Kinetic Rolling Ball Sculpture by Larry Lawrence  

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Ching Chang		Factory
As marbles flow down one chute, they might remind one of log flumes. As they flow down another, one hears the tinkling one might hear in a foundry. The third chute might suggest a ride around a mountain on a runaway mine car. 2006		“Factory” has settings to suit a variety of moods. A leisurely idle speed with only lights and chain running, a light workload day sending an occasional marble down a chute, on up to a frantic workload of a factory catching up with back orders. Moving the control lever to various positions mechanically alters both the number of trip actuators allowed to set as well as the number of times each set actuator is allowed to actually trip a marble. 2006

  

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MineEiffle		Sensuous Chicken
Flip-flop chutes send marbles alternately into three different chutes, each with its own unique path . Five tiny lights create interesting shadows as sculpture runs. Sixty six inches high. Chain hoists marbles back to top. 2003		Three pitman rods leisurely oscillate a yoke in an ever changing path. Occasionally that path connects with a feeler sending a marble randomly down one of three different chutes. 2004

 

Snatch Snail

Sort of a cross between a water wheel and an early attempt at automation, Snatch Snail tries and tries again to pick up a marble in its grasp arm and raise it into trip holder. Sometimes this happens quickly but more often one can wait for quite a while before that last marble is caught. 2004

 

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  Sculptures are inspired by old industrial sites with a little trolley park and Dr. Seuss thrown in. Marbles are hoisted to the top by a motorized chain where they are then sent down different types of chutes by a variety of trip random mechanisms. Sculptures make a sound like a gently flowing stream of water, some have chimes. Some have lights.