R. Buckminster Fuller

Buckminster Fuller’s Tensegrity sculpture (the title is a contraction of “tensional integrity”) demonstrates the designer’s principle of “discontinuous compression and continuous tension.” It represents an infinitely expandable modular form in which the six metal rods are held together only at their terminals by string. This modular system, similar to the structure of an atom and other forms in nature, is applied on a larger scale in Fuller’s geodesic domes and his Dymaxion House. Black-and-white images with text and Mylar overlays make Fuller’s two-dimensional renderings of his futuristic engineering projects and designs as dynamic as the three-dimensional Tensegrity. The complete portfolio serves as a visual retrospective of Fuller’s lifetime accomplishments as an inventor, engineer, architect, and artist.