These sculptures were made in the Framingham MakerSpace with an umbrella stand base; then metal pipes were shaped and welded on the base. The scopes are attached to the BX cable with an air release valve. The BX cable slides along the pipes so that the scopes can be adjustable in height for handicapped people and/or children. An office chair serves as the support for the “object case”, which is a circular snow sled. A variety of objects are placed in the “sled” which turns as the office chair is turned. We’ve used objects like Mardi Gras beads, toys, stuffed animals, masks, wallpaper, glittery paper, colored wire, scarves, hats, and Emoji plastic figurines.
Each scope is a teleidoscope made with a clear magnifying ball and each has a different mirror system with varying angles and number of mirrors. Since teleidoscopes make kaleidoscopic designs of everything it is pointed at, the images are highly varied and interesting. You can even take photos of your friends and family through the scopes and turn them into a kaleidoscopic images, too.
As of Jan 2020, we’ve had about 900 people look through them at art and garden shows throughout the Greater Boston area.