PORCELAINIA/Buckminster Fuller Presentation

The Buckminster Fuller Presentation series is a tribute to both the geometric system of Buckminster Fuller which gave birth to his geodesic domes and the carbon 60 molecule named after him for its geodesic shape. All the porcelain pieces in this series represent the beautiful symmetry of hexapent cage structure (a truncated icosahedron), yet each piece exhibits its own unique quality.

The Buckminsterfullerene Presentation Series has been inspired by buckminsterfullerene and the work of the scientists who discovered them. These four geometric representations of the buckminsterfullerene molecule, carbon-60, are named for the four letters of the Greek alphabet: Alpha, Beta, Gamma , Delta and Epsilon. During 1996 and 1997, each piece was presented to an individual who has contributed to the discovery of this new allotrope of carbon and to those who have contributed to the better understanding of the geometry which forms a basis for geodesic domes.

In 1985 one of the greatest new discoveries in science was made when chemists Richard Smalley and Harold Kroto discovered the existence of a third form of carbon. Unlike the two other forms of carbon, diamond and graphite, this amazing 60-atom cage molecule was shaped like a soccer ball. Both Kroto and Smalley felt it most appropriate to name it, "buckminsterfullerene" for its striking resemblance to a geodesic dome. A new family of these molecules have since been found called "fullerenes." (Note: Diamond is a molecular network crystal with each carbon bonded to four others in a tetrahedral configuration. Graphite is formed in flat sheets with each carbon bonded to three others in a hexagonal configuration.)

Because of their capacity to bond with other atoms or molecules from the inside or the outside, the potential applications of this family of molecules could be limitless. Now with more than 5000 variants, including elongated spheres and tubes, Fullerenes are opening up a whole new class of lubricants, have the potential for superconductivity and will contribute to the new discipline of nanotechnology.

The fullerenes are now the most studied molecules in chemistry. Research teams in hundreds of laboratories all over the world are in an enthusiastic race to explore the chemical versatility of this new class of carbon molecules. Their respective work and research projects are linked together globally through the internet and the World Wide Web.

In early October, Sir Harold Kroto, Dr. Richard Smalley and Dr. Robert Curl were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for founding this important new branch of chemistry. I have been inspired by buckminsterfullerene and the work of these scientists. I sculpted a series of porcelain geometric representations of the buckminsterfullerene molecule, carbon-60, each piece taking approximately 6 months to make. In 1997 I presented them to Sir Harold Kroto, Dr. Richard Smalley, Dr. Robert Curl, E. J. Applewhite and Bonnie DeVarco. In January 2002, I presented a sixth and final piece, "Pacioli," to Roberto Trujillo and the Buckminster Fuller Archives at Stanford University.

PORCELAINIA SERIES	Alexandria	Hellas	RBF Presentation	Quantum
PORCELAINIA SERIES	Principia	Hypatia	Leonardo Da Vinci	Classical