Electrum (sculpture)

Electrum
Electrum during testing at Hunter's Point Naval Shipyard. Eric Orr sits within the electrode at top.
ArtistEric Orr and Greg Leyh
Year1998
Dimensions11.5 m (38 ft)
OwnerAlan Gibbs

Electrum or Electrum (for Len Lye) (Len Lye being a New Zealand artist), is a 1998 sculpture by Eric Orr and Greg Leyh built around the world's largest Tesla coil.[1] The coil stands 11.5 metres (37 feet) in height, operates at power levels up to 130,000 watts, and produces 3 million volts on its spherical top terminal.[2] The sculpture is currently installed in a private area at Gibbs Farm in Kaukapakapa in New Zealand, a sculpture park art collection of businessman Alan Gibbs.[3][4][5][6] The top, spherical electrode of the sculpture is large enough to hold a human.[7] The piece was the subject of a 2000 documentary, "Electrum: Science as Art" and the 2011 documentary Lightning Dreams, by Alberta Chu.[8][9]

References

  1. ↑ Pescovitz, David (28 August 2007). "Power Tripping". Make. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  2. ↑ Weed, William Speed (2 January 2004). "Tower of Power". Current Science. pp. 4–5.
  3. ↑ Szulakowska, Urszula (2011). Alchemy in Contemporary Art. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. pp. 62–. ISBN 9780754667360. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  4. ↑ Gurstelle, William (4 February 2009). Adventures from the Technology Underground: Catapults, Pulsejets, Rail Guns, Flamethrowers, Tesla Coils, Air Cannons, and the Garage Warriors Who Love Them. Crown Publishing Group. pp. 90–. ISBN 9780307510655. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  5. ↑ Chirichelli, Andrea (14 September 2012). L'ATLANTE DELLE MERAVIGLIE - luoghi che forse non avete mai visto (in Italian). Narcissus.me. pp. 162–. ISBN 9788867551798. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  6. ↑ Tarantola, Andrew (22 November 2011). "High-Energy Guru Is Building the World's Biggest Tesla Coils". Gizmodo.
  7. ↑ Seed, John (15 November 2011). "Eric Orr and Elizabeth Orr: Crazy Wisdom". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  8. ↑ International Documentary: The Newsletter of the International Documentary Association. International Documentary Association. 2001.
  9. ↑ Gilsdorf, Ethan (6 November 2012). "Electrifying! Tesla coil film brings powerful 'Lighting Dreams' to Museum of Science". Boston Globe. Retrieved 5 February 2015.