Mechanised Kinetic Sculptures
What makes Jennifer Townley and her sculptures so unique and hypnotizing is her obsession with artwork that combines principles of physics, human psychology and perception to create instances of optical illusion.
Courtesy of Jennifer Townley
With the simple circular motion emerging from a rotary engine probing the carefully placed fins, the resultant motion of the kinetic sculpture produces this feeling of cold industrial precision, mechanical complexity and of being stuck in an infinite loop that brings with it a strange hypnotic peace.
Playing with the tendency of human beings to look for objects of symmetry or a certain kind of order, Townley’s sculpture challenges this human urge at various levels and brings with its rhythmic torsion a strangely satisfying balance between chaos and order, intriguing one’s curiosity, forcing one to wonder how each part functions and why one feels so lost while looking at this hypnotic piece of art.
By: Shamita Chaudhry
Shamita Chaudhary is a former assistant editor at Arch2O and the driving force behind India’s sustainable construction movement. An architect and circular economy expert, she founded the Malba Project in 2021 to combat construction and demolition (C&D) waste in Indian cities through research, advocacy, and practical action—an effort born during a striking 2018 trip to Manali . Over at Arch2O, Shamita leveraged her editorial acumen to spotlight circular design strategies and environmental stewardship. Her writing and insights challenge architects to rethink not only how we build, but how we dismantle—and rebuild—toward a more regenerative future.