Life of Tree

Life of Tree is a kinetic sculpture that simulates a tree’s reflection in water – a metaphor for how all scientific theories are only a reflection of the underlying reality. The branch structure of the tree is 3D printed out of plastic, with 190 unique hollow pieces. The tree was roughly modeled after a pinion pine tree, from the Utah mountains area. The tree leaves are made out of perforated aluminum metal sheets, bent along triangular patterns. The entire motion of the tree is driven by 1 servo-motor hidden near the very bottom (or top!) of the tree. There are 24 horizontal slices of the tree, each slice is connected to the next by a spring. The tree is entirely powered by solar panels on the roof of the building.

View more from the Utah Public Art Program here: https://artsandmuseums.utah.gov/public-art-collection/