Plastic in Motion

Abstract

In 1970, Los Angeles–based artist Frederick Eversley began making parabolic sculptures cast in polyester resin. These “lenses” were visual marvels awash in color, finely rendered by the artist in plastic. At the time, plastics commanded a strong presence in artists’ studios throughout the United States. Eversley was unique in his approach to casting through motion, drawing from his scientific background. He had worked as an aerospace engineer in the 1960s, testing instrumentation systems for NASA during the Space Race. After turning to artmaking, he developed a method of centrifugal casting to capture concepts of energy in sculptural form. This essay follows Eversley’s lenses—from the studio to the exhibition space—to show how his work was informed by his experience as an engineer, his exposure to the Los Angeles art scene, and the pressures imposed upon him as a Black artist working in plastics.