Chromatic Obliquity / Austin, Tx

Chromatic Obliquity was an invited submission by the Line Hotel Austin to design an artwork inspired by the Prague Astronomical Clock.

We derived a three-dimensional geometry from the ellipses of the Prague clock, representing the lunar cycle, the solar cycle, solar time and sidereal time. The four ellipses are rotated to align with the different axis points of each origin (23.5 degrees is described as the ecliptic plane of the earth). Joining these axis points created the basic wireframe of the sculpture. The art piece is composed of 264 triangular and quadrangular facets, arranged into a trussed structure. Each facet is unique both in its geometry and its attachment to other pieces, resulting in no repeating elements on the art piece. 

Since the tracing of light is the primary way humans understand time and its effects on the daily rhythms, we incorporated the color spectrum of light to create differentiation between the quadrants.