In 1902 Alexander Gram Bell figured out a way to craft a large-scale flying machine that was light enough for air travel. His invention, the tetrahedral kite, never became a form of air travel, but it did inspire Heather and Ivan Morrison to create their magnificent kite sculpture: Little Shining Man. In collaboration with London architectural designer Sash Reading and the Queen and Crawford fabrication design studio, the Morrison’s were able to create a huge, multi-faceted kite made of over 23,000 individual components, including carbon fiber rods, 3-D printed joints, and a composite fabric used on racing yahts.
Courtesy of Heather and Ivan Morrison
The Morrison’s were also influence by the mineral Pyrite, using it as a blueprint of cubic formations to base the structure of their kite off of. Little Shining Man is a combination of three large tetrahedral-type cubes connected together; made by hand, over the course of 16 months. The sculpture resides in Dandara’s new Castle Quay development in St. Helier, Jersey, except when it is removed once a year to be flown and shown off at St. Austin’s Bay.
Courtesy of Heather and Ivan Morrison
Little Shining Man is dense looking, but deceptively light weight for steady flight movement and so it can be easily grounded and put back in its display. I encourage you to check out the kite for yourself at the Castle Quay, but if you can’t make the drive, then I recommend checking it out on any of these sites: The Jailbreak, Dezeen, The Architectural Review, Youtube, Vimeo, Inhabitat, or Wired.co.uk.
