Fireworks and North Star Kinetic Sculpture Introduction

 

I know I'm a few days late but here is my kinetic sculpture rendition of a fireworks display. I started working on this piece many months ago and it was Fireworks from the start. I've always wanted to try a piece with multiple different patterning elements. It was a challenge finding patterns that were related but different and were optical but constantly changing. 

 

 The mechanism to produce these patterns is very efficient, long running and quiet but not silent. 

North Star is a single wheel version of the Fireworks sculpture. One of the first questions I get when showing Fireworks is "What if I want just one of the patterning wheels?"  North Star is the easy answer.  

The changing patterns in North Star create stunning starburst designs.

 

You can get additional information (Including ordering info) about Fireworks here and North Star here.

Variation Jazz • No Longer Missing!

 

It was recently discovered that the video on the Variation Jazz page was not Variation Jazz.  David is not sure when that mix up occurred but one of his recent tasks was to find the appropriate video and correct the error. Although original clips were available, the movie was missing so David has recreated the Variation Jazz video.  It is a great sculpture with the signature hex based patterning of the entire variation series.

David is often asked about the background music pieces that accompany many of his videos. He uses SonicFire Pro from SmartSound. It is production music software that includes a royalty free music library. He uses it to customize the length, arrangement and instrument mix to meet the requirements of each video.  One can "compose" tracks that reflect the essence of a design like the jazzy rhythms included in the above video. He can't send you the name of the piece or the artist because he crafts it out of the provided components in the software. This digital age we live in and the resources that are available to expand it are just amazing.

Serenade • Kinetic Motion and Music

 

David recently received a request from a collector for Serenade, a design of his from 2000 that sold out. After a little soul searching he decided it was time for him to part with the original master but he did create a new video of it before shipping it off.  

In making his editions he first creates a master and for years he kept every master. This practice started back in the early days of Wood That Works. He designed and built the first three sculptures, went to a craft fair and sold them all in the first twenty minutes, came home and had to figure out how to do it all over again. Since then he has created masters to refer to throughout the construction of the rest of the edition.

Serenade was the second kinetic sculpture David created using the tuned chimes of percussionist Garry Kivistad of Woodstock Percusion. It has the "Chimes of Java" incorporated into a sculpture designed to ring them softly and randomly.

Serenade master is now happily on display along with several other kinetic sculptures in a west coast collection. That is a much better pace for it than in the storage box at the top of our garage!

 

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Juggling - Another form of Kinetic Sculpture

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I love the connections that are made in today's digital world. People from all over the world can see David's work and communicate with us about it and how it relates to their experiences. David recently received this email:

"I have been a fan of your work for many years. My main passion in life is juggling - yes, really - and this video reminded me of your sculptures:

Cordially,  Jerry

I followed the link and sure enough, David and I too saw the connections. Do you?


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Which of David's sculptures are you reminded of? I see a little of:


  • Pursuit and Tumbler  (1982)
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Thanks Jerry M. for taking the time to write and share the video. What fun!

 

Miniature Kinetic Sculpture

 

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.

 

Via Dug North's Automata Blog