This is one of the most unusual rolling ball sculptures I've built. The birdcage itself survived Hurricane Katrina and was one of the few possessions the family was able to salvage from their New Orleans home after the floodwaters receded. They asked me to create a rolling ball sculpture that would fit inside the cage so they could continue to enjoy it while preserving what it represented to their family.

The sculpture had to be designed specifically around the existing birdcage. I built it so the entire mechanism could be inserted through the bottom and secured to the top of the cage. Space was extremely limited, so a speed-controlled chain lift feeds a single track winding through the interior.

Along that path are two of my “balls on track” elements, a tipping arm, and plenty of tight, twisting track. At a low lift speed, the birdcage remains nearly motionless. Turn up the speed, however, and the movement of the 1-1/2" miniature billiard balls through the curves actually causes the entire cage to slowly rotate. That unexpected movement became part of the sculpture itself.

More than most commissions, this piece was about building something new around an object that already had a history. The finished kinetic sculpture preserved an important family keepsake while giving it an entirely new life.

Handmade in my California studio from 100% stainless steel and TIG welded.