Jay Rubinstein makes wooden mobiles, often in response to poems or stories. His intention is to make objects that are beautiful but also carry meaning. He looks for ways in which mobiles will enable a single shape to represent different things depending on viewpoint or distance. Sometimes images appear and disappear as the air takes the piece, or the onlooker moves and changes perspective.
Every stage of making Jay’s mobiles involves exploration, decisions and revisions. The colours produced by various timbers, the shapes it is possible for him to make, and the forms they suggest in turn, the stringing of the pieces, and the movement in the final piece: these all require deliberation and experiment.
Even when making a mobile closely allied to a previous one, Jay is constantly exploring modification and development. He says, “One can never reach perfection but one can aim for continuous improvement.”
Jay joined Design-Nation in 2025 as an Associate member, moving up to Professional in 2026.
