Metronome (1981), Star Kempf

Starr Kempf’s pieces are monumentally enhanced by their sheer size and spectacle. Their massive stature makes their movement all the more impressive. Matching the exterior of the Ent Center building, Metronome looms above its viewer. Representing 3 years of work, Metronome is reminiscent of its namesake featuring two weighted needles that sway back and forth with the wind. The needles are placed upon a structure that functions like a weathervane - allowing the needles to pivot in a 360-degree motion. Within the sculpture, a relatively small ball with blades allows the sculpture to move and spin freely in the wind – a trend that this piece shares with some of Kempf’s other works. 

Starr Kempf is well known for his monumental steel sculptures. Born in 1917, Kempf grew up on an Ohio farm, where he learned blacksmithing and carpentry from his family. Kempf attended the Cleveland Institute of Art and after graduating, served in the United States Air Force during World War II. In 1948, he purchased the property of his family’s future home in Cheyenne Canyon. Here Starr designed and built a house, art studio, and large sculpture garden to exhibit his pieces. The sculptures gained local and national attention and tourists come to view the spectacles.

Audio by Daniella Mata, for the Galleries of Contemporary Art at UCCS, 2023.