"Wind And Light In Movement"

The title of this approximately 30-by-15-foot ensemble, one of the most important and spectacular that I’ve had the privilege of salvaging from the Indian shipbreakers, only hints at its visual impact. Although it was seen by millions as the backdrop on several “Love Boat” episodes that were filmed on board the ISLAND PRINCESS, the vivid colors and striking shapes of the individual components can only be fully appreciated in the flesh.

For years, I had thought "Wind And Light In Movement" represented the seven continents and that it was made of acrylic. It wasn’t until the pieces were removed from their heavy metal brackets that I learned they were made of glass, each comprised of hand blown components infused with brilliant reds, blues and yellows that were set in resin. At about the same time the panels arrived from India, an article in an old issue of Cruise Travel revealed the actual name of the panel and the artist’s concept. With that in mind and plenty of time to study each piece, I’m rather more convinced that it represents individual birds and flocks of birds in flight.

Safely reassembling each panel after the Indian heat wreaked havoc with the resin has been my personal challenge over the past several months. I’m happy to report that all but one or two small components in piece #10 (which apparently broke free before the panel came down) are accounted for. I carefully epoxied each piece back into the resin and mounted the panels on one inch thick ply in anticipation of their safe storage and/transport, documenting them and heavily subsidizing a local chiropractor in the process.

I wish I had the luxury of time to sit and wait for the right buyer to come along and whisk the entire panel away to rebuild it in a deserving setting. In a perfect world, this ensemble should be properly restored in a public venue with a large, very strong wall to support it. But bills need to be paid and time is of the essence. On September 1, if “Wind And Light In Movement” has not sold, I will begin offering its individual components for sale. The good news is that each piece stands proudly on its own, so if it cannot be rebuilt, each element will take on a new life of its own, albeit separately.

I have already started a “wish list” for those interested in individual components, so if something strikes your fancy, please e-mail me at pk@midshipcentury.com and I will add your name to the list. Once I price each component, I will contact interested parties on a first-come, first-serve basis with the option to purchase.

I’ve also completed the trove of former “Love Boat” items with a clock, some anodized aluminum railing (various sizes in very limited quantities), Carib Bar Lights, cabin reading lights and those wonderful, hand-crafted ceiling discs from the Carousel Lounge. More on those in another post.

In the meantime, please, if you have any interior design or architectural connections that you feel might be interested in “Wind And Light In Movement”, please share this with them and help me realize the goal of keeping it intact for the future. Thank you.