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A gust of wind spins up a playful whirl, clicking cascades of metal tuning twirl.
Should you ever happen to find yourself in need of a break while traveling Route 95 in North Carolina, reward yourself with a stop at the Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park in Wilson, NC.
For 25 years, after retiring, Vollis Simpson (1919-2013) created large kinetic sculptures from salvaged metal. He called them windmills, but they became know as “whirligigs.” Many people found their way to his farm to see these sculptures. With time came the need for repair and maintenance. He and his family finally agreed to have them conserved and relocated to Wilson’s downtown district. Some have called his works “poetry in motion.”1
Here is a short video of this motion that I took at my recent visit.
Speaking of poetry, there is something to contemplate in this “way of the whirligig”. These whirligigs are like poetic forms. There is design, engineering, and intentionality. Their movements—motions all directed and structured—yield whimsy and delight. These sculptures, and all of there small parts, show us “forms” working with the wind.
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