Many people have asked for a smaller kinetic sculpture and David hasn't created one. He has found that the rhythmic motion is lost if you decrease the mass of the pieces. He especially dislikes his designs if the are jerky and strives to create mechanisms that produce a fluid, smooth motion.
But that doesn't mean others haven't created tiny kinetic sculptures, almost jewel like in their detail. Here is the work of Polish sculptor Szymon Klimek. Not only is it tiny but it is solar powered as well! And it is housed in a wine glass.
The striking color and the motion of the composition in this sculpture caught my eye and led to exploring (and wasting a chunk of time - rationalized as collecting inspiration) the fascinating work of Canadian graphic design Julien Vallée at his Motion and Design website.
I don't use color in my work - or at least not very frequently. I find that motion and pattern are two very strong elements and adding a third complicates the design. I like the viewer to be able to interpret their own colors from the given elements.
I do encourage others whom possess an understanding of color theory and mechanics to explore that realm of kinetic art. As I have regularly said, too many ideas and not enough time!
Here is a photo of the last piece I created with color accents. Called Seascape, it was on display in our home for this photo but is now part of the incredible craft collection at the headquarters of Dansko in West Grove, PA. See earlier blog about Seascape here.
Did you have a collection of music boxes stashed in your junk drawer as a kid? I did. I was fascinated by the motion. This kinetic sculpture is the fusion of that classic mechanism with a new twist. It is created by combining a fine music box mechanism with golden barley shafts.
It was designed by José Ferrufino at Écal University of Art and Design Lausanne. The mechanism is a 144 blade music box crafted by the Reuge of Switzerland.
The mechanism drives a series of cams that start the grasses gently swaying in the breeze.
The presentation is that of a fine piece of jewelry transformed into sculpture with additional sensory inputs of both sound and motion. I'd love to see it in person.
I haven't been able to locate a video showing the motion alone or in combination with the music box. The above photo attempts to show motion, but David learned that it isn't enough. In the early years of Wood That Works we did many experiments with still photography to try and demonstrate the motion of David's work (discussed in an earlier blog post here). This photo of Serendipity from the late 1970s is one of the best. It does make the sculpture appear to be moving at a frenetic pace and it didn't.
The development of home videography, flash animation, and YouTube has changed all of that!
If any one does know of a video of José Ferrufino's sculpture, note it in the comments and I'll provide a link.
A reader sent David a link to this youTube video showing a Magnet Machine by Dave Johnson. What fun!
The motion and mechanism are fascinating but also pay attention to the sounds. People often inquire about the sounds David's sculptures make and it regularly affects buying decisions. It is important to design for the auditory sensory experience as well as the visual.
If you haven't yet played with the Rare Earth magnets you might miss some of the excitement in this ingenious machine. We have a set of the Bucky Balls and everyone enjoys fiddling with them. No one ever gets them back into the cube but creating chains like those used in Dave Johnson's machine is entertaining.
It isn't often that you can see the work of five kinetic artists in one place at one time but for the next month you can at the Axiom Gallery in Boston, MA. Last Thursday evening David and I traveled to Boston to attend the opening of Move Me, a show curated by Heidi Kayser.
The artists represented were Chris Fitch, Arthur Ganson, Tom Haney, Steve Hollinger and Erica von Schilgen. I blogged previously about the earlier contact by Chris Fitch and our unbeknownst shared roots. The work was all very individual and different from David's but all of it did indeed move. Power sources were varied but as always the joy of a kinetic show is watching people interact with the art work. Here is a sampling of some of the different sculptures shown.
Chris Fitch had two pieces in the show. Falling uses beaded chain flowing smoothly over cams to create an experience not unlike a rain shower. It is enclosed in a box and you peer into it and become entranced by an inner world reflected back through mirrors.
I was also intrigued by the motion of the loops dangling below the enclosed theater.
Arthur Ganson had two works on display. If you haven't seen his work before consider visiting the MIT Museum in Cambridge. They have a fascinating display of Ganson's pieces on display. At the Axiom show the piece "The First Nobel Truth" is on display.
Below is a detail from Ganson's piece Machine for Softening Hardened Hearts.
Steve Holliger's work was solar powered. This piece is titled after Kwajalein, one of the Pacific Islands used for nuclear testing.
Erica von Schilgen's collection is very much a series of fantasy escape world's combining hand-cranked music box technology and sound with dream-like painted images.
The last artist in this show is Tom Haney. He had one piece in the show and I haven't found a video of it yet but you should visit Tom's site to see an incredible collection of Automata. He also writes a blog about his work.
In addition to getting to see the work of these artists, David also got to meet and talk with them. And what do kinetic artists discuss? Things like double action pendulums, wear and tear, repairs, power sources, etc. Certainly a fascinating group of characters!
Show Details:
The Axiom Gallery is located at the corner of Green and Armory Streets in Jamaica Plain. It is on the ground floor level of the Green Street train stop on the Orange line. 141 Green Street. Jamaica Plain, MA. The show is open through May 28th.
