Cloud Prototype No. 2 2006

Inigo Manglano-Ovalle made this sculpture, Cloud Prototype No. 2, and the process of making it seems to be about trying to capture something ephemeral, like a cloud, in a solid, reflective material. The sculpture is made from a shiny, silvery material that reflects the light and the surrounding space. It’s as if the artist is trying to freeze a moment, to hold onto something that is constantly changing. The shape of the cloud is fluid and organic, but the material is hard and unyielding. This contrast creates a tension in the work. There’s something about the way the sculpture hangs in the air, almost weightless, that reminds me of a Calder mobile, but with a futuristic twist. Both artists share an interest in capturing movement and form in space, but Manglano-Ovalle’s work has a more technological edge, which seems appropriate, given that he is making forms based on computer-generated models of weather patterns. Art, like the weather, is always in motion.