Bliss Dance, A 40 Foot Tall Steel Sculpture of a Dancing Woman

photos by Eric Peterson

photo by Don Cochrane

“Bliss Dance” by Marco Cochrane is a 40 foot tall sculpture of a dancing female figure composed of geodesic struts with a skin of steel mesh. Currently residing at the Great Lawn on Treasure Island near San Francisco, the sculpture originally debuted at Burning Man 2010 festival. Black Rocks Arts Foundation is hosting an opening reception for Bliss Dance on May 26, and is raising funds to extend the sculpture’s stay, which is currently scheduled to end in October.

The sculpture, of a dancing woman, stands 40 feet tall, weighs 7000 pounds and is ingeniously constructed of triangulated geodesic struts. By day, the dancer’s ‘skin’, made of stainless steal mesh, shimmers in the sun. By night, it alights brilliantly with a complex array of 1000 slowly changing l.e.d. colored lights. Viewers may interact with and manipulate the lighting effects with an iphone application. The dancer’s delicate, graceful form precariously balances on one foot, adding to the astonishing impression of imminent movement and lifelike presence.