Published June 05. 2026 05:34AM<\/p>\n
\u201cGraham Lucks: Kinetic Sculpture and Michio Ihara: Works on Paper,\u201d brings energy to light at Arthaus, Allentown.<\/p>\n
\u201cGraham Lucks creates abstract, kinetic and light sculptures that explore the unpredictability of movement, incorporating chance and complexity into otherwise minimalist designs,\u201d says the exhibition\u2019s curator Deborah Rabinsky.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile employing engineering concepts and new technologies, the works\u2019 simultaneously playful and meditative aspects evoke a sense of wonder,\u201d Rabinsky says.<\/p>\n
Complementing Lucks\u2019 sculptures are drawings from the 1950s and photographs of large-scale public sculpture created by his late mentor, Michio Ihara.<\/p>\n
\u201cI met him in maybe 1992,\u201d says Lucks about Ihara, who had his studio in Lucks\u2019 hometown of Concord, Mass. \u201cI started working for him at age of 16.\u201d<\/p>\n
After graduating from high school, Lucks received a Bachelors in engineering from Swarthmore College, then worked for Ihara for 25 years.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe taught me everything I know about metalworking,\u201d says Lucks, who traveled the world with his employer to assist with his large-scale projects.<\/p>\n
Born in Paris in 1928 and raised in Japan, Ihara was a renowned Japanese sculptor who emigrated to the United States on a Fulbright Foundation grant in 1960. His multi-story works are on display at Rockefeller Center, New York City, and internationally.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has five pendulums that swing,\u201d says Lucks about one of his own works in the exhibition, \u201cUntitled\u201d (2026; stainless steel, ball bearings, granite). \u201cWhat I like about that, is you can still see through the stainless steel at other pieces as it is moving,\u201d says Lucks.<\/p>\n
\u201cI generally don\u2019t title my works. I hope the pieces kind of speak for themselves in a way,\u201d Lucks says.<\/p>\n
The exhibit includes wire sculpture and wired pieces that light up electronically.<\/p>\n
Lucks has a studio at 520 Hamilton St., Allentown, in a facility run by ArtsQuest. His studio is a short walk to the Allentown Art Museum where his wife, Elaine Mehalakes, is vice president of curatorial affairs. The couple resides in Fountain Hill.<\/p>\n
\u201cGraham Lucks: Kinetic Sculpture and Michio Ihara: Works on Paper,\u201d through June 10, Arthaus, 645 W. Hamilton St., Allentown. Gallery hours: 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. Tuesday – Saturday. Closed Sunday, Monday. 610-841-4866; refindallentown@gmail.com<\/p>\n
\u201cGallery View\u201d is a column about artists, exhibitions and galleries. To request coverage, email: Paul Willistein, Focus editor, pwillistein@tnonline.com<\/p>\n
PRESS PHOTO BY ED COURRIERGraham Lucks with his sculpture, left, \u201cUntitled\u201d and, right, Michio Ihara\u2019s \u201cUntitled.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Published June 05. 2026 05:34AM \u201cGraham Lucks: Kinetic Sculpture and Michio Ihara: Works on Paper,\u201d brings energy to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":211597,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[153,155,154],"class_list":["post-211596","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-bethlehem","tag-bethlehem","tag-bethlehem-headlines","tag-bethlehem-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/211596","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=211596"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/211596\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/211597"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=211596"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=211596"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=211596"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}