After his successful chair designs for Knoll, Harry Bertoia dedicated his time to artistic pursuits. One of his ongoing projects was a series of kinetic sculptures consisting of metal rods, which he began in the 1960s. When the rods strike one another, they produce an ethereal, mesmerizing, and sometimes haunting sound. The thickness, height, and placement of the rods alters the resonance and Bertoia experimented with different configurations to produce varying effects. He defined Sonambient as the sound environment created by these tonal sculptures. (Watch this video to hear them in action.) Photo 1 of 7 in Captivating Sound Sculptures by Design Icon Harry Bertoia by Diana Budds

Captivating Sound Sculptures by Design Icon Harry Bertoia

1 of 7

After his successful chair designs for Knoll, Harry Bertoia dedicated his time to artistic pursuits. One of his ongoing projects was a series of kinetic sculptures consisting of metal rods, which he began in the 1960s. When the rods strike one another, they produce an ethereal, mesmerizing, and sometimes haunting sound. The thickness, height, and placement of the rods alters the resonance and Bertoia experimented with different configurations to produce varying effects. He defined Sonambient as the sound environment created by these tonal sculptures. (Watch this video to hear them in action.)