A two-story replica of a roller coaster created by a Brigham Young University student sculptor propels a bowling ball 45 to 50 miles per hour around loops and turns on 200 feet of steel track.
Nicknamed the "Bowler Coaster" by the wife of creator Darrell Tousley, the sculpture, measuring 47 feet long, 21 feet tall and 18 feet wide, will be on display in the center atrium of the Harris Fine Arts Center Feb. 3-9. An electric motor powers a mechanism that lifts the ball to the peak of the contraption, enabling a perpetual display of the art's "moving" qualities.
The ambitious project is Tousley's final show, a rite of passage required of all candidates for a bachelor of fine arts degree.
The senior sculpture major will be the first in his family to earn a college degree when he graduates in April. He credits the BYU art faculty with driving him to develop a balance between creativity and discipline.
"It is an incredible system that helps you learn to overcome your weaknesses," he said. "The instructors are hard on you in a good way--they won't let you take on a project that doesn't really work for you."
Tousley's faculty advisor believes this project has an appeal uncommon to traditional art.
"The work gives us a new sense of wonder and sheer enthusiasm for the beauty of mechanical motion by taking the 'ride' out of a roller coaster and allowing us to experience the same sensation vicariously as a critical viewer in a gallery setting," said Brian Christensen, an instructor in BYU's visual arts department. "Darrell's work challenges our notions of what can be called art. The context and site-specific nature of the project allow it to transcend its initial nature as a feat of engineering."
The sculptor is excited to observe the reaction of his four children when they see the Bowler Coaster run at its unveiling Friday night.
"I prefer to watch kids interact with my projects because I can relate best to them," said the self-described kid at heart.
Kinetic sculpture has fascinated Tousley since before he knew there was a name for it. He has always been interested with taking things apart and learning how they worked. It wasn't until his arrival at BYU that he realized there was a career to fit his love.
Officially titled "Eccentric," Tousley's odd coupling of leisure-pursuit themes took six months of planning and has commanded most of his time over the past two months. But with the help of his father, his friends and a cousin who came from Las Vegas to help assemble the bowling behemoth, he will make his Friday deadline.
"There's no way I would have been able to get this done without the help of so many people," he said. "The impossibility of this project has become a reality through their efforts."
