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Rodadora Frontera (Border Tumbleweed) by SIMPARCH
Photo CreditPhoto courtesy of SIMPARCH
Rodadora Frontera (Border Tumbleweed)
Photo CreditPhoto courtesy of SIMPARCH

Rodadora Frontera (Border Tumbleweed)

Artist
Year2014
Classification sculpture
Medium Stainless steel and glass
Dimensionsapproximate maximum: 24 × 27 × 20 ft. (7.31 × 8.23 × 6.1 m)
Credits Commissioned through the Art in Architecture Program
Fine Arts Collection
U.S. General Services Administration
Location
  • Steve Badgett and Matt Lynch, working together under the name SIMPARCH (a contraction of “simple architecture”), created this sculpture, titled Rodadora Frontera (Border Tumbleweed), in response to the function and geography of the U.S. Land Port of Entry in Tornillo, Texas. The artwork’s organic-looking volume is a geometric simulation of structures found in nature, and comprises a series of vertices and nodes that form irregular tetrahedrons (a shape described by four triangles). The erratically placed truck mirrors gather light to reflect the ever-changing sky and other surroundings, subtly transforming the sculpture’s appearance throughout the day. Rodadora Frontera (Border Tumbleweed)’s overall form suggests a migrating plant, a swarm, or a cloud—all of which exhibit properties of movement and changing shape.