Sunday, October 18, 2020

Hypersphaerae janus

Hypersphaera janus

Half-Moon Superball


Janus was the god of beginnings and transitions in Roman mythology, and presided over passages, doors, gates and endings, as well as in transitional periods such as from war to peace. He was usually depicted as having two faces looking at opposite ways, one towards the past and the other towards the future. (Source: greekmythology.com/Myths/Roman/Janus/.)

H janus are constructed with two halves of molded rubber of differing colors.  The material is consistent throughout, as opposed to wrapped or spun around a solid core, and gives these balls a softer, lighter composition.  They are semi-opaque and, therefore, have a translucence that allows light to pass through and gives the ball a dynamic quality.  The surface is textured and adds to this effect.  Colors run the range of the spectrum, but each ball often features two colors within a narrow range—pink & purple, yellow & orange, etc.  The construction makes the balls less resistant by more pliable, so they can easily break if thrown with enough force. (Photo Courtesy of Lenore M. Edman. www.evilmadscientist.com)

Hypersphaera janus

2013


Specimen box created by Henry J. Simonds for the exhibition, Super•Ball, shown at The Mine Factory in Pittsburgh, Pa, December 2013.


Constructed of salvaged wood, paint, and plexiglass with a contemporary ball.


Photo Credit: ©2013 Henry J. Simonds/Headwater Media.  





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