Peter Erskine\

Solar Spectrum Environmental art Arte Solare Ambientale

Germany

"Sun, Moon and Stars" (Sonne, Mond und Sterne), Exhibition Kokerei Zollverein, Essen, Germany. "Spectrum of Time" and "Sunrise" are permanent installations that opened 5.1999. The Kokerei Zollverein is a renovated coking factory converted to an exhibition site in the heart of the German coal mining region.

"Spectrum of Time" is a permanent rainbow sundial calendar installation in the Kokerei Zollverein, a United Nations Historic Preservation site. Hour and month lines painted on the walls and floor of the 40' X 40' X 40' industrial museum space mark the hours, summer and winter solstices, and the spring and autumn equinoxes with astronomical accuracy. A 30' X 30' cross of solar spectrum light powered by the rotation and tilt of the earth tells the time and date. On cloudy days a laser pointer driven by a solar tracking program fills in for the rainbow.

"Sunrise" is the first art experience in the Kokerei. Riding in a people mover, viewers ride the 400', 20 degree incline following the dark path of the coal in its original conveyor belt tunnel. As they rise, the viewers travel through a fog inlluminated 400' long 10' high solar spectrum beam, and pass through the changing colors of the rainbow. When they disembark on the factory roof they see the solar powered 8' X 8' heliostat solar tracking mirror, and solar prism that create the art.

Germania

"Il Sole, la Luna e le Stelle" (Sonne, Mond und Sterne), Essen, Germania, esposizione, Kokerei Zollverein, Essen, Germania. Istallazione permanente.

Spectrum of Time, Rainbow Sundial calendar.

Visitors walk inside a living map of the solar year. Each "Rainbow Sundial calendar" is a unique joining of astronomy, architecture, locale, and art.

1.10.1999 10:16 am.

Riding up the old coal conveyor belt into a 400' long Solar Spectrum Beam.

Solar powered heliostat tracking mirror.