Diminishing

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© Estate of William Wainwright. Photo by Mark DiOrio.
Diminishing
© Estate of William Wainwright. Photo by Mark DiOrio.
Artist/Maker (American, 1924 – 2012)
Date1994
MediumMetal disc surfaced with a pattern of diffraction grating
DimensionsDiameter: 8 1/2 in. (21.6 cm)
Credit LineTranferred from the Hamilton College Collection
Object number2025.9.18
Not on view
DescriptionFrom the portfolio forward: "William Wainwright was born in Indianapolis in 1924; he studied engineering at Purdue University and architecture at Cornell, the Institute of Design, Chicago, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His art follows from this background by combining his interest in high-tech aluminum and diffraction grating and the lighter materials of slender reeds, bamboo, and gossa­mer metallic fabric. Most of his work is kinetic. Wainwright's contribution to this folio is a disc surfaced with a pattern of diffraction grating that separates white light into its component rainbow colors. The configuration of color may seem to expand outward from the center point or whirlpool back into the core, depending on the direction of rotation. There is a small hole in the metal at the spinning point which may be pierced to mount the disk on a wall."
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Additional Details

Signature Verso, upper center (black marker): "Wainwright"
Inscribed Verso, upper center (black marker): "'94 / Diminishing [S] / 18/50"
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