Kinetic Sound Sculpture
The work is comprised of a 4 x 4 gird of 16 “drinking bird” toys. This toy is an example of a thermodynamic heat engine, converting heat energy into kinetic energy. The blue fluid inside the toy is methylene chloride, a chemical with a very low boiling point. When the head of the toy bird is saturated with water, the playback cycle begins. As the water evaporates, the head cools and the methylene chloride vapors inside it condense. This creates a pressure differential between the head and the body which forces fluid up through the body into the head. Once enough fluid has passed into the head, the center of gravity shifts and the toy tilts, taking up more water from the glass and allowing the internal fluid to flow back down into the body. The cycle then repeats.
   Kinetic Sound Sculpture
Read more on Kinetic Sound Sculpture website
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