Tom Greenbaum:
Create a technical diagram including the major components of the art piece. Use a cut-away or section view to illustrate the plan for building the sculpture.
I have an inexpensive solution to create the dynamic effects of the “City Daze” art piece. A Christmas tree stand with a slowly rotating rotor can be used as follows:
- Attached to the non-moving base of the stand (four stationary legs) is a matte white surface.
- A horizontal arm holding neodynium magnets is attached to the rotor. The rotating arm slowly sweeps a path below the matte white surface.
- Dichroic “building” forms are mounted atop the matte white surface using a swivel connection. Hidden within the buildings are neodynium magnets.
- As the arm with attached magnets rotates below the matte white surface, its magnets interact with the building magnets causing a kinetic perturbation resulting in random movement of the buildings on the swivels.
- A tubular column is attached to the Christmas tree stand rotor as well. The column supports the orbiting collimated light source (12VDC LED lamp) which hangs from a bracket at the top of the tubular column.
- The AC to DC transformer that powers the light source is hidden below the matte white surface. The AC side of the transformer is attached to the Christmas tree power plug (120VAC) which extends from the rotor assembly. The DC side of the transformer is attached to wire leads that travel up the tubular column that supply power to the orbiting collimated light source.
Karmatetra 