By definition, a cloud forming a towering mass with a flat base at fairly low altitude and often a flat top, as in thunderstorms. This piece is from the artist’s personal collection.

Lyle London grew up in a military family that was regularly relocated and attended a total of eight schools before graduating from Punahou School in Honolulu, Hawaii. Adapting to constant change, Lyle relied on the inner world of his imagination and created art to sustain him through those tumultuous formative years.

At Dartmouth College, Lyle enrolled in the engineering program. After two years, he decided to follow his passion and change the focus of his studies to fine art. He has never had a reason to regret that decision. Since then, Lyle has sought a deeper understanding of our world by exploring the interplay between art and science — giving him a unique lens through which he draws his inspiration.

His works have been featured in a vast array of public and private companies and civic buildings, such as universities, cruise ships, hotels, airports and more. Locally, you can see “Montana” in the Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass. More of his work can be viewed on lylelondon.com.

In the artist’s own words:

The natural world provides my inspiration. I’ve immersed myself in spiral geometry and helical topology — it appears everywhere and at every scale in nature. It really is primal attraction. Most of my suspended sculptures and all of my 3D prints are inspired by this notion.

“ ‘CUMULONIMBUS’ is a sculpture created early in my career, shortly after moving to Phoenix from Los Angeles in the late ’70s while I lived at the long-gone Powder Horn Ranch stables on Cactus Road. I worked at Arizona Bronze at the time and made several of these organically shaped sculptures, all of which were one of a kind. The piece started as a copper wire armature, which was then covered with Lycra material, stretched and then tacked onto the armature with hot wax to create smooth curvilinear surfaces. This piece was sprayed with water and then caressed with a torch flame to create the cratering texture. After a ceramic mold encased it, it was then cast in bronze and finished with dark patina.”

Title: Cumulonimbus
Artist: Lyle London
Medium: Bronze
Dimensions: 24” x 48”