7/6/21 - 11/7/21

Click here for the Public Art page, including the map.

The two large, L-shaped, stainless steel plates in this 29-foot-high sculpture will never collide no matter how they rotate.  The precision of the design and the random force of the wind become perfect allies. Depending on the strength and direction of the wind, one moment the sculpture is rigid and immobile, while the next it appears dynamic and soaring. We move around the sculpture as the sculpture itself moves, exemplifying Rickey’s interest in how art can be animated by both human presence and nature.

More about Double L

Lisa Dorin, Deputy Director for Curatorial Affairs and Curator of Contemporary Art at the Williams College Museum of Art, provides some background about the sculpture in this video.

Reflections in sound

This instrumental reflection on Double L Excentric Gyratory II was composed by Julia Wolfe and Michael Gordon and performed and produced by violinist Todd Reynolds. The piece was part of a project called Solo Sound Tracks for Art, individual sound encounters inspired by works of art from the Williams College Museum of Art collection. Developed by Professor Amy Podmore, with WCMA Curator of Mellon Academic Programs Elizabeth Gallerani and colleagues at Williams College Instructional Technology, the goal was to foster private experiences with art for students.

Restoration work

In the summer of 2020, a team performed some maintenance on Double L Excentric Gyratory II. The conservation treatment was to straighten out the top mobile cap (the double L elements) and allow the kinetic sculpture to move freely. Watch this video of the restoration work, where the technician is describing preassembly work to lock the top mobile cap as one unit.

Other Rickey works

The Williams College Museum of Art has several other works by George Rickey in its collection. Click on each image to learn more.

To learn more about the other works of art around the Williams College campus and to access a printable map, visit our Public Art page.