Wind Machine

Simpson’s multicolored whirligig, or wind machine, consists of 40 separate movable elements—fans, blades, propellers, wheels, and more—enabling it to take flight with even the slightest breeze. Recycling discarded parts from cars, bicycles, farm machinery, streetlights, and highway signs, Simpson transformed castoff objects and industrial materials into whimsical, dancing, spinning wind machines. A WWII veteran, Simpson built his first wind machine as a power source while stationed on the island of Saipan. He started creating kinetic sculptures out of found objects in eastern North Carolina when he retired in 1985. After a lifetime of designing and building heavy equipment for moving houses and running his own repair shop, Simpson had the skills and tools necessary for building his technically complex wind machines.