This Is Not A Drill

This was the first piece I completed during the initial days of the Covid 19 pandemic quarantine order.

 It is a continuation of my absurdist “Counterfeit Antiques” theme, and an attempt to process some of the angst of that moment.  “Social Distancing” was the phrase on everyones lips, and there was great anxiety around coming into contact with other people.  This tool was a joke suggesting an extreme level of assistance with ordinary tasks that suddenly seemed dangerous (like handshakes, and touching doorknobs). This piece actually still functions as an electric jackhammer.  I chose not to shoot video of it, because it mostly just succeeds at making a lot of noise.

Every element was found — scrap yards, second-hand stores, dumpsters — then cleaned, stripped, sorted and rebuilt. Found aluminum is TIG-welded and sanded seamless; nothing is cast. The electronics are salvaged from consumer devices, repaired and rewired so the piece does something when you touch it.