Run, 2017

Simon Donovan & Ben Olmstead

American
Stainless Steel and LEDs

Run showcases five sequential depictions of a female athlete running, inspired by images of Texas Tech track athletes. It is as if each pose is captured by freeze-frame or stop-motion animation. To create the illusion of movement, each figure is created out of dozens of laser-cut vertical slices of stainless steel, with each layer held apart by pegs. This special construction creates an effect of an ever-shifting nature as you move around the piece, changing from a topographical view to figures almost disappearing from varying angles. Steel rod connectors between figures appear as free-floating lines exiting the back of each figure, instilling a sense of motion with a cartoonish flair.