Particle Matters is a kinetic light sculpture that uses thousands of points of reflected light to visualize subtle changes in the breeze. Built to withstand the typhoons that commonly occur on this volcanic island, the artwork displays life in both subtle and extreme conditions. A soft twinkling sound is made as the moving air disrupts the hanging stainless steel rods and balls, causing them to twist and sway in the breezes. As beautiful during the day as at night, long grass is gradually reaching upwards to meet the 20-foot strands of balls, moving together with them in the shifting air currents. Inspiration comes from white-tipped grasses that are traditionally planted over memorial sites on the island (shown at the bottom of the page).

Permanent, completed July 2018.

Dimensions: 100' x 100' x 30'

The thousands of weather-resistant balls float above the green tea fields of Jeju Island, about 50 miles from mainland Korea. A small rolling mountain provides a curving backdrop as viewers gaze through the array of floating balls. At night, the sculpture is lit with an array of low voltage halogen fixtures on stakes.