Ross Manning is known for his elegant, yet playful, constructions which engage with the fundamentals of physics – matter and motion, space, time and energy. This basic construction of a ribbon and industrial fan takes on a brilliant character in motion, as the artist explains:

Drag, gravity, inertia and other forces all play on the ribbon’s form, elongating the two-dimensional cycle of the spinning fan into the third dimension. I wanted to make use of full-ceiling height as the work is big and has an optical sense of downward movement. The loops seem to fall away from the fan and I wanted this looping waveform to travel as far as possible to the gallery floor, prolonging the sense of energy travelling. This work could be a spiral, but also a vortex, waveform or helix.

Spiral is on view in ‘GOMA Q: Contemporary Queensland Art’ currently at the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) until 11 October. The accompanying publication profiles the latest innovations and achievements by some of Queensland’s leading visual artists.