String Theory at GSD&M
Studies show that displaying artwork in the modern day workplace not only inspires creativity and improves individual and collective wellbeing, but can also significantly improve productivity.
Austin, TX (PRWEB) April 29, 2014
Architects Dan Cheetham and Michelle Tarsney teamed up once again to create their newest art installation titled String Theory for GSD&M, a global advertising agency. This installation makes a statement about how art in the workplace draws on individual perspectives to stimulate creativity and social gathering among coworkers.
“GSD&M is a company full of visionaries who rely heavily on creativity to produce work that is engaging and powerful,” said Cheetham. “Michelle and I felt that the GSD&M team would not only appreciate the beauty of String Theory, but would greatly benefit from the social interactions and exchanging of ideas that are bound to take place.”
Studies show that displaying artwork in the modern day workplace not only inspires creativity and improves individual and collective wellbeing, but can also significantly improve productivity. According to a recent report produced by the International Art Consultants (IAC) and the British Council for Offices, 86% of the 800 survey respondents think that art is more relevant than ever in today’s office environment and 93% agreed that having art in the workplace creates a more welcoming and enjoyable atmosphere for employees and visitors alike.
The team unveiled the dynamic, floating art piece to the public during GSD&M’s 2014 South by Southwest industry party, which brings together thousands of people from all over the world. String Theory is suspended from the second floor ceiling of the main foyer of GSD&M’s office building in downtown Austin, with its base dangling just above the heads of onlookers at nine feet above the floor. String Theory may be viewed from the second or first floor and from a variety of angles that alter the appearance and experience of the art piece.
The installation features over 5 miles of string wound back and forth between two geometric shapes, a wide circular ring at the top and a smaller triangular base that hangs at the bottom. The base segregates the string between the three primary colors used: red, yellow and blue in their most dense and pure form. As the viewer’s eye moves up the sculpture, the string disperses as it stretches upward, causing the colors to become more complex and the hues to mix in an ethereal, cloud-like ring. The effect causes the primary colors to visually converge and intermix. Depending on the perspective of the viewer, the installation generates variations of secondary and tertiary colors and is flexible in its form.
The name String Theory does not only reference the material of the piece, but also the potential of art in the workplace. Cheetham and Tarsney work from the philosophy that incorporating architecture, design and art to spaces revitalizes them and makes them more useful. Their hope is that String Theory will be a catalyst in the workplace to inspire creative ideas and engage colleagues. Cheetham and Tarsney’s installations are site specific, interactive, spatial and can be experienced on many different scales.
To learn more about String Theory or Fyoog’s upcoming projects, visit http://www.fyoog.com or email Dana Callender at dana(at)stellarimpeller(dot)com.
About Fyoog
Fyoog is an architecture, planning, and design practice led by Dan Cheetham and Michelle Tarsney. Fyoog draws its name from fugue, a contrapuntal musical structure in which independent voices are overlapped to create a rich, complex, and multilayered harmony. Fyoog seeks to apply this concept to the built environment through a design process that layers programmatic synergies, contextual and historical factors, and cultural influences into a cohesive composition.
