THE STARGAZER HISTORY
A work of art recognized by MoMA
(Collection since 1983)
BILL MOSS: THE STARGAZER
Not only is it beautiful, it offers superior tautness and excellent headroom compared to a dome with two poles crossing at a single point. Furthermore, the vesica piscis (pointed oval) ceiling at the top creates a spacious interior.
Moss's son, Jeff Moss, named this tent "Stargazer."
It was also the first camping tent to be selected for the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Whether viewed from above, the side, or inside, its meticulously designed, elegant curves and surfaces captivate. The model that inspired the Moss tent has been in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York since 1983. This simple tent, with poles crossed in a Pisces shape, is impressive not only for its appearance. Its smooth walls effectively deflect wind and rain, and its uniform tension creates high rigidity. Bill Moss tents are functional works of art.
The combination of symmetrical curves and curved fabric surfaces not only enhances the design, but also expands the interior space. This is why they are called functional art.
The roof of the Stargazer is a design that applies the vesica piscis, a two-dimensional geometric theory, to three dimensions. The curved surfaces created by the mesh fabric and pole sleeves are truly beautiful and tense.
In geometric terms, a sharp ellipse created by two overlapping arcs is called a "vesica piscis." This is the ellipse at the top of Moss's Stargazer tent.
According to MoMA curator Louisa Roach, the beauty of this top is what made Moss tents so popular in the museum's collection. To put it more simply, it achieves "the function of livability in the simplest and only way." Design and function were equivalent. The Vesica Piscis appears to be a "subset" of overlapping elements of "function" and "design."
MoMA, a museum that plays a pioneering role in the enlightenment of contemporary visual arts, acquired Moss's Stargazer in 1983, prior to its major renovation in 1984.
Charles Bill Moss, the God of Tents
Bill positioned tents as "functional artworks" and continued to create innovative, functional, and beautifully silhouetted pieces.
One of his signature works is the "Stargazer." This model, which later became part of MoMA's permanent collection, inspired tent designers worldwide and sparked the creation of subsequent stylish tents.