Balancing Act

WHO
Mark A. Hutker FAIA

WHAT
George Rickey Kinetic Sculpture

Photograph by Jim Brueckner

When Mark Hutker inherited this delicate stainless-steel George Rickey sculpture from his longtime mentor, Jon McKee, the architect knew just where to display it: on a credenza in his living room, where it would inspire interaction. “Jon always encouraged children and adults alike to touch its balance bars,” Hutker says of the whimsical masterpiece. “The sculpture was always at eye level, inviting touch and enjoyment.”

In the three years since he assumed stewardship of the decades-old kinetic artwork, Hutker has come to regard it as a family heirloom. The sculpture also resonates with Hutker as a designer. “I love the way it defines space,” he says. “It’s at its best when a breeze blows through the room and it magically moves on its own.”