George Rickey was born in South Bend, Indiana, in 1907, but raised in Glasgow, Scotland, after his family moved there in 1913. His grandfather was a clockmaker and his father was an engineer, yet to their dismay Rickey abandoned engineering studies to become a painter, first moving to Paris, then heading to New York in 1934. Rickey fought in W.W. II, and his work with aircraft and machinery rekindled his interest in mechanics. When he returned to the U.S. he began making kinetic sculpture, which he called “useless machines.” Rickey’s graceful giants were executed in stainless steel, their slow movements calculated to the chilling millimeter. Now these staggering works are lining Park Avenue in New York. They are also featured in Kasmin’s sculpture park. —E.C.

George Rickey’s work will be on view on Park Avenue between 52nd and 56th Streets and at the Kasmin Sculpture Garden, on the High Line at 27th Street