Deedee Morrison Sculpture

Art with a Sustainable Solution: Deedee Morrison's Solar Light Sculpture Installed in the Renaissance Park - Chattanooga, Tennessee

Eighty-four aluminum and colored Lucite panels were laser cut and re-fabricated to create the intriguing Seed-Pod solar sculpture. The Seed-Pod design was inspired by studying organic forms and the geometric principles that determine their patterns and structures. Alabama artist Deedee Morrison created the 8-by-12 work of art with inspiration from organic forms, particularly the drawings of Ernst Haeckel, a contemporary of Charles Darwin who was also an artist, biologist, naturalist, philosopher, physician and professor who discovered, described, named and illustrated thousands of new species.

Morrison attempts to imitate the design principles that exist in the world to create sustainable solutions with art, by mimicking the strategies found in nature. "Solar sculptures in the right environment are extremely effective ways to demonstrate how solar energy works and can become an icon of sustainability for a city." States the artist, Deedee Morrison. The solar-powered sculpture resides near the wetlands in Renaissance Park and artistically demonstrates how solar power works by illuminating laser-cut sheets of metal designed to replicate a seed pod coming out of a dormant state to form new life.

Seed-Pod is a visual display of the power and energy that's available every day from a single solar panel's relationship with the sun. The color scheme of the Seed-Pod sculpture mirrors the vibrant yellow hues of the sun. Near the Seed-Pod sculpture is the 18ft. solar tower that, like plants, collects and stores the energy released from the sun. The Seed-Pod and the solar tower are intimately connected in the phenomena of life and growth. The solar tower captures the energy of the sun during the day and the Seed-Pod emits the dramatic stored light at night, giving the sculpture it's added dimension.

The Solartech 125 W solar panel's sole function is to convert sunlight into useable energy and transfer that energy through the charge controller to the battery bank. The charge controller scales down the energy produced to the correct voltage (12v) to charge the batteries. The batteries store the energy to be used until needed. The two 92 AH batteries run the 12 LED floodlights for about 14 hours continuously before needing a recharge. The 12V-DC LED lights only require 10 Watts of power each, which when combined only requires about the equivalent power of a single 110 Watt lightbulb.

Deedee Morrison is an artist specializing in large public works made of aluminum, steel, limestone, Lucite and solar powered light. Her sculptures have been exhibited and installed in permanent displays nationwide. Her sculpture studio is in a turn of the century steel foundry and limestone quarry and her work is heavily influenced by the setting as she juxtaposes the industrial with the natural environment.