Kinetic Furniture

When I think of kinetic furniture rocking chairs, swings, rocking horses all come to mind.  I don't generally imagine a table with motion elements but here are two that certainly are kinetic. 

The first is a marble maze, not your ordinary marble maze but a truly humongous one.

Tracks are routed into all the components creating a race track for wonderful dinner time competitions.

It all starts at the top of the table and runs its course out onto the floor.  What fun!

Watch it in action with this video.

Via Laughingsquid

Thanks to Marjoke from The Netherlands for providing additional information about the creators of this table. It is by the Dutch design team ontwerpduo (which translatesinto Design-Duo in English). The team includes a dreamer and a mathematician working together. They described the table as "a new type of functional woodcarving that invites you to play..." 

Design student Alex Mecker designed a coffee table that incorporates a kinetic sculpture. It is an automaton and requires hand-cranking. He made it in a furniture design class while at Purdue.

It is created out of 298 pieces including laser cut wood, dowels. o-rings and conduit. You can see the influence of Theo Jasen and Reuben Margolin in his design as noted in his description.  

He has put together a stunning and extensive presentation about the design and construction process on his Issuu site. Worth a visit.

via laughingsquid

Static Motion • Sculpture by Kang Duck-Bong

Kang Duck-Bong is a young sculptor from Korea and his work recently crossed our digital space.  What attracted us to it was, of course, the motion.  

His work only includes the essence of motion. It is truly static. The techniques he uses combining color and pvc piping is very effective at creating the ilusion of motion.

You can see more of his work at the Gallery4Walls website here.

People in Motion • Crouching Tiger and Turtle

I have noticed there is a direct link between people who relate to David's kinetic sculpture and those who love roller coasters. The connection might take a detour through rolling balling sculptures as well. I am sure that link is what made me take notice of this sculpture in Germany.

photos by Thomas Mayer http://thomasmayerarchive.de/

This landscape interavtive art is installed in the city of Duisberg in Germany. The title, "Crouching Tiger and Turtle", reflects the human interaction with the sculpture. It has the visual potential of speed and motion yet in actuality, it must be experienced slowly, at human climbing speed.

It was created by Heike Mutter and Ulrich Genth. As I studied the structure I wondered how one passed through the anti-gravity loop but on further research I learned one can not.  It is a closed loop and you can climb from either end but not from one end to the other.

The evening views apear as dynamic scribbles against the night sky. Another thing added to the bucket list! I'd love to experience this in person.

Note: These photographs are by Thomas Mayer. His work is available for sale at his website. He has incredible images of many subjects.  Worth a look!

Wooden Pocket Watch

David has never created a kinetic scupture that keeps time. He likes to maximize the motion and that design goal is at odds with a time keeping device. But we still do love those wooden clocks. Here is a very intircate one that I found on the web recently. Check out the insides.

The Russian Wooden Gadgets site notes the following, "Such Russian clocks were produced by the Bronnikov family from Russia. For three generations they mastered their skills on crafting light-weight fully functional wooden pocket clocks. Such gadgets were true hit back then, among their customers there were Russian Tzars and other high society members. They were sending their samples to the international exhibitions of Paris and New York to make foreign people awe. The price of such wooden clocks exceeded of those of gold. Not many of those survived Russian revolution and communist reign. Those who did are a rare guest of antique shops priced at around $20,000 for each."  

Inspiring Artists: Gus & Lina Ocamposilva

A very few of David's sculptures contain color accents including Pulsar and Variation Surf.

David's sculptures don't lend themselves to vibrant colors. Bright colors take away from the beauty and complexity of the motion that his pieces create. Natural wood tones have complemented his pieces from the very beginning. That doesn't mean inspiration isn't found in other artist's colorful creations.

Husband and wife team Gus & Lina Ocamposilva create colorful abstract sculptures

inspired by the colors and shapes of the world. The "Ocamposilvas' art works are an interpretation of the world where they were raised; the Andes and the Tropic, a world filled with a great diversity of colors. They want to show, in their works, the passion for life, colors, magic and  poetry." (Source)

To see more of their colorful pieces head over here.