Flowforms

John Wilkes, who died in 2011, studied sculpture at the Royal College of Art. While in London he met George Adam and Theodor Schwenk, a pioneer in water research and author of Sensitive Chaos. Wilkes joined the Institute for Flow Sciences in Herrischried, Germany and began his investigations into the flow and rhythm of water which would eventually result in the Flowform. During this period, he also worked at the Goetheanum in Switzerland where he researched and restored Rudolf Steiner's sculptural and architectural models. In 1971 he joined Emerson College in Forest Row, Sussex, and is now Director of the Virbela Rhythm Research Institute.

'With extraordinary depth of vision, Wilkes shares more than thirty years of accumulated ideas, experiments, experiences and creative, innovative designs with water. Benefits from many photographs and illustrations.'-- Maggie Lee, Resurgence, May 2004'John Wilkes patented his first Flowform water sculpture over 30 years ago. This is the story of his studies into the nature and behaviour of water and the pioneering development of the special water sculptures. Detailed accounts of research are richly illustrated, including many beautiful images of the swirling patterns. The book is full of both scientific observations and a celebration of the beauty and wonder of water, and the beauty and wonder of the sculptures it has inspired John Wilkes and his team to create.'-- Kathleen Askew, Permaculture, March 2004'One of the aims of the book is to raise our consciousness about water and get us to reassess our attitude to it and in this it most definitely succeeds. With the aid of copious photographs, drawings and diagrams, our attention is drawn to how much life there is in water. I found this an extremely interesting, informative and attractive book.'-- Rosemary Usselman, New View, December 2003'Contains many beautiful illustrations of water-in-motion from rivers and waterfalls, to the art of designing water features for a garden.'-- Pentacle, Spring 2004

• Part 1: Rhythm and polarity1. Water and rhythm2. Rhythm and flow: the water cycle3. MetamorphosisPart 2: Discovering the Flowform4. Experimenting with water5. Discovery of the Flowform Method6. The Flowform and the Living WorldPart 3: Applications and Research7. Järna: the first major Flowform project8. The next generation of Flowforms9. The Metamorphic Sequence10. Research with Cascades11. Flowform related developments12. The Flowform throughout the World13. Present and FutureAppendix 1: MetamorphosisAppendix 2: Flowform types, designs and applicationsAppendix 3: Scientific and technical aspectsAppendix 4: Virbela Rhythm Research Institute