Aerial Sculpture

Site-specific, suspended kinetic sculpture for atrium or interior spaces created from silk and wire. Inspired by trees
or leaf shapes, these installations offer a colorful yet calm effect for corporate, healthcare, and public settings.

Tree Mobiles Installation

Castle Rock Health Campus Emergency Reception Before Art Mobile Installation

Tree Mobiles Installation

An image of "Winter" silk leaves during creation of "Tree Mobiles in Four Seasons"

Tree Mobiles Installation

Aluminum frame parts during fabrication of the mobiles at Michael Gutzwiller's studio.

Tree Mobiles Installation

The reception area the day of installation . . .

Tree Mobiles Installation

. . . assembling the mobile components during installation . . .

Tree Mobiles Installation

Tree Mobiles in Four Seasons | 2011

Flowering Almond Tree Mobiles | 2012

Another collaborative work with metal sculptor Michael Gutzwiller. An aluminum frame of stylized branches is the base structure for over 3200 silk flowers per mobile. The three globe-shaped sculptures are segmented into five moving layers and suspended in the cancer center's central infusion bay area.

Jan R. Carson | Almond Tree Mobiles | 2012 Photo courtesy of Keith Sutter Photography Jan R. Carson | Almond Tree Mobiles | 2012 Photo courtesy of Keith Sutter Photography Jan R. Carson | Almond Tree Mobiles | 2012 Photo courtesy of Keith Sutter Photography Jan R. Carson | Almond Tree Mobiles | 2012 Photo courtesy of Keith Sutter Photography Jan R Carson | Almond Tree Mobiles | 2012 Photo courtesy of Art Consulting Services Jan R. Carson | Almond Tree Mobiles | 2012 Photo courtesy of Keith Sutter Photography

"Flowering Almond Mobiles" slideshow: fabrication to installation

Faceted Pendants | 2012

This mobile grouping consists of eleven segmented pendants with a total of 7000 diamond-shaped leaves. Inspired by tree branches, the artwork also suggests crystalline structures such as gemstones or snowflakes. The color gradation from greens to blues is both a reference to the landscape and a depiction of movement through time and condition. The central steel frame was fabricated by Gutzwiller Studios.

Faceted Pendants | 2012 Steel, Stainless Steel Wire, Hand Dyed & Lightly-Starched Silk | Eleven Mobiles, 6'H x 2'W x 2'D and 4'H x 2'W x 2'D | Kaiser Permanente Medical Offices - Loveland, Colorado Faceted Pendants | 2012 Steel, Stainless Steel Wire, Hand Dyed & Lightly-Starched Silk | Eleven Mobiles, 6'H x 2'W x 2'D and 4'H x 2'W x 2'D | Kaiser Permanente Medical Offices - Loveland, Colorado Faceted Pendants | 2012 Steel, Stainless Steel Wire, Hand Dyed & Lightly-Starched Silk | Eleven Mobiles, 6'H x 2'W x 2'D and 4'H x 2'W x 2'D | Kaiser Permanente Medical Offices - Loveland, Colorado Faceted Pendants | 2012 Steel, Stainless Steel Wire, Hand Dyed & Lightly-Starched Silk | Eleven Mobiles, 6'H x 2'W x 2'D and 4'H x 2'W x 2'D | Kaiser Permanente Medical Offices - Loveland, Colorado Faceted Pendants | 2012 Steel, Stainless Steel Wire, Hand Dyed & Lightly-Starched Silk | Eleven Mobiles, 6'H x 2'W x 2'D and 4'H x 2'W x 2'D | Kaiser Permanente Medical Offices - Loveland, Colorado Faceted Pendants | 2012 Steel, Stainless Steel Wire, Hand Dyed & Lightly-Starched Silk | Eleven Mobiles, 6'H x 2'W x 2'D and 4'H x 2'W x 2'D | Kaiser Permanente Medical Offices - Loveland, Colorado

"Faceted Pendants" slideshow: fabrication to installation

Tree Mobiles in Four Seasons | 2011

These four mobiles rendered in the colors of the seasons were a collaborative work with metal sculptor Michael Gutzwiller. His aluminum frame of stylized branches is the base structure for each mobile’s 3600 silk leaves. Segmented into five layers, the mobiles move in grand circular motions and add a calm distraction in this hospital reception area.

Tree Mobiles in Four Seasons | 2011 Aluminum, Steel, Hand Dyed & Lightly Starched Silk | Four mobiles, each 8’H x 7.5’W x 7.5’D | Castle Rock Adventist Health Campus - Castle Rock, Colorado Tree Mobiles in Four Seasons | 2011 "Spring" . . .  Aluminum, Steel, Hand Dyed & Lightly Starched Silk | Four mobiles, each 8’H x 7.5’W x 7.5’D | Castle Rock Adventist Health Campus - Castle Rock, Colorado Tree Mobiles in Four Seasons | 2011 "Spring" from below . . .  Aluminum, Steel, Hand Dyed & Lightly Starched Silk | Four mobiles, each 8’H x 7.5’W x 7.5’D | Castle Rock Adventist Health Campus - Castle Rock, Colorado Tree Mobiles in Four Seasons | 2011 "Winter" . . .  Aluminum, Steel, Hand Dyed & Lightly Starched Silk | Four mobiles, each 8’H x 7.5’W x 7.5’D | Castle Rock Adventist Health Campus - Castle Rock, Colorado Tree Mobiles in Four Seasons | 2011 "Winter" from below . . .  Aluminum, Steel, Hand Dyed & Lightly Starched Silk | Four mobiles, each 8’H x 7.5’W x 7.5’D | Castle Rock Adventist Health Campus - Castle Rock, Colorado Tree Mobiles in Four Seasons | 2011 Aluminum, Steel, Hand Dyed & Lightly Starched Silk | Four mobiles, each 8’H x 7.5’W x 7.5’D | Castle Rock Adventist Health Campus - Castle Rock, Colorado Tree Mobiles in Four Seasons | 2011 "Autumn" from below . . .  Aluminum, Steel, Hand Dyed & Lightly Starched Silk | Four mobiles, each 8’H x 7.5’W x 7.5’D | Castle Rock Adventist Health Campus - Castle Rock, Colorado Tree Mobiles in Four Seasons | 2011 Aluminum, Steel, Hand Dyed & Lightly Starched Silk | Four mobiles, each 8’H x 7.5’W x 7.5’D | Castle Rock Adventist Health Campus - Castle Rock, Colorado Tree Mobiles in Four Seasons | 2011 Aluminum, Steel, Hand Dyed & Lightly Starched Silk | Four mobiles, each 8’H x 7.5’W x 7.5’D | Castle Rock Adventist Health Campus - Castle Rock, Colorado

"Tree Mobiles" slideshow: fabrication to installation

Confetti Vines | 2010

Ten mobile pendants in varying lengths and compositions make up this installation. With over 2800 leaves in brilliant colors, a delicate balance of density and vivacity is achieved. From the second story, the mobiles complement the view of the tree-lined landscape beyond the atrium windows.

Confetti Vines | 2010 Stainless Steel Wire, Hand Dyed & Lightly Starched Silk | 12’H x 15’W x 10’D | FirstBank Data Corporation Offices - Lakewood, Colorado Confetti Vines | 2010 Stainless Steel Wire, Hand Dyed & Lightly Starched Silk | 12’H x 15’W x 10’D | FirstBank Data Corporation Offices - Lakewood, Colorado Confetti Vines | 2010 Stainless Steel Wire, Hand Dyed & Lightly Starched Silk | 12’H x 15’W x 10’D | FirstBank Data Corporation Offices - Lakewood, Colorado Confetti Vines | 2010 Stainless Steel Wire, Hand Dyed & Lightly Starched Silk | 12’H x 15’W x 10’D | FirstBank Data Corporation Offices - Lakewood, Colorado Confetti Vines | 2010 Confetti Vines | 2010 Stainless Steel Wire, Hand Dyed & Lightly Starched Silk | 12’H x 15’W x 10’D | FirstBank Data Corporation Offices - Lakewood, Colorado

Aspen Chandelier | 2008

The branches of this mobile were cast in resin from an actual aspen tree. The leaves are cut from hand dyed silk satin, and each extends from a tiny brass spring. The effect of this elaborate construction technique creates a movement strikingly similar to the “quaking aspens” for which Colorado is known.

Aspen Chandelier | 2008 Cast Resin, Hand Dyed Cotton-Backed Silk Satin, Brass Springs | 32”H x 48”W x 48”D | T. Rowe Price Office Center - Colorado Springs, Colorado Aspen Chandelier | 2008 Cast Resin, Hand Dyed Cotton-Backed Silk Satin, Brass Springs | 32”H x 48”W x 48”D | T. Rowe Price Office Center - Colorado Springs, Colorado Aspen Chandelier | 2008 Cast Resin, Hand Dyed Cotton-Backed Silk Satin, Brass Springs | 32”H x 48”W x 48”D | T. Rowe Price Office Center - Colorado Springs, Colorado Aspen Chandelier | 2008 Cast Resin, Hand Dyed Cotton-Backed Silk Satin, Brass Springs | 32”H x 48”W x 48”D | T. Rowe Price Office Center - Colorado Springs, Colorado

Growth & Blooming | 2008

This artwork consists of eight mobiles, each stemming from an arcing line of leaves into a cluster of fullness at the top. In this setting, multiple vantage points allow the collection of mobiles to appear as separate, isolated fragments, or as a unified, symmetrical whole.

Growth & Blooming | 2008 Growth & Blooming | 2008 Stainless Steel Wire, Hand Dyed & Lightly Starched Silk | 10’H x 10’W x 10’D | Kaiser Permanente Regional Headquarters – Denver, Colorado Growth & Blooming | 2008 Stainless Steel Wire, Hand Dyed & Lightly Starched Silk | 10’H x 10’W x 10’D | Kaiser Permanente Regional Headquarters – Denver, Colorado Growth & Blooming | 2008 Stainless Steel Wire, Hand Dyed & Lightly Starched Silk | 10’H x 10’W x 10’D | Kaiser Permanente Regional Headquarters – Denver, Colorado Growth & Blooming | 2008 Stainless Steel Wire, Hand Dyed & Lightly Starched Silk | 10’H x 10’W x 10’D | Kaiser Permanente Regional Headquarters – Denver, Colorado Growth & Blooming | 2008 Stainless Steel Wire, Hand Dyed & Lightly Starched Silk | 10’H x 10’W x 10’D | Kaiser Permanente Regional Headquarters – Denver, Colorado Growth & Blooming | 2008 Stainless Steel Wire, Hand Dyed & Lightly Starched Silk | 10’H x 10’W x 10’D | Kaiser Permanente Regional Headquarters – Denver, Colorado Growth & Blooming | 2008 Stainless Steel Wire, Hand Dyed & Lightly Starched Silk | 10’H x 10’W x 10’D | Kaiser Permanente Regional Headquarters – Denver, Colorado Growth & Blooming | 2008 Stainless Steel Wire, Hand Dyed & Lightly Starched Silk | 10’H x 10’W x 10’D | Kaiser Permanente Regional Headquarters – Denver, Colorado

Brightly-Colored Ash | 2007

The most prominent feature of this installation is its vivid transition from summer to autumn colors. Twenty-two ball-shaped forms comprise this artwork. Suspended over the main entrance airlock (and also viewable head-on via a balcony), the twirling clusters of leaves further animate the liveliness of the building’s entrance/exit point.

Brightly-Colored Ash | 2007 Stainless Steel Wire, Hand Dyed & Lightly Starched Silk | 9’H x 10’W x 7’D | Eldorado II Offices – Broomfield, Colorado Brightly-Colored Ash | 2007 Stainless Steel Wire, Hand Dyed & Lightly Starched Silk | 9’H x 10’W x 7’D | Eldorado II Offices – Broomfield, Colorado Brightly-Colored Ash | 2007 Stainless Steel Wire, Hand Dyed & Lightly Starched Silk | 9’H x 10’W x 7’D | Eldorado II Offices – Broomfield, Colorado Brightly-Colored Ash | 2007 Stainless Steel Wire, Hand Dyed & Lightly Starched Silk | 9’H x 10’W x 7’D | Eldorado II Offices – Broomfield, Colorado Brightly-Colored Ash | 2007 Stainless Steel Wire, Hand Dyed & Lightly Starched Silk | 9’H x 10’W x 7’D | Eldorado II Offices – Broomfield, Colorado Brightly-Colored Ash | 2007 Stainless Steel Wire, Hand Dyed & Lightly Starched Silk | 9’H x 10’W x 7’D | Eldorado II Offices – Broomfield, Colorado

Red Maple Vertical | 2006

This suspended sculpture consists of small clusters of leaves cut from lightly starched silk. The clusters each spin independently, and are strung into pendants of varying lengths. The effect from beneath is that of swirling, falling autumn leaves. The artwork is also visible from a second-story balcony.

Red Maple Vertical | 2006 Stainless Steel Wire, Lightly Starched Silk | 10’H x 7’W x 3’D | Hatchery Hill Clinic - Madison, Wisconsin Red Maple Vertical | 2006 Stainless Steel Wire, Lightly Starched Silk | 10’H x 7’W x 3’D | Hatchery Hill Clinic - Madison, Wisconsin Red Maple Vertical | 2006 Stainless Steel Wire, Lightly Starched Silk | 10’H x 7’W x 3’D | Hatchery Hill Clinic - Madison, Wisconsin

Aspens | 2005

This installation consists of twenty-eight individual mobiles. Within the space, the leaves of the mobiles include a gradation of color from spring green to autumn crimson hues. The artwork can be viewed from the reception area beneath, but incites longer contemplation from the second story overlook.

Aspens | 2005 Stainless Steel Wire, Hand Dyed and Lightly Starched Silk | 3'H x 20'W x 12'D | Jefferson Corporate Center - Littleton, Colorado Aspens | 2005 Stainless Steel Wire, Hand Dyed and Lightly Starched Silk | 3'H x 20'W x 12'D | Jefferson Corporate Center - Littleton, Colorado Aspens | 2005 Stainless Steel Wire, Hand Dyed and Lightly Starched Silk | 3'H x 20'W x 12'D | Jefferson Corporate Center - Littleton, Colorado Aspens | 2005 Stainless Steel Wire, Hand Dyed and Lightly Starched Silk | 3'H x 20'W x 12'D | Jefferson Corporate Center - Littleton, Colorado Aspens | 2005 Stainless Steel Wire, Hand Dyed and Lightly Starched Silk | 3'H x 20'W x 12'D | Jefferson Corporate Center - Littleton, Colorado Aspens | 2005 Stainless Steel Wire, Hand Dyed and Lightly Starched Silk | 3'H x 20'W x 12'D | Jefferson Corporate Center - Littleton, Colorado