Fulcrum’s design and name came about as a result of explorations in the 1980s of the challenge of creating counter-balance in a large-scale work. The initial Fulcrum model, begun in 1989, incorporated two structures that implied powerful forces in opposition that also allowed for compatible formal relationships among all the elements in the piece.  The final work was completed in 2001 in the then new Chattanooga studio.

When John Henry was asked to participate in the Blickachsen 3 Biennale exhibition in Bad Homburg, Germany, Fulcrum was chosen as the most appropriate work for this venue. The largest piece in the exhibition, Fulcrum stood for nine months in Bad Hamburg’s world-renowned Kurpark in the heart of the city. Wilhelm Speckhardt, Oberburgermeister of Eschborn, Germany, attended the exhibition and upon seeing Fulcrum, insisted the work be placed in the center of his town. A year later, Fulcrum was moved to Eschborn, where it remains and has become an icon for the city.