IT WAS ALL DOWN HILL FROM 2019
IN-VISIBLE BY TINA O'CONNELL WAS AT IT'S BEST IN 2019 [HAS SINCE BEEN REPLACED]
The Artist's Intent: A Crystal Ball for the Park
Tina O'Connell's artistic vision for 'In-Visible', which quickly became known locally as the 'Orb Fountain', was a radical departure from the decorative classicism of the original. Her primary goal was to create an intervention that would "resonate with the specific cultural context of Waterford and the landscape of the People's Park". The most powerful cultural signifier she identified was the city's world-famous Waterford Glass industry. Drawing on this heritage, O'Connell's initial, highly ambitious concept was to create a massive, solid glass sphere—a "crystal ball" that would function as a powerful optical apparatus.
The artistic function of the piece was not to be a static object of admiration, but an active agent in altering perception. O'Connell designed the sphere to work like a camera obscura, a device that projects an image of its surroundings. The powerful optics of the sphere would capture real-time images of the park's environment—the trees, the sky, the people—and invert them on its surface. This would create a surreal and engaging experience for the viewer, who could watch fellow park-goers walk past upside down or see the sky reflected at their feet. The art, therefore, was not merely the physical form of the orb, but the dynamic, ever-changing, inverted image of the world it presented. As the artist stated, the final work was intended to be "both a sculpture and an image, which... captures life, not through the transmission of messages or representations captured on film, but through the physics of light bent and diverted through the material form itself".
From Deep-Sea Bell to Public Art: A Feat of Material Science
The translation of this profound artistic concept into a physical reality proved to be a formidable technical challenge. The initial plan to fabricate a two-metre solid glass sphere was found to be beyond the available resources and timeline. The process was extraordinarily complex, requiring input from a NASA engineer with experience in producing the enormous lens for the Hubble Space Telescope. Much like the slowly cooling kilns at Waterford Crystal, the glass sphere would have needed a specialist oven to manage the extreme temperatures required to cast and anneal such a large volume of glass without it cracking—a process that was prohibitively expensive and time-consuming.
Faced with this obstacle, O'Connell and her team pivoted to an innovative materials-based solution. The answer was found at Stanley Plastics in the UK, a company specialising in high-grade acrylics. There, the artist discovered a form that could serve as a viable alternative: a deep-sea submarine diving bell. This two-metre diameter sphere, made from optically advanced, high-grade acrylic, provided the necessary transparency and durability. Working with specialists, it was calculated that by filling the hollow acrylic shell with a constant stream of clear, filtered water, they could create a form that was "optically equivalent to a glass sphere". This ingenious solution allowed the artist to achieve her desired camera obscura effect through a combination of advanced plastics and fluid dynamics, rather than solid glass.
The final sculpture was a minimalist masterpiece. The vast, transparent acrylic sphere was positioned on a large, circular platform made from black Kilkenny marble. A continuous flow of clear water was pumped to the apex of the orb, cascading evenly over its entire surface and into the basin below. This created a striking contrast in form and texture between the hard, smooth acrylic, the dark, solid marble, and the fluid, shimmering water. The sound of the cascading water was an "added bonus," adding a calming auditory dimension to the profound visual experience.
The Question of Rotation: Fact, Perception, and Mechanics
A central question for visitors who observed the fountain over many years was whether its base rotated. The perception that the orb was in different positions on different visits is accurate, but the mechanism behind this change was not automated. A thorough review of all available documentation, including the artist's statements, technical descriptions, and the tender for the fountain's eventual replacement, reveals no mention of any motor, turntable, or electrical system designed for rotation. The conclusion is that the large, circular platform of Kilkenny marble was a static installation.
The explanation for the changing orientation of the orb lies in a subtle but crucial detail found in the artist's broader commentary on her work. Describing her sphere sculptures in general, O'Connell notes that "although very heavy, they are moveable and can form a part of a ritual". This indicates that the orb was not permanently fused to the platform in a single orientation. It was likely repositioned manually, perhaps by maintenance crews during servicing, over the course of its two decades in the park. These periodic, deliberate adjustments would account for the user's correct observation that the orb appeared in different positions on different occasions.
A secondary factor contributing to this perception could be the powerful optical effects of the sculpture itself. As O'Connell intended, the inverted and distorted real-time images on the sphere's surface would change dramatically depending on the viewer's angle, the quality of the light, the weather, and the time of day. This constant flux of reflected and refracted imagery could easily create a powerful illusion of movement or a sense of seeing the object differently each time, reinforcing the impression of a changed orientation even when none had occurred.
The Artist's Intent: A Crystal Ball for the Park
Tina O'Connell's artistic vision for 'In-Visible', which quickly became known locally as the 'Orb Fountain', was a radical departure from the decorative classicism of the original. Her primary goal was to create an intervention that would "resonate with the specific cultural context of Waterford and the landscape of the People's Park". The most powerful cultural signifier she identified was the city's world-famous Waterford Glass industry. Drawing on this heritage, O'Connell's initial, highly ambitious concept was to create a massive, solid glass sphere—a "crystal ball" that would function as a powerful optical apparatus.
The artistic function of the piece was not to be a static object of admiration, but an active agent in altering perception. O'Connell designed the sphere to work like a camera obscura, a device that projects an image of its surroundings. The powerful optics of the sphere would capture real-time images of the park's environment—the trees, the sky, the people—and invert them on its surface. This would create a surreal and engaging experience for the viewer, who could watch fellow park-goers walk past upside down or see the sky reflected at their feet. The art, therefore, was not merely the physical form of the orb, but the dynamic, ever-changing, inverted image of the world it presented. As the artist stated, the final work was intended to be "both a sculpture and an image, which... captures life, not through the transmission of messages or representations captured on film, but through the physics of light bent and diverted through the material form itself".
From Deep-Sea Bell to Public Art: A Feat of Material Science
The translation of this profound artistic concept into a physical reality proved to be a formidable technical challenge. The initial plan to fabricate a two-metre solid glass sphere was found to be beyond the available resources and timeline. The process was extraordinarily complex, requiring input from a NASA engineer with experience in producing the enormous lens for the Hubble Space Telescope. Much like the slowly cooling kilns at Waterford Crystal, the glass sphere would have needed a specialist oven to manage the extreme temperatures required to cast and anneal such a large volume of glass without it cracking—a process that was prohibitively expensive and time-consuming.
Faced with this obstacle, O'Connell and her team pivoted to an innovative materials-based solution. The answer was found at Stanley Plastics in the UK, a company specialising in high-grade acrylics. There, the artist discovered a form that could serve as a viable alternative: a deep-sea submarine diving bell. This two-metre diameter sphere, made from optically advanced, high-grade acrylic, provided the necessary transparency and durability. Working with specialists, it was calculated that by filling the hollow acrylic shell with a constant stream of clear, filtered water, they could create a form that was "optically equivalent to a glass sphere". This ingenious solution allowed the artist to achieve her desired camera obscura effect through a combination of advanced plastics and fluid dynamics, rather than solid glass.
The final sculpture was a minimalist masterpiece. The vast, transparent acrylic sphere was positioned on a large, circular platform made from black Kilkenny marble. A continuous flow of clear water was pumped to the apex of the orb, cascading evenly over its entire surface and into the basin below. This created a striking contrast in form and texture between the hard, smooth acrylic, the dark, solid marble, and the fluid, shimmering water. The sound of the cascading water was an "added bonus," adding a calming auditory dimension to the profound visual experience.
The Question of Rotation: Fact, Perception, and Mechanics
A central question for visitors who observed the fountain over many years was whether its base rotated. The perception that the orb was in different positions on different visits is accurate, but the mechanism behind this change was not automated. A thorough review of all available documentation, including the artist's statements, technical descriptions, and the tender for the fountain's eventual replacement, reveals no mention of any motor, turntable, or electrical system designed for rotation. The conclusion is that the large, circular platform of Kilkenny marble was a static installation.
The explanation for the changing orientation of the orb lies in a subtle but crucial detail found in the artist's broader commentary on her work. Describing her sphere sculptures in general, O'Connell notes that "although very heavy, they are moveable and can form a part of a ritual". This indicates that the orb was not permanently fused to the platform in a single orientation. It was likely repositioned manually, perhaps by maintenance crews during servicing, over the course of its two decades in the park. These periodic, deliberate adjustments would account for the user's correct observation that the orb appeared in different positions on different occasions.
A secondary factor contributing to this perception could be the powerful optical effects of the sculpture itself. As O'Connell intended, the inverted and distorted real-time images on the sphere's surface would change dramatically depending on the viewer's angle, the quality of the light, the weather, and the time of day. This constant flux of reflected and refracted imagery could easily create a powerful illusion of movement or a sense of seeing the object differently each time, reinforcing the impression of a changed orientation even when none had occurred.
