Steam 1998
Even before Leonardo Da Vinci's treatise on water the interest and fascination generated by the power and beauty of this material is continuous. Its many forms - liquid, vapour, solid has the power to sustain life as well as destroy it. Ever since the industrial revolution water has been used as a basis for powering whole industries and transport systems including the development of technologies such as hydro-electric dams and high pressure jets of water capable of slicing through steel.
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The intent of the proposed installation 'Steam' was to provide an environment which evokes impressions of forgotten industries and at the same time, rather like the release of some ephemeral spirit from a liquid form, allows the viewer the opportunity to contemplate what appears to be the simple transition of water into vapour and suspension in air.
General Description
The installation is essentially a computer-controlled environment whereby information about the temperature and humidity of the work itself and motion of the viewers is constantly being monitored and used to determine the frequency and duration of the release of water droplets onto hot copper plates. These plates are contained within larger patinated plates that have the appearance of being heavy but at the same time floating above floor level. As the water hits the central copper plate the liquid dances on the surface, spattering and transforming into water vapour - steam.
At the same time the sound of the water is picked up by microphones in the bases of the plates, amplified and switched/moved around the environment, creating its own 'sound' accompaniment and producing structured and unstructured rhythms in synchronisation with the boiling vapour.
To further highlight the event, the point at which water turns into steam, a miniature camera in the base of one of the water release unit transmits the image to a video projector which displays the magnified transition of water into steam in another part of the installation, emphasising the nature of the transformation.
Eventually, as the installation regulates itself differing layers of water vapour and steam should form, suspended around the work.
Installation Description
The installation consists of 9 x 1 metre square, patinated copper plates with large diameter holes cut into the centre. These plates are raised by approximately 20 cm above the floor on smaller bases to give the appearance that they are floating. Resting over the holes are larger diameter un-patinated copper discs which act as the heating surface. Directly below these are the thermostatically controlled heating elements and contact microphones contained within the base.
Suspended by steel cable directly above these plates are nine water release units consisting of polished copper cylinders of 23cm diameter, capped at both ends. Inside each of these are the solenoid valves connected by additional copper tube to the external connector at the top of the unit and the 8mm tail piece adaptors at the other end. Clear PVC tubing feeds the water supply to the connector at the top of the unit.
The nine water release units are suspended from a modular rig made of 2.5cm plated steel tubing which also act as the supports for the spot light units centred over the base plates. Also contained on top of the rig (but not shown for clarity) is a small PVC header tank housing the flow control motor valve and level sensors. This gravity feed header reservoir supplies the water release units via clear PVC tubing. This structure also houses the 4 motion sensors sited at the centre of each of the outside edges of the framework as well as the four speakers amplifying the sounds of the water hitting the hot copper plates. Alternatively the speakers may be sited elsewhere in the installation.
Technical Description
The computer controlled, interactive installation is regulated by a Scorpion microcomputer which monitors activity in the installation via the four ultrasonic sensor units. This information is used within the programming as a seed to determine the rate and frequency of flow of water droplets onto hot copper plates producing steam and water vapour.
The water in the header tank is checked by level sensors and if this drops below a certain range the normally closed motorised flow control valve, connected to a mains water supply allows the reservoir to fill to its pre-determined level. Additional sensors are built into the system to prevent overflow conditions arising. The microcomputer opens the normally closed solenoid valve in the water release unit, depending on prevailing conditions within the environment, allowing a variable flow of water droplets to fall onto the plates below.
The computer is also monitoring the temperature of the hot surfaces via platinum thermometers and directly varying the thermostatically controlled hot plate to achieve optimum operating temperature.The sound of the water hitting the hot surfaces and boiling away to steam is picked up by contact microphones within the bases, amplified and switched between the four speakers under the control of the microcomputer.
A miniature CCD colour camera is also housed in the base of the central water release unit pointing vertically down onto the centre plate and relaying the image of the falling and boiling water droplets to a video projector within another part of the installation.