Dear: "Rensselaer" and Tom Payne,

I really enjoyed reading Tom Payne's article, "In Search of the Chrinitoid,"
in the Winter 2004 edition of "Rensselaer." Reading it brought me to the revelation that I had, in fact, spotted the Chrinitoid in Zurich, yet had dismissed the encounter as an impossibility!

In February of 2004 I was in Zurich with my family and glimpsed the Chrinitoid from a distance. Since we were only there for a cold winter afternoon before heading back to the US after a week of skiing in the Swiss Alps, and since my college reminiscing generates little interest from the family, I only commented on it briefly to my wife, Karen, and we moved on to pursue indoor, and warmer, activities. My comment, however, was one of immediate fond recollection, followed by surprise that there could possibly be two of these sculptures in existence; yet who would ship something that large across an ocean and continent? Impossible.

Anyway, I dismissed the thought and we went about enjoying the final day of our vacation. But the encounter triggered strong reminders of those glorious days of RPI in the 70's. I recall reaching up and trying to touch the slowly moving slabs as they drifted by. Success was only achieved by getting up on someone's shoulders, and a patient wait for a favorable rotation since the top of the post swiveled as well. And only by touching a slab was it's true mass revealed. Ah, such stimulus for a young engineer's mind!

Best regards,

Chris Cole '79
Windham, NH

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Tom,

Thanks for your earlier column about the Crinitoid in the Tute alumni mag. I, too, remember the Crinitoid fondly and the way that they used to anchor the thing to the Greene Building for its annual balance. It certainly lent character to the place...

I thought you might like to know that after reading your article, I asked someone I know that works at UBS Financial Services in Texas about the Rickey sculpture, thinking he could get me a photo for you - He sent me a link to their online gallery which features artwork that they have purchased around the world. There is a George Rickey sculpture featured on that website that is not the Crinitoid.

http://www.ubs.com/4/artcollection/the-collection/a-z/rickey-george-150/four-trapezoids-as-two-rectangles-675/index.html

I suspect that this "Four Trapazoids as Two Rectangles" is owned through a different arm/foundation of the company. I looked for the Chrinitoid but didn't manage to find it on this website. I must admit, though that I could do a fair amount more noodling on the site to see if I can uncover it. If I do, I'll let you know.

Joann Taylor
RPI '81, '83, '84.

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Tom,

I read with great interest your article, "In Search of the Chrinitoid", in the Winter issue of Rensselaer magazine. I recall your name from my days at RPI, though I can't place exactly where. It has been almost 20 years. I also graduated in 86', Computer Systems Engineering. I must either remember you from that or from fraternity stuff, Pi Kappa Alpha, IFC president at one point, did some senior week and student gov stuff. I've asked a buddy of mine from RPI who happens to be in Geneva to let me know if he ever gets over to Zurich and can send along a photo of the Chrinitoid. I also noticed that we happen to have similar jobs - I'm a solutions consultant for Siebel Systems, having spent about 7 years at Procter & Gamble, 7 more at Oracle and a brief stint at an internet startup before this gig.

I happen to live in Cincinnati now as do lots of RPI alum who made their way to either P&G or GE, so I pass by Two Rectangles Vertical Gyratory II, Variation IV almost every day on my way to work. Here are a couple more photos of this one.

Anyway - great article.

Jeff Pedicini
RPI, Class of '86

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Tom,

I was intrigued by your article in the winter Rensselaer magazine about the Chrinitoid, I always liked it, one of the few pieces of modern art to really have my admiration. The magazine arrived as I was planning a business trip that gave me a chance to go and check it out for myself. I just returned yesterday, and I found it, and yes, this does definitely appear to be our Chrinitoid. It looks no worse for wear than I remember it in the late '70s and '80. Seeing it in person helped confirm that it was indeed our Chrinitoid, from details like the access panel covers near the bearings that I remembered once seeing them again and the way it behaved in the wind. There was no strong wind the day I was in Zurich, so the panels mostly just hung limply and waved a bit occasionally, but it often did this at RPI too. I suspect it doesn't often get the strong winds in the city streets that it got on the hill above the '86 field; I remember some days at Rensselaer when it would really get twisting in the wind. It's along a river, but this is surrounded by buildings. I was there on a wintery Sunday, when there were not many people on the streets, but I suspect it's not as well loved by its new banker owners as it was by us. It's only one of a number of pieces of art I saw in the city of Zurich.

I now have a lot of digital pictures, and some movies made with my digital camera. Now, to figure out what to do with them. Do you want to use them? Maybe I'll put them up on a website when I get time.

I've attached a sampling of reduced size (but still large) pictures out of about 65 that I took. These were taken on Sunday, February 20, 2005.

Gary Strait '79 (and MSEE in '80)
Poughkeepsie, NY

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Hi Tom,

I just read your article in the RPI Alumni magazine - I also graduated from RPI, BS 87, MS 89 - see the magazine takes some time to get to me because I live in ... Switzerland - Zurich to be exact. I did an exchange year here at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, which started my fascination with Europe, and a number of years after working in NYC I moved back. Anyhow, when I saw the picture of the sculpture in the magazine, I knew I had seen that sculpture before, but am really not sure where. I transfered to RPI in Fall 84 and dont pass that UBS building much, but I know I have definately seen that sculpture, watched it move - perhaps it's the collective RPI memory. Anyhow, I know where the sculpture is, even took a walk by it tonight to make sure it was still there - a quick walk as it was cooooold outside. So you can live vicariously thru me for the time being and I guess what I can offer you is to take you right to it should you ever be able to visit Zurich.

Let me know if I can help you in any other way
- Leah Rollhaus

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