There’s something about Alistair McClymont’s The Limitations of Logic and the Absence of Absolute Certainty, 2010, which definitely cannot be captured in a photograph. This is art made to be experienced first hand - in fact, one element crucial to the realisation of this installation is audience interaction. The audience is invited to walk around the mini tornado, reach a hand out and try to touch it. The small scale weather phenomena is created using fans and a humidifier, illuminated in a very particular way to allow us to see the water particles. The use of the tornado is a fascinating element of the work - full size, tornadoes are obviously powerfully destructive, but at a smaller scale, the danger is removed and we are allowed to appreciate its captivating form. There’s a contradiction in terms of process too - McClymont has created a phenomenally complex installation in order to create a wonderfully minimalist piece of ephemeral sculpture.
Click through on the image for a link to McClymont’s website where you can watch an amazing video of the installation.
