Burning oxygen and time

Candles have long been a means for gauging time.  As the candle burns down, a certain amount of time has passed-- and if the candle's creator is consistent, a melting candle can translate into minutes, hours.... days.  It's simply a matter of learning to read the height of a candle like the hands on a clock.  

Candle: H 6", W 6".
Metal frame: H 9", W 8".

Respire Lungs

This wire bust contains a set of paper lungs capable of inflating and deflating.  I've chosen to use a simple balloon outfitted with an air pump to achieve the audible inhale and exhale associated with breathing.  This stripped down portrayal of breath is intended to remind Respire's customers to take the time to breathe... to take note of our own unique rhythm which should not necessarily be dictated by time.

Wire bust: H 3', W 15".
Paper lung: H 7", W 7".

Respire Clock

Returning to my original inspiration for Respire, I've transformed Kai Lossgott's illustration "Breathing" into a wire wall installation.  Breath is clearly traced in wire through the nasal cavities and down through the lungs, where a clock is nestled in place of the heart-- keeping rhythm and creating order

Wire armature: H 3', W 3'.
Clock: Diameter 5".

Respire Thaumatrope

This is a twist on the victorian parlor trick known as a thaumatrope, which relies on persistence of vision to bring two images into one with spinning motion.  Here many thaumatropes are mounted together on rods, which spin with the wind-- or in this case:  with a powerful gust of controlled air.  The effect is a wall of images (lungs and ribcages) spinning when prompted by the passage of air.  When in motion, the thaumatropes look like lungs inside ribcages and when the thaumatropes are still... well I'm sure you've got it.  This spin will take place every minute, thereby marking the passage of time with an audible flutter and a visual blend connected to action and anatomy of breath.  

Wall installation: H 6',  W 10'.

Image cards: H 4", W 3 3/4"