Lloyd Konneker
November - December
United Arts Council
A Solabile is a solar-powered mobile ala Calder. Like mobiles, they move, but not only in air currents, also when the sun shines. The work honors the sculptor George Rickey, and Walter De Maria’s “Lightning Field” landscape art.
The different models work under different light conditions. All current models are indoor models. Some models can stand direct sunlight. Other models work under bright office lights or indirect sunlight in a bright room, but shouldn't be in direct sun. More information forthcoming as more models are introduced.
I make Solabiles in my basement. They are handmade from electronic parts, mostly from Digikey and Jameco. I use Fritzing to design and Fab my circuit boards. I think they are the smallest circuit boards every fabbed by the Fritzing Fab, only a few square centimeters.
Soon I will also publish a history of solar-powered mobiles as I understand it.