Butterfly Effect

Rick Brown and Laura Brown (American, 20th century)
Norwell, Massachusetts
2011
Concrete
On loan from the artists

The Butterfly Effect sculpture consists of many concrete spheres and beams that represent a constantly changing composition. Installed on the museum grounds, the arrangement can be altered creating a dynamic relationship between the object, the site and the viewer. Based on meteorologist Edward Lorenz’s (1917-2008) “chaos theory,” Butterfly Effect describes how a very small change in initial conditions can create a significantly different outcome or weather pattern. The concept has since been applied outside of meteorology to situations where a small change can cause greater consequence.

Rick and Laura Brown met in art school at the University of Georgia in 1970. They have collaborated on large-scale, site-specific installations, with each new sculptural work presenting a new set of challenges. The two artists are former faculty members at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Boston.