Big Rig Jig
2007
18-wheeler tanker trucks, steel
42' x 29' x 11'

Big Rig Jig is constructed from two discarded tanker trucks. The work serves both as a sculpture and an architectural space: visitors may enter the lower truck, climb through the tankers, and emerge to a viewing platform between the rear axles, forty-two feet in the air. Most recently exhibited in the U.K. for Banksy’s Dismaland show, it is now permanently installed in Las Vegas by the estate of Tony Hsieh

Colorfield -- with Nicole Whelan
2006
steel, wood, aluminum,
vinyl rope, cable
170' x 90' x 21'

For Sculpture Key West, Mike Ross and Nicole Whelan created an interactive sculpture from simple construction materials. Multiple participants could use ropes and pulleys to simultaneously control the movements of the panels in the air and their hued shadows on the ground. The sculpture, which grew from Ross’s research in emergent phenomena, acts as a canvas for a collaborative painting of light and color. Colorfield won the Grand Esplanade Award (first prize), and was featured on the cover of the show catalog and in Art in America.

Off The Grid
2010
polypropylene rope, wood
60' x 55' x 12'

An architectural intervention for the facade of 414 Space in Brooklyn, NY. The work makes use of the large windowless façade and open lot bordering the building. A tensioned network of ropes is lit at night to create a pattern of shadows on the building's exterior.

Jet Kiss
2015
U.S. Navy A4 Skyhawks (139945 & 147726), Steel, Aluminum, Paint
90' x 28' x 23'


Jet Kiss is constructed from two decommissioned Navy jets. A layer of translucent paint preserves the remaining military markings. It is installed in Capitol Hill Station, Seattle. 

A Short Room Full of Tall People
2005
nylon fabric, fabricated steel, crowd
100' x 25' x 30'

Created for the 2005 Scope:NY. Over the course of an evening, a bright red fabric ceiling slowly descended from an initial height of thirty feet, until it rested directly on the heads and outstretched hands of the crowd. The wide open event space was gradually compressed into an intimate setting. The sculpture uses simple geometry and light to explore the interdependencies of architectural and social space.

Reflection Recreation
2009
tree, stainless steel, mylar
11' x 11' x 22'

After carefully measuring every branch of a living tree, Ross created an exact mirror-image duplicate in stainless steel, suspended above the original. Over upcoming years, the appearance of the sculpture will gradually change as the real tree grows up and through its doppelganger. Reflection Recreation was made possible by a grant from Abington Art Center, where it is on display at the center’s entrance.

Moiré Array
(Maintain Transcendence of the Moment)
2015
painted steel
250' x 9' x 1'

Moiré Array uses a computer-generated parametrically modeled sequence of steel curves to produce simultaneous moiré patterns and lenticular effects. Two parallel rows of curved pickets vary at slightly different rates, creating an interference pattern and a sculptural analogue of Steve Reich’s musical work Piano Phase. With no moving parts, the sculpture induces a perception of constantly changing colors and shapes as light rail passengers pass beside it and cars drive below. Video available at http://www.mikerossart.net/moirearray

Eonothem
2020
recycled aluminum
10’ x 5’ x 5’

Eonothem grew from a desire to weave contrasting layers of chance and intent into the sculptural process. Playing with themes of transformation and renewal, I wanted to evoke the unceasing passage of time, unfinished or eroded relics, layers of geology, and indistinct memories. The work juxtaposes the unpredictable organic forms of the natural world against the hard lines of purposeful industry, while its light and dynamic posture serves as a counterbalance to its physical mass.

Displacement
2009
painted steel, buoyancy weights, waterbody
5' x 5' x 5'

Displacement uses over 13000 pounds of weight to create a vibrantly colored negative space in the surface of a pond. The piece was installed for Sculpture Key West 2009.

Siccarus
2004
machine parts, steel
22' x 22' x 18'

An anti-gravity machine which allows participants to jump and flip under their own power. As an interactive artwork Siccarus enables a direct experience of weightlessness and flight.