Gyre is a simple yet impressive and surreal set of rings created by Thomas Sayre of Clearscapes. Back in April I photographed the prototype of these rings, although I didn’t know it at the time. During the day, the rings are something to behold. At night, it is almost magical.

Although I didn’t know who Mr. Sayre was until somewhat recently, I’ve been fond of his work for some time now. The prototype for the World Wall at the Marbles Kids Museum was the very first thing I photographed in Raleigh after relocating from the mountains years ago.

Cast horizontally in the earth, each piece is then stood vertically with a large crane. Gyre derives its name from the Irish poet, W. B. Yates, who conceived of history as the complex movement of a spiral.

— Thomas Sayre

If you haven’t seen Gyre in person yet, I highly recommend it. It straddles the Capital Greenway at the North Carolina Museum of Art. Going there at night is a real treat, as the sounds of crickets and wind blowing is all that is heard as Gyre lights up the night sky like three burning rings of fire.