"QUANTUM SHOT" #567
Link
- article by M. Christian and
Avi Abrams
If this page could move in tune with these sculptures, it would crawl
out of your computer monitor
There are mentions in the Bible about the
whirling "wheels within wheels" (Ezekiel 1:16). Admittedly the
examples listed below are no match for what Heaven and angels can put
together, but some of the following "living, breathing" kinetic work are
clearly bordering on genius.
(images credit:
Theo Jansen)
Without a doubt, with no hyperbole:
Theo Jansen is
an absolute genius. Listen to his
talk
about the new creatures he builds from "plastic tubes and lemonade
bottles"...
Vermeer, Leeuwenhoek, Huygens... in this company of other talented
Dutchmen, Theo Jansen is a sculptor: he creates, from his own mind and
imagination, intricate mechanisms. There have been other sculptors who've
created work that moves – and there will be again – but what makes Theo’s
work so amazing, so blindingly brilliant, is that his creations walk,
stroll, stride, amble... and live almost "independent" from their creator
on a deserted beach.
Instead of being powered by primitive steam or modern electricity, Theo’s
creations are propelled by the air, by wind. They are strolling clipper
ships, sauntering sailboats. (A well-known video of these creatures in
motion can be seen
here)
Just watch them -- they’re hypnotic, dreamy. Undulating beasts marching
along the seaside, elaborate mechanisms walking through the surf spray ….
link
The natural algorithms... and the energy of prayer
First about prayer - rather, prayer wheels in Tibet - which will generate
"green" (meaning absolutely free and clean) energy every time someone
spins the wheel, which will be quite a lot: there are millions of tourists
and locals visiting this location. Read more about it
here:
(images credit:
Inhabitat)
From this supernatural aspect (really, just ingenious mechanics), we move
to Nature's geometric forms and surprising algorithms, stating with
so-called Voronoi-Knauss cell cluster (more
info):
(image credit:
Spiegel)
Intriguingly called
Transphormetic
site reveals more kinetic animations and forms, based on natural
algorithms:
(images via
1,
2)
"The walls between art and engineering exist only in our minds." (Theo
Jansen)
Theo Jansen is not the only magnificently original artist out there doing
things with gears and pulleys and wire and leverage. Many other
artist/engineers are working on a wide range of ways to mix mechanical
joints with organic precision to create devices that walk like living
creatures -- though whether those creations are as whimsical as Jansen's
is open to debate.
"The Vex Walker" robot is going to be available as a kit, so anybody can
built this and set it free in your kitchen:
(image
via)
An even greater kinetic marvel is the
"Walking Beast", (a.k.a. "Mechanical Spider"), which makes frequent appearances at the
Burning Man Festival.
(images credit:
Tristan Savatier,
MoltenSteelMan)
The same company also offers the miniature
Steam Spider, and much bigger
Mondo Spider
vehicle:
(image credit:
Mechanical Spider)
These beasts utilize a mechanical linkage principle different from Theo
Jansen's, called the Klann linkage. See the comparison of the two on this
page
BMW Museum in Munich has recently unveiled the groovy "floating chrome
balls" kinetic sculptures (watch the long, soothing video
here) The balls are seemingly weightless, and glued together by the "power of
the mind", according to the creators
ART+COM:
(image
via)
The similar kinetic work by Joe Gilbertson can be seen
here.
Arthur Ganson's machines are quite varied, utilizing all sorts of bizarre
objects (like a chicken wish bone) - see the catalog
here
-
(images credit:
Arthur Ganson)
We featured art of
Andrew Smith
before, but his kinetic sculptures are also top-of-the-line, so don't
forget to browse his "Kinetic" gallery and watch the
video:
(image credit:
Andrew Smith)
Steampunk monster outside your office...
We covered one truly spectacular group, based in Nantes:
La Machine on Dark Roasted Blend
before. Lead by François Delarozière, this team of engineers and artists has
created some truly awesome devices for various amazing events:
(images credit: David Mayo, Matthew Andrews,
La Machine)
Recently, for instance, a 37-ton spider descended down the side of a
building in Liverpool, in the United Kingdom. To say that the sight of
this nightmarish creature took the city by surprise is an understatement.
Entrancing... dazzlingly hypnotic
Since we’re chatting about amazing mechanical/artistic creations, we have
to mention the artist
Frederick Roland Emett. Sure, you can point to
Rube Goldberg, who certainly deserves praise, but Frederick Roland Emett has a leg up
on Goldberg for his incredibly diverse work (more
info).
Not only are his illustrations wild, fanciful, and outrageous but he also
created many insanely elaborate sculptures and creations. Looking like
Willy Wonka’s hallucinations, or Dr. Suess' nightmares, Emett’s sculptures
have an entrancing craziness that’s dazzlingly hypnotic:
"The S.S. (Space Ship) Pussiewillow II", on display at
Smithsonian
"The Vintage Car of the Future", on display at Chicago's
Museum of Science and Industry, photo courtesy Jeff Powell,
via
"The Little Dragon Vacuum" and the "Humbug Major sweet machine",
via
(images credit:
Chris Browns Emmett Site)
The covers of his books often were just as fascinating:
(images credit:
Chris Browns Emmett Site)
Creating something beautiful and wonderful takes one kind of skill, but to
bring it to mechanical life – well, that takes genius.
P.S. Want to become your own kinetic sculpture?
Climb inside this "Inner Balance" sphere... and start walking:
(image credit:
drossel-design.de)
Also Read:
Wicked Wearable Sculptures
Sculptural Weirdness in Public Places
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4 Comments:
the Voronoi-Knauss cell cluster looks like the coat hangers in the bottom of my closet.
I have open-source plans for a Jansen Walker up on my site, if anyone wants to build their own check out http://4volt.com/projects/jansen/
If you want to make a sequel, i strongly suggest a post about a guy named Jean Tinguély. Friend and lover of Niki de St Phalle.
For amazing kinetic sculptures, check out Seattle artist Casey Curran.
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