Collage

Collage

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Rainbow in the Making - A presentation by Michael Jones McKean


The Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts presented Michael Jones McKean’s The Rainbow: Certain Principles of Light and Shapes Between Form. The project creates a simple, but phenomenal visual event — a rainbow in the sky in downtown Omaha. The public artwork produced  temporary rainbows above the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts using the most elemental materials: sunlight and rainwater. Throughout the project cycle, collected and recaptured storm water was filtered and stored in six above-ground, 10,500 gallon water tanks. Within the gallery, a custom designed 60-horsepower pump supplied pressurized water to nine nozzles mounted to the 20,000 square foot roof of the Bemis Center. At timed intervals, in the morning and early evening, a dense water-wall was projected above the building emerging a rainbow. Based on atmospheric conditions, vantage point, available sunlight and the changing angle of the sun in the sky, each rainbow had a singular character and quality depending on the position of the sun.
 
View the Omaha rainbow by McKean at http://youtu.be/FGJs0pZ00vQ