Free Ride Home
A look at the sculpture by Kenneth Snelson
Presentation by Liza Pennington, Brenda Aguliar, Sydney
Gabay, and Alexa Fuerst
Kenneth Snelson
• Born in 1927 in
Pendleton, Oregon (86
years old)
• Studied at the
University of Oregon in
Eugene, as well as at
Black Mountain
College, and in Paris,
with Fernand Léger.
Snelson’s work is what he likes to call floating
compression. The formal name for his style of work is
called tensegrity, which combines the words tension and
structural integrity.
Below: Rainbow Arch, 2001
While Snelson was studying Black Mountain College, he took a class
taught by a professor named Buckminster Fuller. The class was
originally an architecture class, but it covered a wide range of topics,
including art and math. Of these topics, Snelson’s favorite was
Energetic Geometry, and this was the topic that really started the
spark that would later on become his floating compression sculptures.
Snelson says he thought the topic was, “fresh, a bit mystical, and
fascinating,” (http://kennethsnelson.net/faq/) which reflects the way
his work looks today, as his kind of art is unique and something not
seen very often. You can definitely see many aspects of geometry in
his sculptures, as well as contemporary art that to this day continues
to fascinate viewers and evoke mystery.
Slides completed by Sydney Gabay
Kenneth Snelson, the artist of many famous sculptures,
including Free Ride Home, constantly used the same
materials for all of his sculptures. In his piece, Free Ride
Home, he seemed interested in creating triangles. To
create these, he used only metal poles and wires. He
purposely positioned each part into vast triangles, and
even the bases create a triangle. Overall, Snelson is
interested in exploring different shapes made only of
metal with pipes and wires.
Slide by Alexa Fuerst
Photograph by Alexa Fuerst
“Free Ride Home” is elevated on a huge grassy area full of bumpy
terrain, making it easy to see from a distance. Although Stormking is
full of artwork, this piece has few neighboring sculptures. Standing
alone in a somewhat hidden opening, the viewer is drawn in to the
magic of this piece. Having few distractions nearby enforces the
importance of this sculpture, and the empty field urges the viewer to
observe it from all different angles. Up close, the triangular patterns
formed by the rods may almost seem repetitive, but the benefit of its
spacious location is the strong urge to take a step back. Therefore,
after walking up a small hill and looking downwards, the sculpture
looks refreshingly complete and helps the viewer get a perspective of
its entirety. To further emphasize its significance, the sun beams on
“Free Ride Home,” making it shine and producing a captivating
shadow. While other works lie on a patio or on shaded parts of the
property, this sculpture soaks up the sun and sits directly under its
rays, almost proving that it deserves to be there. The terrain, solitude,
shine, and countless views of this sculpture all contribute to the
massive impact that its landscape and location have on the viewing
experience.
Slide by Liza Pennington
Photos by Liza Pennington
The first thing that I realized when I saw this sculpture was
that Snelson connects a detail of the sculpture with a word from
his title, free. When I looked at this sculpture, I noticed that all
the wires and silver poles created open shapes. The sculpture
is open so that you are free to come in and even sit below it
whenever you want. Snelson is very interested with this
concept of making sculptures open, and you can tell because
he has made many more just like Free Ride Home. As a result
of Kenneth's creativity he is very successful and won many
awards for his amazing sculptures.
Slide by Brenda Agulair