Storm King

Storm King
Don Redman

Storm King was a kinetic experiment. Redman’s wind totem was designed to make the invisible visible. When the wind pushes upon the airfoils, the object rotated. At a certain point, centrifugal force pushed the airfoils out from the axis of rotation, which reduced the speed. Working with the three natural laws of gravity, centrifugal force, and lift, the airfoils propelled the object in a counterclockwise rotation. Depending on the velocity of the dominant wind, one law overrode another, creating a harmony of movement. This movement harnessed the wind to produce electricity which powered LED flood lights to illuminate the object. It is important to note that viewers know this piece was located on top of a coal-reclamation site.