Wondering what these things are you’re looking at? They are mobiles, as in art, a type of sculpture based on balance and characterized by the ability to move when propelled by air currents, by touch, or by a small motor at any one time. The most striking feature of the mobile is that, unlike traditional sculpture, it achieves its artistic effect through movement; it is the most familiar form of kinetic art, which requires movement of some kind.
We are going to create a kinetic sculpture in the spirit of Calder’s mobiles. Following are some balance tips to begin creating a mobile.
Part A weighs the same as part B – Balance point is right in the middle:
Part A weighs more than part B – Balance point moves closer to part A, the heavier part:
The following illustration might look complex, but it’s really the exact same idea. All those lower parts count as just one part when it comes to the balance of the top part, it’s only about the balance between part A and part B:
And then it just goes on like that to the next level of the mobile:
The trick is that you build the mobile from bottom to top. Find the balance point between the bottom two elements. Then you add the next element on top of that and find the balance point between the new element and the first two elements and so on. Don’t weigh the parts or anything to make sure it balances. Just find the point by balancing it on your finger, or if you want to be exact, tie a string around it and move it back and forth until it balances.
Anything goes from here. Use whatever you want for weights or to connect the pieces. The possibilities are infinite.
Something else to consider:
There’s a balance point and a center of the mass (weight) of the object. If the center of mass of the object is above the balance point (meaning the majority of the weight is above the balance point), the object will fall over. If the center of mass of the object is below the balance point, it will balance. The farther below the balance point the center of mass is, the more stable is the balance. So by making the parts of a mobile curved downwards, you lower the center of mass, and therefore making it more stable and easier to balance.
You can attach the arms so they all point in the same direction, alternate them left and right, or arrange them in a random pattern. Do whatever you think looks good.
And just for fun, here’s Alexander Calder’s answer when he was asked how he gets that subtle balance in his work: “You put a disk here and then you put another disk that is a triangle at the other end and then you balance them on your finger and keep on adding. I don’t use rectangles––they stop. You can use them; I have at times but only when I want to block, to constipate movement.”
Different ways to join arms
Project Requirements:
- Your mobile should have at least 10 arms
- Your mobile should be balanced
- Your mobile should be able rotate and move with the wind
MS Art 