Point of Criticality
by Juanita Miller
Like a child's sand castle, seeds rain down
onto a mound that grows until it can't grow any more. A complex balancing
act keeps the mound stable until it reaches the "point of criticality"-the
point at which the system "fails," creating avalanches that change
the mound's shape. Scoop through the mound to make your own avalanches,
or watch the system rise and fall on its own. Each avalanche relieves pressure
on the pile, allowing it to begin growing again. Similar patterns of alternating
growth and failure show up in many complex systems, from the stock market
to people's emotional stability.
Dimensions:
9' x 12' x 9' Weight: 250 lbs.
Artist's Comments:
In making "Point Of Criticality"
I was interested in a number of things. I first became interested in looking
for a metaphor for the accumulative events in someone's life that might
lead to mental or physical breakdown - ie. a critical point. I also realized
that there were other systems in the world that were self-organizing and
unpredictable such as the stock market and political and social situations.
A large pile of sand or grain is a self-organizing
system in the way that particles fall and fit together, resting on top
of one another. If they are allowed to pile on to a space with no sides
they form as high as they can given their shape and weight. This is called
their 'angle of repose'. When the pile reaches a height that is no longer
sustainable it avalanches. But - and heres the really interesting thing
to me - the same amount of grain falling can cause a large avalanche or
a small one depending on the point of criticality of the pile.
This is the basic concept behind the piece
which visitors will perhaps understand in part. I think and hope that there
are other levels of enjoyment and interaction. The grain is wonderfully
tactile and people of all ages are able to play in it. Farmers may appreciate
the machinery and others the color and smell.
