Ball-Nouges' "Cradle" Offers Abstract Depictions of Surroundings

Commissioned by the Santa Monica Cultural Affairs Division, "Cradle" is designed by Los Angeles-based studio of Ball-Nogues and is situated on the exterior wall of an existing parking structure at Santa Monica Place. Near the beach and the Third Street Promenade, the site is heavily trafficked by tourists on foot and in automobiles. An aggregation of mirror polished stainless steel spheres, the sculpture operates structurally like an enormous Newton’s Cradle - the ubiquitous toy found on the desktops of corporate executives. Each ball is suspended by a cable from a point on the wall and locked in position by a combination of gravity and neighboring balls while reflecting the a distorted image of passerby in both cars on foot.