Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Professo With ' BY MARIAN E. DILLASHAW of The Gamecock staff The carpet glided mysteriously through the air, rippling with the wind. As the eyes of the spectators followed the undulating mass floating above them, the onlookers could almost imagine a turbaned Arabian guiding his billowy magic carpet to unknown worlds of treasure. Such might have been the thoughts of the residents in Coventry, England, as they wat ched "Sky Carpet," one of the designs of atmospheric sky - sculpture created by Professor Howard Woody of USC. But something was different: this magic carpet was made of metalized mylar with six tubular pockets of helium! Woody has recently returned from a six-week exhibition tour of Great Britain where he was invited to introduce his unique at mospheric sky sculpture. Beginning in May in Coventry, England, the tour consisted of 10 different events of 14 "flights" each. The structures were constructed at his home in Columbia snd then sent separately to England. Professor Woody also took documentation films and photographic map boards of previous flights. The exhibition opened at Herbert Art Gallery in Coventry. According to Woody there was at first a misunderstanding about his atmospheric sky sculpture. It was thought it would be similar to helium balloons and there was worry about it being hit by a plane. The launchings took place mainly in the parks and open country because of the heavy air traffic of the cities. The exhibition caused quite a commotion in Coventry. With the newspapers on strike, most of the residents were unprepared for the curiously-shaped, metallic objects seen flying above them. The police headquarters and the Coventry Airport was flooded with calls reporting the sighting of UFOs. Some of the sculptures landed in pastures and were removed by the farmers to keep the cows from being frightened. According to Woody, the reaction to the unusual flight sculpture in Great Britain was good. It was a new experience for them. The residents in the parks and on the streets were interested and eager Letters Policy The GAMECOCK invites all persons within the campus community to make their opinione and thoughts known to our readers. It is your voice--we are the vehicle. We attempt to prini weekly in our ''Letters to the Editor'' section all letters received. Minimal editing i promised, and though longer letters will b printed, letters of 200 words and under arc given preference due to space requirements. And, it is the dec ision of the editors that we noi run anonymous letters, though we will withhold names for valid reasons. Preferably, letters should be typed with name and address of the author included. Please deliver letters personally to our officc in Room 316 Russell House or write Camput Opinion, nrawer A, UC, Coba 2920. r Amazes ] Sky Sculp] to assist Woody in holding the sculptures until they were ready to be released. Atmospheric sky sculpture is a general term for flight sculpture which is a unique development of Woody. Referred to by Woody as an "aerial ballet," it is a type of sculpture to be flown in the sky. Each sculpture is assembled, flown one time, and then destroyed. The "lighter-than-air sculpture" is made of mylar, a plastic cellophane which is .0005 of one inch thick. The seams of the sculpture are heat sealed and each unit has a helium-filled envelope which gives it lifting power. Once constructed, each unit is slid into a cloth-like storage tube until ready to be released. The several units of the sculpture are tied together to form a par ticular design or "flight." In an abstract manner, each design has a system such as a linear or hanging system. Because Woody is concerned with motion not shape, he's more interested in simple shapes which will not detract from the motion of the sculpture. At ihe mercy of the wind, the flight sculpture uses all the conditions of the atmosphere. The air pressure and temperature lets the helium expand which causes the envelope to burst. The sculpture floats upward slowly as the helium escapes. After thirty minutes of upward flight, the sculpture levels out and begins to slowly descend. His first outside sculpture used wire and balloons. Interested in what the design would be if it were loose and free, Professor Woody released his first sculpture and became "excited about the tranquil, natural, lyrical motion" of the sculpture. Woody refers to his atmospheric sky sculpture as an art "event" rather than an art "form." And it ENROLL NOW for FALL All phases of dan Call NOW for more information for Columbia' Metropolitan BalE Rosann Dance 7223 Parkla Phone 782-5132, 784 Rosann Schwartz Buitman, Now affiliated with the Ct Ballet Company. WomeK'6 &dueaiio P.O. B.x 4618 W~omen's Educatio, * Free Pregn * Problem Pr * Free Aborti * Contracepti * Family Pla If you're a woman and Women's Educational Se someone who care. The n.. England tures" is quite an active event. After first informing aviation authorities and airport officials of his plans and receiving their permission, Woody then finds a clear open area to launch his flights. The launching requires the help of about twenty assistants and it takes ap proximately an hour to prepare for the release. Each flight is tracked by a plane, which with the aid of walkie-talkies, keeps in contact with the artist on the ground. The sculptures have flown more than 12,500 feet high and the longest flight covered 60 miles in ap proximately two hours. The longest flight of a sculpture made of ballouns and mylar streamers was 400 miles in less than 17 hours. Woody began developing his sky sculpture in the late 1960's, laun ching his first flight in early 1970 in Kansas. He has launched flights from Washington state to Arizona and in this section of the country. In the Columbia area he has put on an exhibition for the Columbia Museum and at Bell Camp in October, 1973. Born in Salisbury, Md, and raised in Roanoke, Va. Woody has been on the USC faculty since Fall, 1967. He came to USC . from Pembroke State University in North Carolina where he had been teaching since 1962. Originally concentrating most of his time on bronze casting, Woody now works full time with his at mospheric sky sculpture. He has also allowed the students at USC tv explore sky sculpture which he is still developing. This summer he is spending his time writing a book in which he will compare the patterns f different designs under varying atmospheric conditions. Commenting on the favorable reception his flight sculpture has received, Professor Woody says, "It does not have the restrictive non-touchable characteristics CLASSES to begin Aug. 25 ce instruction! about Try-Outs !t Company to be held Aug. 23. Academy ine Rd. i,4684, 786-4786 Director - 23 years exp. >lumbia Metropolitan' to Sewie4, 9Ne. Cetws4ia, S.C. ial Servies~ is a 'y that offers: ancy Testing egnancy Counseling on Referrals ve Clinics nning need assistance call rvices to talk with mber to call Is 779-8:355. Sky Ca USC Professor Howard Woody's England. Woody introduced the found in museums." The availability of the sky sculpture to any interested viewer is limited. Stressing that the event is of limited duration, Woody ex plains, "Although I have both some 'new sculpture' and 'reclaimed to the B Columbia's Only The North Face - Ke Phoenix Kayaks - ) Vasque Boots Rich-Mo4 Why Drive In Circles? Cc Backpacking, Camping, and Major Brands of Equipment. E xpedition & Recreatioi Tents + Packs & Frames + C Footgear + Dowr1 Duponts Dacron Fibei USGS Maps + A Comr Freeze-Dried & Dehydi General Supplies 952 H ARDE N ST REET Tl 799-7571 Monday through Friday 11I a.m. to 7:30 p.m. rpet "Sky Carpet" flies above Coventry, new art form there recently. sculpture' in my studio, to see the art 'form', one has to be at the event." 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