Lawrence G. Van Velzer

Tower of the Winds

Tower of the Winds follows the written history and compiled science of an intriguing building that was constructed as a monument to mythology and designed to house the most advanced scientific instruments. The monument was built by the Syrian astronomer Andronikos Kyrrestes in the second century BCE as a weather vane and water clock, and it stands inside the Roman Agora in Athens, Greece. The exterior of the building depicts faces of the eight winds.

The text for Tower of the Winds is told in the voices of early Romans, a 17^th century Turkish traveler and modern scientists. The piece’s illustrations are reproductions from 18^th century British architects James Stuart and Nicolas Revett. The book is housed in a cylindrical case dyed yellow to simulate bark. The piece was letterpress printed from polymer plates on a Hacker handpress in Adobe Herculanum type on Sekall Book paper with handmade Egyptian papyrus. When fully extended, the scroll extends 25 feet.

Press: Foolscap Press
Date:  2002
Number and Edition: 2004-022
Size: 11” x 2.5” Diameter