WPCNR ART NEWS. By John F. Bailey. March 16, 2004: The Common Council was introduced to a portable sculpture "The FireClock" Tuesday evening intended to grace Renaissance Plaza. They liked it and moved, 5-2  (Bernstein, Boykin, Greer, Hockley, and Mayor Delfino concurring, Malmud and Roach demurring), to authorize $60,000 in seed money from Urban Renewal Funds to have its creator, Gayil Nalls undertake a feasibility study of the work of art.

"FireClock" is an original work combining fire and time "unlike anything else in the world" created by Gayil Nalls, the creator of "The Universal Scent" confetti that rained on Times Square at the turn of the millenium.

FIRECLOCK By Gayil Nalls. A computerized conception of FIRECLOCK installed on the Renaissance Plaza fountain. The clock portion of the sculpture is the concentric circles at far left. The clock will tell time by the use of flames with hours indicated on the exterior circle, and half-hours on the interior circle, with flames popping out for each hour of the day. In the evening, on the half-hour, pedestrians will see flame shows set to music and what Ms. Nalls describes as "sounds of the universe." The flames  will pop out and die, and appear to race along the swoop and dip of the gold ribbons in time to the music. Photo by WPCNR News 

The sculpture was introduced by the Mayor's Executive Officer, George Gretsas, warning that all art engenders controversy.  He said it is intended to be installed over the Renaissance Plaza Fountain during the months of November through April, when the water fountain is dormant for the winter. 

The sculpture purpose, Ms. Nalls said, is to attract persons to view its "fireclock" that will use flames to tell the time, in halfhour increments 24 hours a day.  The flame jets in the ribbon tracks, 6 inches wide, she said will thrill crowds with flame shows in the evening. The flames dancing and racing along its graceful roller coaster ribbons in dazzling sequence in time to music and sounds of the world and the universe, according to Ms. Nalls

FIRECLOCK in nightime, showing the FIRE CLOCK indicating 12:30 at night. Flames are created from natural gas and are are issued from jets with the metal ribbons. You can see the flames in this rough computer-conception racing on the "Flameway" at far right. Ms. Nalls said the sculpture is designed to be removed during the summer months from April through October, and installed again in November to provide a tourist attraction in the dreary winter months. Photo by WPCNR News

Ms. Nalls created the work on speculation at the request of the Mayor's Office, and will create the sculpture for a cost of $1 Million to $1.5 Million dollars, which will be defrayed by the generosity of an anonymous donor who has pledged $1 Million towards the project.

There was no indication when the sculpture could be installed, because it is still in the concept stage.

The Sculptoress Explains the FIRECLOCK (on easal) To learn more about the artist, visit her website at http://www.worldsensorium.com/Photo by WPCNR News.

Glen Hockley was impressed with the sculpture and enthusiastic. Robert Greer found it very interesting, and likened it to the "Firewall" in Providence, Rhode Island attraction that draws massive crowds in Providence in the summers. Benjamin Boykin said he did not know what to think about it, but was willing to do the feasibility study.  Arnold Bernstein was intrigued. Tom Roach and Rita Malmud were against even studying it.  Malmud said dryly  the Renaissance Plaza was not the place for it, and Roach said firmly  the scope was too big, and the money could be better spent on Ebersole Rink.

Eli Schonberger, observing, spoke up saying FIRECLOCK would be a drawing card that would bring people to the city, and told of a museum that once installing a sculpture drew 10,000 persons in three weeks. He said the sculpture would be an attraction that would mark White Plains as a place that cared about art.

Mayor Delfino said the city had no art and the sculpture would be an attraction and make a statement about the city.

Ms. Nall said that she has not showcased her FireClock to any other cities as of yet, but if White Plains did not wish to go ahead after the Feasibility Study, she would offer it to other cities and organizations. She said she had done a patent research on the concept, and had found nothing that remotely resembles it. It is, she feels, truly unique and marries the concept of fire and time.

Currently, Ms. Nalls is finishing a video piece designed for projection in a spherical plexiglass globe, known as an "Omniglobe," that will be showcased at the Siggraph Convention, a technological graphic artists convention.