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List of Works of James Sanborn

Page last updated: January 28, 2005

Note from the Webmistress: This is a list of all of the pieces of James Sanborn artwork that I have heard of. Much of this information has been gained from web searches or anecdotal stories, so please do not assume that this list is comprehensive. If you know of a piece that I missed, or have additional information or pictures of any of the pieces listed here, please let me know!

 
 Title Location Medium Date
 
 Spun Accelerator Exhibition under name Herbert J. Sanborn, Jr: Virginia Artists 1973 spun aluminum ??
 
 
 Over-bend Exhibition under the name Herbert J. Sanborn, Jr.: Virginia Artists 1973 Sprayed acrylic cement ??
Criss-Cross Criss-Cross Alexandria, VA aluminum plate, 7'x10'x10' 1974
Rolled Aluminum Rolled Aluminum ?? Aluminum, 16' x 10' x 3' 1975
Patapsco Delta
 Patapsco Delta
(aka Patapsco River Project) 		Baltimore, MD Concrete, Mayari R Steel, aluminum, brass 1976-1979
Elk Delta (also "Elk River Project") Charleston Civic Center, WV Aluminum and granite, 60' x 60' x 20' 1976-1980
    Navy Department,
Crystal City, VA		 Aluminum ??
  Filled Canyon Diane Brown Gallery sandstone, 8' x 7' x10' 1979
  Split Butte - Filled Diane Brown Sculpture Space pyramid of stacked sandstone bands ??
Valley-Butte-Valley Butte Valley, Butte Valley, Butte Diane Brown Sculpture Space sandstone, 8'x7'x4" 1979
  Tornado Canyon Diane Brown Sculpture Space sandstone, metal bands, brass sheeting ??
  Shifted Canyon Filled "Sedimentary Constructions," Diane Brown Sculpture Space sandstone  
Landslide Canyon (also known as "Filled Canyon", 8x7x10) "Sedimentary Constructions," Diane Brown Sculpture Space sandstone, 8'x7'x8" 1979
  Magnetic North "Sedimentary Constructions," Diane Brown Sculpture Space gray stone, green quartz  
Lightning Mountain   sandstone 4'x3'x6' 1979
  Polar Horizon   gypsum, crystals, 16x8x6' 1980
Baltimore's West Cold Street Station
 Cold Spring Outcrop (may also be known as "Wabash Outcrop")
 West Cold Spring Metro Stop
Baltimore, MD		 Sandstone sculpture 1981-1983
Installation at the Hirshhorn - image courtesy of Francoise Yohalem Collection: Lightning and Other Earthly Forces Diane Brown Gallery lodestones, suspended needles, sandstone 1981-1982
  Three Ranges   sandsone, 30x18x10' 1982
  Last Night's Strike Diane Brown Gallery lodestone, needle, light, shadow  
Invisible Forces - Photo by David Crosley Invisible Forces Installation Lawndale Annex, Houston, TX sandstone, steel 1982
Sedimentary Tower Sedimentary Tower   sandstone 14'x12'x12' 1982
Untitled from Diane Brown Gallery untitled Diane Brown Gallery sandstone, lodestone, compass 4'x1'x4" 1982
Recent Outcrop - image courtesy of Francoise Yohalem Recent Outcrop Baltimore, MD Sandstone 7'x4'x16' 1981
Lightning Horizon Lightning Horizon Diane Brown Gallery sandstone, lodestone, compasses - 7'x18"x4" 1982
 
 Invisible Forces and the Art of the Quest Exhibition: The Next Juried Show, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts NFS compasses, lodestone, fool's gold, basalt, sandstone, theatrical lights, and the mummified corpse of Ti Ameny Net in a polychromed wooden case (Egyptian, 22nd Dynasty, on loan from the University of Richmond, Ancient World Galley Collection) 1983
    Kawasaki International Peace Park,
Kawasaki, Japan		 Two parallel lightning bolts of assembled stone 1983
"All the ships sailed in circles" - image courtesy of Francoise Yohalem All the Ships Sailed in Circles
(additional image here, and video here)		 Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts
Kaohsiung, Taiwan R.O.C.		 granite, quartz, lodestone, copper, chinese text, water channel - 30'd x 14'h ??
  Ferrous Aquafer   shadow, sandstone, 6x1x4' 1985
    Tampa Museum of Art, Tampa, FL   ??
Conjured Visions, Infamous Traingles and the Oriental Mariner - image courtesy of Francoise Yohalem Conjured Visions, Infamous Triangles and the Oriental Mariner
(additional image here)		 Southeast Center for Creative Arts
Winston-Salem, North Carolina		 stone, light, needles, gold-leaf 1984-1985
Striking Stones Under the Thunder
 Striking Stones Under the Thunder

Exhibition: Natural Settings
Exhibition: Covert Obsolescence

 Sandstone, lodestone, shadow, and slate. 20' x 11' x 3' (also listed as 25' x 12' x 4') 1985
Frozen Cyclones Frozen Cyclones   sandstone, shadow, fossil
17' x 11' x 4'		 1985
Find the Lodestone
 Find the Lodestone Artery Plaza Building
Bethesda, MD		 Quartz, sandstone, granite, 13x5x5' 1985
Artery Plaza Column Hidden under the Three Events Artery Plaza Building
Bethesda, MD		 granite, slate 1985
Maquette for proposed installation at University of Colorado maquette for University of Colorado   granite & quartz 1985
  Sailing Too Close to Magnet Mountain   sandstone, lodestone, 30x20x7' 1986
Invisible Forces Invisible Forces "Electronic Industries Alliance" building,
Arlington, VA		 18' high granite, ice-blue quartz, magnetized lodestone 1987
 
 All Things Turned to Stone ?? ?? 1987
James Center - image courtesy of Francoise Yohalem James Center Plaza James Center
Richmond, VA
(no longer in existence)		 historic granite canal blocks, granite paving, lodestone, quartz, 400x400' 1987
Elonka visiting Kryptos in October 2002
 Kryptos

CIA Headquarters, Langley, Virginia
also:
Exhibition: Covert Obsolescence
Exhibition: Secrets Passed

 Entrance: 150'L x 12' w x 3'h
 Courtyard Plaza: 20'L x 10'w x12'h
Courtyard lawn: 60'L x 12'w x 3'h
Polished red granite, quartz,. copperplate, lodestone, encoded text, myscanthus grasses, water, and petrified wood		 Commissioned in 1988, dedicated 1990
Code Room - half-height encoded cylinder from "Covert Obsolescence" exhibition
 Code Room
(half-height illuminated Kryptos Vigenere cylinder)		 Exhibition: Covert Obsolescence ?? 1990
Encoded Cylinder from "Covert Obsolescence" exhibition
 Encoded Cylinder Exhibition: Covert Obsolescence ?? 1990
Vortex Projection - Phillips Collection Vortex Projection 1   water, fossils, underwater light, 12x12x12' 1990
  Covert Obsolescence   pulped classified dcouments from the CIA, enciphered English text, 18" x 84" 1990
  Covert Obsolescence   pulped classified dcouments from the CIA, enciphered English text, 5' x 8' 1991
  Vortex Projection 2   changed position, water, fossils, underwater light, 12x12x12' 1990
 
 Covert Operations Fragment Federal Reserve Board Art Gallery Pulped paper from CIA - 17" x 75" 1991
 
 Covert Operations Exhibition: Secrets Passed Pulped documents encoded text (English) - 5'x8' 1991
Covert Operations (Cyrillic), made of pulped paper from CIA
Covert Operations Exhibition: Secrets Passed Pulped documents encoded text (Cyrillic) - 5'x8' 1991
 
 Covert Operations Exhibition: Secrets Passed Pulped documents encoded text (2) (English) - 5'x8' 1991
 
 Covert Operations Exhibition: Secrets Passed Pulped documents encoded text (Arabic) - 3'x3' 1991
 
 Fragment Exhibition: Secrets Passed Pulped documents encoded text (Arabic) 12" x 14" 1991
 
 Fragment Exhibition: Secrets Passed Pulped documents encoded text (2) (Arabic) - 12" x 14" 1991
Untitled Kryptos Piece (2001-present) Private sculpture garden in California copper, petrified tree, waterjet cut text (half Cyrillic/KGB, half Kryptos text) - 80"x45"x13" 1992
The Cyrillic Projector at University of North Carolina, Charlotte
 The Cyrillic Projector (aka "Encoded Cylinder") University of North Carolina, Charlotte Bronze, light, 5' diam Created in early 90s, installed in 1997
 
 Code Room Exhibition: Covert Obsolescence
Exhibition: Secrets Passed		 bronze cylinder (cyrillic projector encoded text), petrified tree 1992
Listening Post - Covert Obsolescence exhibition
 Listening Post Exhibition: Covert Obsolescence copper screen, paper pulp, projector, film loop, theater lights 1992
Archeotranscription Exhibition: Secrets Passed Plexiglass, double-etched copper microfilm KGB documents - 23" x 24" 1992
Indian Run Park

Indian Run Park

 U.S. Federal Courthouse
Beltsville, MD		 granite, copper, water, Iroquois text, bronze cylinder with Onondaga text, myscanthus grasses, "Seneca Red" gravel, 5,000 - 10,000 arrowheads 1994
Federal Bankruptcy Court, Little Rock Arkansas - image courtesy Francoise Yohalem Ex Nexum Federal Bankruptcy Court
Little Rock, Arkansas		 red and black granite, waterjet cut Greek and Latin text, bronze - 16'L x 6'w x 6'h ??
Maquette for Bellevue Washington Library (proposed) Maquette for Bellevue Washington Library Bellevue, Washington papyrus, bronze, copper, projected text 1993
Coastline National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration
Silver Spring, MD		 Granite, water, wave generator (Variwave multisequential, computer controlled pneumatically operated system) 1993
MIT Biology Department Paleos
additional images here and here		 Massachusetts Institute of Technology Biology Department limestone, fossilized ripple rock,  green quartz, petrified wood, white marble, floor projection of interchangeable microscopic slides, 13' x 60' x 12' 1994
  Inganno Deceit Filter
(Italian: deceit)		 Exhibition: Filter Media Copper, 12x15x1.5" 1994
  Tromperie Deceit Filter
(French: deceit)		 Exhibition: Filter Media Copper, 12x15x1.5" 1994
  Kryptos Decoding Filter
(Greek: hidden)		 Exhibition: Filter Media Aluminum, brass, copper, shadow, 51 (h) x 17 (di) inches 1994
  Obmah Deceit Filter
(Russian: deceit)		 Exhibition: Filter Media Copper, 12x15x1.5" 1994
  Falta Deceit Filter
(Spanish: deceit)		 Exhibition: Filter Media Copper, 12x15x1.5" 1994
  Fallacia Deceit Filter
(Latin: deceit)		 Exhibition: Filter Media Copper, 12x15x1.5" 1994
  Lux - Light, Mind Filter
(Latin: light)		 Exhibition: Filter Media Copper lighting instrument, telescope and tripod. Variable dimensions 1994
   Ombre - Shadow Filter
(French: shadow)		 Exhibition: Filter Media Copper, reflection, and stainless steel. 44x14x13.5" 1994
  CBET - Decoding Filter
(Russian: light)		 Exhibition: Filter Media Aluminum, brass, copper, and shadow. 51 (h) x 17 (di) inches 1994
  Minutia - Minutia Filter
(English: small details)		 Exhibition: Filter Media Brass, copper, lens, and shadow. 15" x 12" 1994
  TEHb - Shadow Filter
(Russian: shadow)		 Exhibition: Filter Media Aluminum, brass, copper, and shadow. 54" x 24" 1994
  CBET - Light Filter
(Russian: light)		 Exhibition: Filter Media Aluminum, brass, copper, and shadow. 54" x 24" 1994
  Inclinare, Aequus - Bias Filter
(Latin: bian, unbiased)		 Exhibition: Filter Media Aluminum, brass, copper, and shadow. 60" x 13.25" x 13.25" 1994
Black & white photograph of "Animisme" piece Animisme Exhibition: Metaphysical Metaphors shimenawa (rice straw rope), mica, 35mm projection, monofilament, steel 1994
Implied Geometries: Notom, Utah
 Implied Geometries: Notom, Utah Numark Gallery Photography of projected light 120' square 1995
Laramie Wyoming III, image courtesy Francoise Yohalem Topographic Projection - Laramie, Wyoming III   projected light 50'H x 300'w x 60'd (grid) 1995
Laramie, Wyoming IV - image courtesy Francoise Yohalem Implied Geometry, Projected Light: Laramie, WY IV 105 degrees 15'W
 41 degrees 15" N		 projected light 40' cube 1995
Topographic Projection: Shiprock, New Mexico
 Topographic Projection: Shiprock, New Mexico (106 degrees 48' W, 41 degrees 15'N) "Altered Landscape" collection, Nevada projected light 1700'h x 2000'w x 700'd 1995
Cainville, Utah Cainville, Utah 111 3' W
38 17' 57" N		 projected light 100' triangle 1995
Blue Mesa Utah I Blue Mesa Utah I - Topographic Projection Blue Mesa, Utah Projected light, 500'H x 1400'W x 300'D 1995
 
 Implied Geometry Horse Valley Utah I ?? inverted triangle: ?? ??
Horse Valley, Utah - image courtesy of Francoise Yohalem Horse Valley, Utah 110 degrees, 59'.22" W
38 degrees 21' 5"H		 projected light 175' triangle 1995
Horse Valley II Horse Valley II - Topographic Projection ?? Projected light, 200'H x 900'W x 200'D 1995
Canyonlands, Utah IV109 35' 12" W
88 29' 10"N		projected light 400'h x 800'w x 300'd (grid)1995
Text Projection - Blue Mesa Utah projected light (LUX, N. Latin, Light) 300'H x1200'W x300'D)1995
Laramie Wyoming V - image courtesy Francoise YohalemLaramie, Wyoming V105 15' W
41 15" N		projected light - 150'h x300'w x 60'd1995
Goblin Valley, Utah - image courtesy Francoise YohalemGoblin Valley, Utah110 46' 28" W
35 31' 56" N		projected light 200'h x 500'w x 80'd (grid)1996
untitled projected light of concentric circles on a river valley 
untitled projected light of concentric circles on hill 
untitled projected light of concentric squares 
image courtesy Francoise YohalemTopographic Projection - Beara Peninsula I, Ireland projected light 80'H x 150'w x 80'd (grid) 
Horse Valley III - image courtesy of Francoise YohalemHorse Valley, Utah III110 59'3.24"W
35 21'5"H		projected light 500' h x 1600'w x 500'd (grid)1996
 Horse Valley Utah IV 110 59' 22" W 58 21'5"N projected light 150' h x 400'w x 400'd, and Ilfachrome print, 48" x 60" 1995, 1996
Volcan Joshua Tree - image courtesy of Francoise YohalemVolcan - Joshua Tree, California III116 10' 45" w 
34 1' 20" N
(Current print location, law offices in Washington DC)		photograph1996
Bentonite Hills, Utah I111 11' 10" W
38 25' 15" N		projected light 500'h x 1700'w x 500'd (Lux)1996
Rough Rock, Arizona108 45'3.3"W
35 25' 45"N		projected light 500'h x 1700'w x 500'd (concentric circles)1996
Kayenta Arizona 2, 1996, documentary photograph, 30 by 36 inches, of projected light, 1,000 by 1,500 by 50 feet; at Numark.Kayenta Arizona 2NumarkDocumentary photograph 30" x 36" of projected light, 1000'H x 1500'W x 500'D (grid)1995, 1996
Laramie, Wyoming II 105 15'W
41 15"N		 projected light 400'h x 400'w x 600'd (grid) 1996
 
 Laramie, WY IV Exhibition: Landscapes, Records of Actions Ilfachrome print, 24" x 30" 1996
Hurah Pass - image courtesy Francoise Yohalem Implied Geometry Hurah Pass Utah 108 35' 12" W
35 28' 10" N		 projected light 400' cube 1996
Topographic Projectionn - County Claire, Ireland
 Kilkee, County Claire 1, Ireland Exhibition: Landscapes, Records of Actions Ilfachrome print, 24" x 30" 1997
 
 Green River, Utah Exhibition: Landscapes, Records of Actions Ilfachrome print, 24" x 30" 1998
Adam's Smith Spinning Top, courtesy of Randall Bollig  
 Adam Smith's Spinning Top
(more info here and here, and additional image here)		 University of North Carolina, Charlotte Bronze, 9' x 12' 1996-1997
Antipodes sculpture at Hirshhorn

 

 Antipodes Hirshhorn Museum, D.C. Copper and petrified wood - 6'L x 2'w x 9'h 1997
Second Adam Smith's Spinning Top sculpture, in Ohio - picture courtesy of Dr. Richard Nelson
 Wealth of Nations (aka "Adam Smith's Spinning Top #2")
(more pictures here and here)		 Cleveland State University Bronze and waterjet cut text - 20'd x 9' h 1998
Manuscript Pages in Cleveland University Law Library
 Manuscript Pages
(more pictures here)		 Cleveland State University, Law Library ?? ??
Light Volume Study, Bandon Oregon - (Rocks may be "Cat and Kittens" from Indian story)
 Light Volume Study 1: Bandon, Oregon Numark Gallery Photograph of projected light on fog, diameter 2 miles 1998
image courtesy of James Sanborn, Numark Gallery, and Corcoran Museum Laboratory Environment for the Assembly of the Trinity Device (c. 1945) Exhibition: Atomic Time aluminum, brass, gold-,silver- and nickel-plated brass, led, stainless steel, boron-impregnated plastic, detector probes, Geiger-Muller counters, simulated hydraulic lifts, graphite, wire and sound
12 x 35 x 25', dimensions variable.
 1998-2003
image courtesy of James Sanborn, Numark Gallery, and Corcoran Museum Los Alamos G-M Counters and Electronics Exhibition: Atomic Time Electronic instruments
84 x 22 x 18", chassis dimensions		 1998-2003
image courtesy of James Sanborn, Numark Gallery, and Corcoran Museum Assembly for Determining Critical Mass
(additional image here)		 Exhibition: Atomic Time Graphite blocks, tungsten carbide, stainless steel, chromium, silver-plated brass, detector probes, G-M counter, simulated hydraulic lift, wire, and sound
48 x 48 x 48", dimensions variable		 1998-2003
image courtesy of James Sanborn, Numark Gallery, and Corcoran Museum Device for Measuring the Neutron Flux of a Uranium Core Exhibition: Atomic Time Paraffin blocks, chromium, stainless steel, brass, detector probes, oscilloscope, simulated hydraulic lift, wire, sound, and deuterium gas cylinder
48 x 70 x 48", dimensions variable		 1998-2003
image courtesy of James Sanborn, Numark Gallery, and Corcoran Museum Assembly for a Los Alamos Prototype II Exhibition: Atomic Time Los Alamos prototype, boron-impregnated polyethylene, lead, aluminum, graphite, G-M counters, detector probes, and wire
48 x 60 x 48", dimensions variable		 1998-2003
Mini-park in Stamford Connecticut
 UConn Stamford Mini-Park
(text in English, Algonquin, and binary)		 University of Connecticut, Stamford Copper, granite, plant material 1999
Brochure of Binary Systems sculpture in Martinsburg, West Virginia
 Binary Systems
other images here and here		 Central Computing Facility
Internal Revenue Service,
Martinsburg, WV		 Copper, granite, lodestone 1999
Caloosahatchee Manuscripts (also known as "Lux")
(text in English and Creek Indian language -- more info here and additional images here and here)		 Old Post Office Building
Fort Myers, Florida		 bronze, waterjet cut text, pin point light source 2001
Libros - image courtesy Francoise Yohalem Libros
(additional image here)		 Northwest Regional Library
Coral Springs, Florida		 suspended scroll 28' H x 3'W, freestanding screen 5'H x16'L - bronze, copper, waterjet cut texts ??
Circulating Capital, Connecticut
 Circulating Capital
(more info here)		 Central Connecticut State University
New Britain, CT		 Bronze 2001
image courtesy of James Sanborn, Numark Gallery, and Corcoran Museum Joachimsthal, Bavaria Exhibition: Atomic Time
Uranium autoradiograph, Ilfachrome print
30 x 36"
 2001
image courtesy of James Sanborn, Numark Gallery, and Corcoran Museum Carrizozo, N.M., July 16, 1945 Exhibition: Atomic Time Radium clock dial, Ilfachrome print
30 x 36"		 2001
Lingua
(additional images here, here and here. )		 New Washington DC Convention Center Two 16' tall 12' diameter cylinders, with waterjet cut text in Russian, Chinese, Abyssinian, French, Spanish, Latin, Greek, and Iroquois 2002
Zola Spy Restaurant
 (additional images here,
and transcript and translation of Russian dead-drop plaques here)		 Zola Spy Restaurant, Washington, D.C.
(other info here)		 pulped documents with stamped text in Russian and English, metal plates with Russian text 2002
Photo of Sanborn's "A,A" sculpture by Thomas Shea
 "A,A"
(additional information here and images here)		 M.D. Anderson Library, University of Houston
Cylinder and metallic scroll 2004
Sanborn sculpture "Iacto" outside the Adler Journalism Building
 Iacto
(additional images here and here)		 Adler Journalism Building, University of Iowa, Iowa City
Metallic Cylinder 2004


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