The artistic process of a Patera Kori Studios kinetic wood sculpture usually begins with a drawing and a wire model of the artist’s initial vision of the final work. The wood is carefully selected based on characteristics such as workability, grain pattern, color and size. As the wood starts to be worked and shaped into its sculptural form, the initial model evolves and changes as the artist intuitively “sees” the completed work.

A Patera Kori Studios sculpture must first achieve the artist’s vision and be complete and stand alone, as a work of art, in it’s static state. Without any movement, the sculpture must convey the elegance and graceful beauty intended by the artist. When this is achieved, then the other dimension of a Patera Kori Studios sculpture comes into play. The kinetic component introduces movements that communicate the ordered, balanced perfection of spirals in nature.

The kinetic arms are balanced on a small, stainless steel ball bearing. The ball bearing sits on a concave recess that is drilled into a steel insert. This balanced connection allows the kinetic arm to rotate almost effortlessly with a gentle manual turn. The kinetic arms are so precisely balanced that air movement alone will also allow the kinetic arms to rotate. For example, the sculptures can be positioned so that the air movement of an overhead ceiling fan or a small fan will be sufficient to start and maintain the spiral rotation.

The gentle simplicity and elegant form and motion of a Patera Kori Studios kinetic sculpture touches the quiet, balanced center of our souls. The graceful movements of the ballerina, the stable form of the sitting meditating monk, the perfect geometrically expanding spiral of the nautilus shell all influence the artistic vision of their kinetic wood sculptures.

The philosopher, Alfred North Whitehead said, “Art is the imposing of a pattern on experience and our aesthetic enjoyment is in recognition of that pattern.” The spiral pattern, as observed in nature, has been part of man’s experience and has been incorporated into human artistic development since the beginning of time. The spiral appears in nearly every society in the ancient world and continues to be extensively used today in Patera Kori Studios contemporary kinetic wood sculptures.

The table collection of Patera Kori Studios continues the firms vision to produce functional art that have a strong artistic and sculptural foundation.  The pedestal component of our table collection usually incorporates a spiral design.  Most often, the tables, are finished in varying degrees of Patera Kori Studios’ signature black and white color pattern.