claire falkenstein. point as a set no. 25.

WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CLAIRE FALKENSTEIN'S PROCESS? ACCESS MORE IN-DEPTH RESOURCES HERE.

WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CLAIRE FALKENSTEIN'S PROCESS? ACCESS MORE IN-DEPTH RESOURCES HERE.

• ARTIST.

  Claire Falkenstein
  (American, b. 1908–d. 1997)

• TITLE.

  Point as a Set No. 25

• Date.

  1970

• MATERIALS.

  Bronze

• DIMENSIONS.

  74 x 74 x 74 in. (188 x 188 x 188 cm)

• Map.

  Franklin D. Murphy Sculpture Garden at UCLA

mathematics in sculpture.

As you walk towards the entrance to the sculpture garden, look for a gigantic metal ball, resembling a thorny tumbleweed, peeking over the bushes. The sculpture, titled Point as a Set No. 25, is made of copper tubes. Over time, being exposed to weather conditions, the copper has become tarnished; it no longer has a slick surface and glossy orange hue typical of the material. Now, like a tumbleweed, the semi-smooth surface is dull dark brown. 

Point as a Set No. 25 is part of a series comprising 41 sculptures ranging in size. The artist Claire Falkenstein developed the series over 25 years to understand mathematics and spatial concepts related to Einstein’s revelations in physics. Stacked on top of each other, almost woven together, the tubes create the overall circumference of the sculpture. The sculpture resembles a giant metal ball similar to two refrigerators standing side by side, just over 6 feet tall and 6 feet in diameter.

BEYOND THE VISUAL.

To explore the artwork, walk around the metal sphere; it does not have a front or back. The sculpture is meant to be seen from any position. Tracing a path around the sculpture gives you a strong sense of the size and how the artist uses space to suggest fluidity and movement.

Gently move your hand around the sculpture to explore texture. Feel the semi-smoothness of the copper tubes and let your hand move to the center of the ball—it’s not solid and hollow. The edges of each tube are sharp and pointy compared to the smooth roundness of the middle of the tubes. Each tube is pinched off at the end to create the thorny feel and look of a tumbleweed.

Move your hands in multiple directions on top and inside the sculpture, and notice the negative space between the copper tubes.

SPARK A CONVERSATION.

• How do you think the artist compiled the work to create a ball?

• Do these areas seem to be consistent and intentional?

• Or do they seem random and haphazard?

• How many copper tubes do you think are used in this work?