“Honey, I took a shortcut. I should be a couple million years early for dinner”
Materials:
Typewriter case, picture frame, book and magazine clippings, speedometer, ignition switch, motors, LEDs, fresnel lens.
Project URL: Link
Check it out: Tipsy
I’ve explored the corkscrews-as-people theme before, but it was the discovery of an unusual brass one that got me interested again. This piece was also an excuse to delve into patinas. Note that the figure is polished shiny, while the rest is stained a deep brown/purple.
Materials:
Corkscrew, door hardware cover plates, cooking pot, candle stick parts, toy gearbox, motor, aluminum and brass stock.
I’ll have a number of small pieces in the show “Mechanical Life” at the Wallace L. Anderson Gallery, Bridgewater State University in Bridgewater MA October 15 through November 7. I’m honored to be alongside the likes of Tom Haney and J. Shea. I won’t be able to attend the show in person, but I’ll post photos as soon as they are available.
Just a reminder to anyone in the San Francisco Bay area, my new piece “Armed and Dangerous” will be on display at the Exploratorium through the weekend. There is an outdoor event that is free to the public on Saturday, and I’ll be hanging around from 11-3 just inside the main entrance (where my sculpture is installed).
It took some fiddling, but I finally got the little mechanism working on my new octopus piece. The principle is very simple, but there was a lot of room for error. I’m looking forward to coming up with some big spooky eyes next.
A litte while back I did a piece titled “Zip Synch“. After it found a home I was approached to make a similar piece on commission. The client was interested in the thematic value of the little vintage film canister cases and he even managed to source another pair for the project. In keeping with the theme, the base was built using two heavily modified winding mechanisms from a film editing machine.
The resulting piece was titled “The Conversation”.
A few weeks back I had the honor of participating in the Liu Lecture Series in Design at Stanford University.
I’ve posted video of the lecture in two segments here.
Saturday was Lost & Foundry Oakland’s open house. It was our best attended event yet! I can’t thank everyone enough for participating, and coming out to support us!
I’ve posted a slideshow of photos here for those who couldn’t make it.
We’ve got lots of great art out in our gallery, so I’ve set up a smaller show in my office with the remaining pieces.
New piece: The Pollinator.
A closer look into the reproductive process of flowers.
Materials: Timer case, bumblebee, lightbulb interior, plastic flowers, book and magazine clippings, motor, LEDs, fresnel lens.
Video of my new piece “The Pollinator”
Recently finished up a little Mermaid diorama piece. She began life as a swimmers trophy.
Here is a video of a recent little mermaid sculpture.
I’m working on a series of pieces that will be as tiny as I can manage. Equal parts fun and maddening.
Getting “Head Case #2” ready for the destructive force that is Maker Faire! He’ll be on display in the Applied Kinetic Arts booth in the South East corner of Expo Hall, San Mateo fairgrounds Saturday and Sunday, May 19-20.
He’ll be in good company too: Benjamin Cowden, Mark Galt, Aaron Geman, Jonathan Foote, and Tal Avitzur.
See the link below for a full program of exhibitors and events:
http://cdn.makezine.com/make/makerfaire/bayarea/2012/MF12BA_Program_LoResFINAL.pdf
Mayday! Mayday!
New piece finished up last minute before our show this weekend!
A stranger in an even stranger land finds himself in peril, desperate for a safe place to land.
Materials:
Radio cabinet, chalk line, license plate light bulb cover, typewriter cooling fan blade, radio tuning knobs, book illustration clippings, fresnel lens, LEDs, motors
Mayday! Mayday!
New piece finished up last minute before our show this weekend!
A stranger in an even stranger land finds himself in peril, desperate for a safe place to land.
Materials:
Radio cabinet, chalk line, license plate light bulb cover, typewriter cooling fan blade, radio tuning knobs, book illustration clippings, fresnel lens, LEDs, motors
Here is the video for my new piece: ”High Voltage“ 2012 (102” x 65” x 24”)
This sculpture uses an effect known as a “Jacob’s Ladder”. A high voltage arc is produced by way of a neon sign transformer, and then transmitted up the electrodes in the sculptures head. I’m personally very pleased with the movement with this one. All the action is generated within the abdomen. The little pistons in the ankles act as shock absorbers to smooth out the motion.
Materials:
Industrial water valve, scaffold tubing, street light support arms, glass tube, vacuum cleaners, lamp fixtures, bicycle pedal cranks, neon sign transformer, gears from floor polisher, magnifying lens, drain cover, high voltage vacuum tubes, hydraulic dampers, plastic, phenolic, motor, LEDs
New piece to share: “High Voltage“ 2012 (102” x 65” x 24”)
This sculpture uses an effect known as a “Jacob’s Ladder”. A high voltage arc is produced by way of a neon sign transformer, and then transmitted up the electrodes in the sculptures head. I’m personally very pleased with the movement with this one. All the action is generated within the abdomen. The little pistons in the ankles act as shock absorbers to smooth out the motion.
Materials:
Industrial water valve, scaffold tubing, street light support arms, glass tube, vacuum cleaners, lamp fixtures, bicycle pedal cranks, neon sign transformer, gears from floor polisher, magnifying lens, drain cover, high voltage vacuum tubes, hydraulic dampers, plastic, phenolic, motor, LEDs
Here is the video for my new piece:
“Cycloptopus” 2012 (65” x 57” x 29”)
Cycloptopus is a fearsome hybrid of two of my favorite monsters, one real, one mythical. This creature is particularly dangerous because of its irritability. You’d be irritable too if you were powered by an open flame and your body was made of wood.
Materials:
Radio cabinets, rocking chairs, fake fireplace, decorative clock elements, cabinet knobs, wall paper, chair parts, lamp parts, wheel hub, motors, LEDs
New piece to share: “Cycloptopus” 2012 (65” x 57” x 29”)
Cycloptopus is a fearsome hybrid of two of my favorite monsters, one real, one mythical. This creature is particularly dangerous because of its irritability. You’d be irritable too if you were powered by an open flame and your body was made of wood.
Materials:
Radio cabinets, rocking chairs, fake fireplace, decorative clock elements, cabinet knobs, wall paper, chair parts, lamp parts, wheel hub, motors, LEDs
Here is a video of my short presentation at the Exploratorium in San Francisco last weekend. It takes you through the basic process of making a sculpture, followed by an overview of my work in general.
This little machine will be installed in the head of the large cyclops-octopus-robot thing I’m working on. Its made from a truck wheel hub, a candle holder, the motor from a dollar bill intake machine, some LEDs, and a few other random parts.
I recently started working on a kaleidoscope sculpture. The idea is to hide the whole mechanism inside the old projector case in the background of this photo. A small hole in its side will provide a view of…. I don’t actually know what yet but it’s bound to be pretty surreal.