Friday, January 25, 2013

Mobius Strip Sculpture

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

Many different ideas come together to form a single idea for a work of art. That is the case with Möbius Mouth. I bought this particular piece of creme Rattlesnake Limestone from another Texas carver that I know. This stone is named after the shape of the fossil shells embedded in the limestone - they resemble the rattle on the tail of that well-known snake. When I have a busy patterned stone, I want to carve a simple shape to show off the personality of the stone. Mathematics, in one form or another, never seems to be far from my mind, so I decided to sculpt a Möbius Strip in the shape of an open mouth as part of my Lips Series.

”Möbius Mouth” by Kelly Borsheim

Take a long strip of paper or a ribbon, such as 1” wide by 10” long. As you pick up one end, give it a half twist before attaching it to the other end to form a ring. You will now have a Möbius Strip, which means that you may "travel" from one side of the ring to the other without crossing an edge. [Take your pencil and mark a point on the flat surface of the paper; anywhere, just not on the edge, but in the center makes for a better demonstration. Draw a line with your pencil in one direction along the length of the surface. Keep on until you reach your starting point. You will discover that your pencil has traveled on “both” sides of the paper without breaking your line! THAT is the genius of the half twist.]

Named for German mathematician and astronomer August Ferdinand Möbius (1790-1868), a Möbius Strip only has one side and one edge. I understand that engineers have used a Möbius Strip in the belt of a car engine, for example. The twist allows the belt to wear out evenly and have a longer, more effective life.

My 2-part stone sculpture Möbius Mouth is part of my "Lips Series." The mouth has a heart shape in the negative space inside the lips. He is carved from a Rattlesnake Limestone from Texas, named after the shape of the shell fossils in the stone. The triangular base enhances the idea of the mathematics of the Möbius lips and is carved from Henna Limestone from Canada. This rich brick red colored stone is saturated with golden fossil patterns in which I find I can lose myself for hours while staring at them. I hope you enjoy this original artwork. He is absolutely one of a kind!

Limestone sculpture may be displayed indoors or out. The top piece rests on a stainless steel pin (so no rust) that is permanently mounted into the red stone base. This also allows you to turn the top stone for a different view each day, if you like. Both stones have been sealed for protection from finger oils and the environment, so please – touch and enjoy!

The price of this sculpture is not listed below. While prices of my available works are posted on my Web site pricelist, in this case, I wanted to encourage you to take a look at my anniversary celebration that is happening now. If you add this or many other sculptures to your art collection (or start one!), check out how much more art you may acquire…thank you for reading and for your art appreciation.

"Möbius Mouth"

Rattlesnake Limestone (Texas)
with Henna Limestone (Canada)
one-of-a-kind
17" h x 22" w x 8.5" d
by Kelly Borsheim


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