crafthaus2024-03-29T09:41:24ZAdam John Manleyhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/AdamJohnManleyhttp://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/357636435?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1http://crafthaus.ning.com/forum/topic/listForContributor?groupUrl=kinetic-revelations&user=357z3kv0jobnj&feed=yes&xn_auth=noContemporary Kinetic Craftspeople: Gary Schotttag:crafthaus.ning.com,2012-04-09:2104389:Topic:3390432012-04-09T04:18:37.478ZAdam John Manleyhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/AdamJohnManley
<p>Howdy fellow crafthausers and kinetic enthusiasts! I apologize for my brief hiatus from adding to this blog, I was putting the finishing touches on a solo show and had family in town to distract me. Now that we are back on track I am extremely proud to introduce our second of many Contemporary Kinetic Craftspeople; Gary Schott of San Antonio, Texas.</p>
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<p>With a rare ability to ceremoniously combine humor, precision mechanics, and fine art concepts, Schott’s creative work has…</p>
<p>Howdy fellow crafthausers and kinetic enthusiasts! I apologize for my brief hiatus from adding to this blog, I was putting the finishing touches on a solo show and had family in town to distract me. Now that we are back on track I am extremely proud to introduce our second of many Contemporary Kinetic Craftspeople; Gary Schott of San Antonio, Texas.</p>
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<p>With a rare ability to ceremoniously combine humor, precision mechanics, and fine art concepts, Schott’s creative work has raised the bar for a new generation of makers. As the following interview will attest, Gary makes art with a conviction to produce objects that comment on functionality (real or faux) while maintaining top drawer formal qualities fit for a textbook on contemporary sculpture. His intimate jewelry pieces are fun and engaging with a dash of improvisational narrative thrown in for the whimsical wearer to ad-lib if the mood should strike.</p>
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<p>After receiving his MFA from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Gary was the winner of the prestigious LEAP Award in 2009 from The Society of Contemporary Craft and he hasn’t looked back since! Winning a Juror’s Award in Craft Texas 2010 Gary has continued to produce on the highest of professional and artistic levels. He is currently the Chair of Metals Department at the Southwest School of Art & Craft and he is a proud new first-time father! So please enjoy the following conversation with Gary Schott!</p>
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<p>Q: Where does your infatuation with kinetics come from? Do you remember a specific experience that sparked your interest?</p>
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<p>A: Although I’ve always been fascinated with taking things apart and trying to observe how they work, I do remember the moment a seed was planted in my mind about kinetics. In my 3D design course taught by Tim Alberg, we were assigned an automata/mechanical sculpture project. We were shown automata artist Keith Newstead’s video of his work and basics of mechanisms and told to make our own automata sculpture. From that point onward I was hooked. However, it took close to four years later, while I was in graduate school, for that interest to resurface and set the direction that my current work follows.</p>
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<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058205167?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="300" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058205167?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300" class="align-right"/></a>Q: Could you speak a bit about the intimate nature of your work? Can you recall any unexpected reactions from people who have encountered it on that intimate level?</p>
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<p>A: One of my many fascinations is the relationships we form with objects within our daily lives; most of which are utilitarian but also exhibit a degree of aesthetic engineering (hopefully an enjoyable one). The fact that my sculptural objects are interactive is a method to further blur the line between art object/design object/utilitarian object. The eskimo kisser series began as an attempt to create a functional device that interacts with a viewer but its sole function to is create a silly, artful, and intimate moment. </p>
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<p>The element of plaything also factors into my thought process, as I notice that a lot of the “utilitarian” objects in our lives really are more of an adult toy (meant in a non-erotic manner). On one hand they do not provide a basic means for survival, but on the other hand, they do provide emotional comfort. My wearable playthings are really just an extension of all this. After all, jewelry, by its very nature, is interactive.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058205873?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058205873?profile=original" width="400" class="align-left"/></a></p>
<p>Q: Do you use different thought processes when designing wearable pieces versus something that is purely sculptural?</p>
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<p>A: I touched a bit on that above, but one of the biggest differences is the engineering. Like my sculptural works, I give a lot of thought to function and it’s performance and that includes wearability. Although it may not be every-day wearable, I do give plenty of attention to how it will be worn, weight, materials, etc. I feel that this amount of engineering helps to reinforce the reference of a device/utilitarian object/toy.</p>
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<p>Q: With the inevitable complications that come with kinetic work do you find yourself redesigning mechanisms as you begin to fabricate?</p>
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<p>A: Yes! However, I do not redesign as much as you may think. I put a lot of time into initially sketching out my ideas and then progressing to a 3D model; sometimes of an entire piece and other times just one mechanism. This helps to eliminate as much waste of material as possible. Also, it’s just faster to figure out a lot of mechanisms in materials like matt board, wood, plastic, etc. Having said that usually it’s not that the mechanisms are not working but having to rethink its interactive nature and how well will it hold up to being used.</p>
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<p>Q: How does your teaching position at the Southwest School of Art influence your studio practice? What kind of challenges do you face teaching students kinetics?</p>
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<p>A: I think that teaching is something that tells you a lot about yourself and what you believe in. Sometimes it’s hard to know exactly what you believe in until you find yourself in front of a group of students waiting for you to tell them. Although I do not push kinetic work onto my students (unless that’s the class topic) I believe that my approach to my art helps to inform my teaching philosophies and my students are always indirectly helping me to re-consider teaching strategies and my studio work. It’s really a two-way street. Even if I was a full-time studio artist, I would seek out opportunities to teach workshops because there’s always someone that sees your work from a slightly different perspective (for better or worse).</p>
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<p>Q: What can we expect from your future studio projects? Will kinetics continue to play a major role in your practice?</p>
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<p>A: I definitely want to keep playing with kinetics for a while. I have so many ideas and not nearly enough time to explore all of them. However, I gave up trying to predict the future long ago.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058203979?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058203979?profile=original" width="399" class="align-right"/></a> </p>
<p>Right now, I hope to find time to continue exploring the eskimo kisser series for just a bit longer. I have explored with models of mechanisms that I feel really work well for the creation of an eskimo kiss motion. The idea of two or more users with one eskimo kisser machine really intrigues me, also. At the same time, my wife and I are about to begin the adventure of first-time parents and I’m predicting that working in the smaller scale of wearable playthings may work better with my adjustments to fatherhood. The two plumb bob brooches I’ve done recently feel like they could be the beginning of a fun body of work, with endless variety.</p>
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<p>And then there’s my anticipated future collaboration with the UK-based company, <a href="http://www.laikingland.co.uk/index.asp" target="_blank">Laikingland</a>. As of now, it’s planned that I will work with the co-founders to design a prototype of a kinetic sculptural object that they will then create into a limited production. I’ve always been the sole creator with my work and I look forward to this new version of being a maker/designer/artist.</p>
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<p>Whatever projects I undertake in the future, I’m sure they’ll somehow fall under my current motto, “I design and create interactive moments.”</p>
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<p>Q: As an educator, is there any advice you might give to a student whom becomes interested in kinetics? Any warnings you might pass on?</p>
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<p>A: Kinetics and mechanical motion is like any field of study and requires lots of practice. I found in the beginning that realizing even the contemporary artists I look up to are using versions of mechanisms that have been around for thousands of years really helped me understand that I didn’t need to reinvent the wheel. Rather, learn the language first. If you haven’t grasped the basics of something simple like levers, then it’s going to be hard to move forward. Having said that, my learning process was predominantly from looking through books and making models (a lot of them fail initially). You don’t need to have a formal background in mechanical engineering. Instead, also focus on tweaking the relationship between the kinetic motion you envision and the harsh reality of the properties of materials. For example, having a lot of silver-soldered copper mechanisms might not be such a great idea because it will be really soft (tumbling with steel shot only gets it so hard) and the mechanism may not stand up to the abuse of kinetic movement.</p>
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<p>Having said that there is something really rewarding about cobbling together a construction on your workbench and watching as you pull a lever or crank a handle on one side and some terrific motion is being created on the other end. I really love the cause-and-effect relationship of kinetics.</p>
<p><iframe width="400" height="300" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/31262642" frameborder="0"></iframe>
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<p>Gary’s work can be seen on his website: <a href="http://web.me.com/garyschott/garyschott/HOME.html">http://web.me.com/garyschott/garyschott/HOME.html</a></p>
<p>Or his Crafthaus page: <a href="http://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/GarySchott">http://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/GarySchott</a></p> Contemporary Kinetic Craftspeople: Alexis Archibaldtag:crafthaus.ning.com,2012-02-29:2104389:Topic:3329762012-02-29T03:48:44.315ZAdam John Manleyhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/AdamJohnManley
<p>Hello Crafthausers!</p>
<p>This edition of Kinetic Revelations features an interview with Contemporary Kinetic Craftswoman <a href="http://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/AlexisArchibald" target="_self">Alexis Archibald</a>!</p>
<p>Alexis is originally from Pittsburgh, PA and received her BFA in metalsmithing under the inspirational tutelage of <a href="http://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/SueAmendolara">Sue Amendolara</a> and <a href="http://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/CappyCounard">Cappy…</a></p>
<p>Hello Crafthausers!</p>
<p>This edition of Kinetic Revelations features an interview with Contemporary Kinetic Craftswoman <a href="http://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/AlexisArchibald" target="_self">Alexis Archibald</a>!</p>
<p>Alexis is originally from Pittsburgh, PA and received her BFA in metalsmithing under the inspirational tutelage of <a href="http://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/SueAmendolara">Sue Amendolara</a> and <a href="http://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/CappyCounard">Cappy Counard</a> from <a href="http://art.edinboro.edu/programs/jewelry_metals/index.dot">Edinboro University of Pennsylvania</a>. After moving to San Diego she was accepted into the Graduate Metals Program at <a href="http://art.sdsu.edu/school_information/">San Diego State University</a> where she had the honor of studying under <a href="http://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/HelenShirk">Helen Shirk</a> and <a href="http://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/SondraSherman">Sondra Sherman</a>.</p>
<p>As an Art and Science teacher at the San Diego Unified School District, Alexis continues to live and work in Southern California. Her recent solo show at the <a href="http://www.sdad-sdai.org/">San Diego Art Department</a> Main Gallery was well received as she continued to prove why she is an important contributor to the kinetic art world.</p>
<p>If you have any questions for Alexis feel free to leave a comment below and she would be happy to respond.</p>
<p><img width="300" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058188235?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300" class="align-center"/></p>
<p><b>Interview Transcript:</b></p>
<p><b>1.</b><b> </b> <b>Do you remember your first kinetic creation? Was working with moving parts something that came natural for you as a child or did you come to it later in life?</b></p>
<p>I have always had an interest in kinetics; whether it comes naturally or not...I definitely have to work at it, which is probably why it has held my interest for so long. </p>
<p>One of the first endeavors with moveable parts that probably started this way of thinking or ‘minor obsession’ was when I was about seven. It involved poster board and a Popsicle stick. I attempted to make a character that I invented move along a path, similar to the old Nintendo game Super Mario Brothers, but on a large piece of poster board. Slits and circles were cut into the poster board so that the Popsicle stick (which was attached to the character) could move along the various paths I made into the paper. The character could slide, jump, spin, and climb. This was not a very complex example of kinetics, but there was some desire in me to make something interactive instead of a standard drawing. This idea of interactivity and play has been with me ever since.</p>
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<p><b>2.</b><b> </b> <b>You’ve recently finished your MFA from San Diego State University. How has the graduate school experience changed the way you view your own work and what niche it holds in the contemporary metals field?</b></p>
<p>What I really think graduate school provided me with, as an artist, is confidence and the ability to trust myself. I feel grad school was a very challenging experience emotionally, psychologically, physically, etc. However, it is the most rewarding endeavor I have ever done for myself, thus far. The reason I feel it was difficult at times is the fact that, in grad school, you are constantly confronting yourself. You are learning about who you are as a person and as an artist, all the while making adjustments, mistakes, progress, and new discoveries along the way. (Sometimes I was not quite ready for these revelations!) </p>
<p>Also the privilege of submerging my life in my work, while being surrounded by both faculty and peers that challenge and inspire is something very special. I learned to accept failure pieces, which often were the pinnacles of progress. I constantly challenged myself, which always lead to a humbling end. </p>
<p>Do I know exactly where to place my work at this time? Not one hundred percent. Although, trained in metalsmithing, my work has shifted in both scale and material. I still have that metalsmith sensitivity to material and always incorporate it whenever needed. In the metalsmithing field I aspire to make objects that speak of the truth in contemporary society while utilizing traditional processes and allowing the hand to play a major role in the outcome of those objects.</p>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058190305?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="300" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058190305?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300"/></a></p>
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<p><b>3.</b><b> </b> <b>Could you talk a little bit about your workshop experience with Arthur Ganson? What did you take from that experience? How did you utilize what you learned in your own studio work?</b></p>
<p>Arthur Ganson is one of my favorite kinetic artists. He has the ability to create art machines that possess emotion and speak to the human spirit. </p>
<p>In the summer of 2010, I was awarded a scholarship to Haystack Mountain School of Crafts. I was given the opportunity to attend the class, <i>With the turn of a Crank,</i>taught by Arthur Ganson. In this workshop we worked with steel tie wire in various thicknesses. Our main tools were pliers, wire cutters, and our fingers. He taught us how to create cranks, cams, gears, and pulley systems. We made these systems by hand with the tie wire. We even created a ratchet and pawl. At the end of week 1, each student had a particleboard filled with samples that we attached found objects to. They resembled a sort of circus factory. Alexander Calder’s circus comes to mind. </p>
<p>As a class we took a trip to the local dump and rummaged through piles of discarded parts of machines and appliances. Someone’s garbage suddenly became someone else’s new, found treasure. We incorporated these new treasures into our kinetic endeavors. </p>
<p>When I returned to San Diego, it was the summer before my MFA thesis. All of the work in my show was going to be kinetic. I incorporated all of the mechanics I learned in the class, but applied them to a larger scale using welded steel. Having the opportunity for a hands-on experience such as this one allowed me to realize and create what I had envisioned. I cannot thank Arthur enough for the inspiration or begin to express how his class informed me of the endless possibilities. Thanks Arthur if you read this!</p>
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<p><b>4.</b><b> </b> <b>Your recent work has the ability to engage your audience on a sensory level. Could you speak to the impact the sense of touch has in your work?</b></p>
<p>The skin acts as a barrier between our internal body systems and the outside world making it one of the most important means of receiving information. The skin is loaded with nerve endings that send signals to the brain. The senses, especially touch, have a very strong relationship to emotion. </p>
<p>My recent work is a response to the lessening of tactile experiences within our environment and a decrease in authentic human interactions. Therefore, the sense of touch I think becomes a very important vehicle to bring about awareness to these shifts of experience. Technology has changed the way we interact with the world and the things in it. The intention is not to strip technology of its importance, but rather shed light on the value of authentic experiences, and the ability to access the innate tools we already have. I intend for my audience to gain a better understanding of our own existence through their experience.'</p>
<p><object width="480" height="295" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="false"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="never"></param><param name="wmode" value="opaque"></param><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/th_GRdtiXkI?version=3"></param><param name="allowfullscreen" value="false"></param><embed wmode="opaque" width="480" height="295" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/th_GRdtiXkI?version=3" allowscriptaccess="never" allowfullscreen="false"></embed> </object>
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<p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=th_GRdtiXkI" target="_blank">"Recipro cyclical" Video</a></p>
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<p><b>5.</b><b> </b> <b>What do you hope the engaged viewer will take away from your work? Besides a tickle on the tip of their nose of course!</b></p>
<p>I feel art has the ability to transcend the physical world and speak to our spirit. I am an admirer of both art and science and see a strong similarity between the two. While science can explain things in our world that have definition, art can speak to those parts of our humanity that do not have concrete answers. Art can convey a feeling that can be expressed or sensed, yet not necessarily explained. The work is created for an adult audience; however, the objects are approached with a sense of play and curiosity, which is so prevalent in children. With this in mind, I attempt to create work that speaks to our humanness and questions the importance of those abstract areas of human consciousness, with a hint of humor! </p>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058189932?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="300" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058189932?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300"/></a></p>
<p><b>6.</b><b> </b> <b>What does the future hold for your work? Will kinetics be involved?</b></p>
<p>The process in which I tend to work most of the time is initially ignited by an idea or concept. I flip back and forth from playing with various objects and constructed things on my table, to doodling, to making parts. It is a very organic means of making and tends to keep me engaged. </p>
<p>I think Kinetics will always be in certain works when it is needed to promote the concept. There is something very intriguing to me surrounding the surge of artists making kinetic work. I often wonder if it is a response to our current human condition where everything happens by the touch of a screen. Even push buttons are on shortage now. As artists, most of us like to touch and feel everything. Maybe through making things that move I am responding to that. </p>
<p> </p> What is it About a Toy?tag:crafthaus.ning.com,2012-02-13:2104389:Topic:3295082012-02-13T04:37:26.941ZAdam John Manleyhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/AdamJohnManley
<p> What is it about a toy? For children the toy represents an escape to another world, an object<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058176218?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058176218?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="125"></img></a> which can transcend reality. Adults often look at toys as novelties, nostalgic tchotchkes that belong in a plastic storage container in a child’s closet. I myself had a large collection of those robots that changed into vehicles. What were they called again? Thinking back on my…</p>
<p> What is it about a toy? For children the toy represents an escape to another world, an object<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058176218?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="125" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058176218?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="125" class="align-right"/></a> which can transcend reality. Adults often look at toys as novelties, nostalgic tchotchkes that belong in a plastic storage container in a child’s closet. I myself had a large collection of those robots that changed into vehicles. What were they called again? Thinking back on my connection to those toy robots, it was always the kinetics that fascinated me the most. I would spend hours transforming my collection into and out of their alternate forms, forsaking the epic battle-royale I had set up on the dining room table.</p>
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<p> For many contemporary artists the concept of play is a major component in the creative process. Exploring and creating new worlds is a significant consequence of using the imagination. For most, kinetic toys act as conduits for world conception; they make it easier for the user to expand the imaginary world by giving it a feeling of concrete reality. The kinetic artist infuses objects with this validity by giving the viewer an experience they have not come to expect; the experience of authenticity. </p>
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<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058179229?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="150" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058179229?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="150" class="align-left"/></a></p>
<p> In your lifetime how many figurative sculptures have you seen that provide a convincing sense of actual motion? The traditions of western art have given us the non-kinetic artifices of contraposto and implied movement. These ruses, though genius and necessary in their own right leave the human mind wanting more. The popularity of motion pictures is a testament to this complex part of the human psyche. What kind of history would be written if Bernini’s <i>The Ecstacy of St Teresa</i> moved before our eyes? Her robe writhing as the cherub strikes her with his golden arrow.</p>
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<p> The ancient Egyptians wanted more from their figural objects… or at least their children did. This figurine of a peasant kneading dough incorporates simple axles through the hips and shoulders.<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058175740?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="150" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058175740?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="150" class="align-right"/></a> When the child pulls the string the figure animates. This same kind of modest apparatus is reminiscent of the simple mechanisms employed by the metalsmith and stop-motion armature designer <a href="http://www.mielmargarita.com/index.html">Miel-Margarita Paredes</a>, in particular her animal pull toy collection made with pewter and copper. Paredes’ kinetic work contains elements of anatomical accuracy combined with a hint of mutilation and indentured servitude. The animals appear to be slaves to their own kinesthetic physiology despite the obvious “toyness” of the work. One gets the feeling that these characters did not choose the reciprocal nature of their motions but through the reassembly of their bodies they are awarded another lease on life, as demonstrated below by <i>Hopping Bunny Push Toy</i>.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058180202?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="400" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058180202?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="400" class="align-center"/></a></p>
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<p> In addition to kinetic toys relying on the drive of levers and chords the ancient Egyptian culture developed some of the earliest board games in the world; notably the games of Senet and Tjau. The ivory game box at left was carved from a single block and is one of the four complete sets found in the tomb of King Tutankhamun. It consists of a sliding drawer holding a number of pawn-like pieces. One side of the box contains the playing field for Senet while the other contains the board for Tjau (shown). <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058178248?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="150" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058178248?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="150" class="align-left"/></a>The precise gameplay of Senet is up for debate but scholars do know that it required the use of both luck and skill. The word “senet” means “pass” and players would use strategy to block their opponents from making moves. This direct manipulation of and interaction with the object is something we all take for granted today. A kinetic action has consequences no matter how trivial.</p>
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<p> Metalsmith <a href="http://www.nathandube.com/">Nathan Dube’s</a> work is reminiscent of the simple board games and toys that continue to be some of the most popular in our society. Taking pages from both adolescent frivolity and the contemporary reliance on technology, Dube affords the viewer a nostalgic sense of calm in a world overloaded with texts, emails, and tweets. In the below image, his piece <i>PLBA (Personal Light Bright Assistant)</i> reminds one of the time-eradicating video games we carry around in our pockets, (<i>Angry Birds</i> anyone?) He accomplishes this while taking us through a short time-warp to an age just before the digital revolution, an age when you actually had to grab a game piece in your fingers to move it, an age when “Ctrl + Z” did not exist. </p>
<p> <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058179701?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="350" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058179701?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350" class="align-center"/></a></p>
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<p> Kinetic toys and games hold sway in the contemporary art world. Their appeal goes beyond their mechanical intricacies and into the realm of the psychological. In a world without toys, would there be any artists? Or is it the other way around? </p>
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<p>Miel-Margarita Paredes - <a href="http://www.mielmargarita.com/index.html" target="_blank">Website</a> & <a href="http://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/MielMargaritaParedes" target="_self">Crafthaus Profile</a></p>
<p>Nathan Dube - <a href="http://www.nathandube.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> & <a href="http://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/NathanDube" target="_self">Crafthaus Profile</a></p>
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<p></p> Introductiontag:crafthaus.ning.com,2012-01-29:2104389:Topic:3250682012-01-29T04:28:40.972ZAdam John Manleyhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/AdamJohnManley
<p>Greetings fellow Crafthausers and welcome to the first introductory installment of "Kinetic Revelations" a bi-weekly blog about kinetic art of all kinds. Throughout the course of this blog I will be presenting research on historically significant kinetic objects, makers, and traditions along with profiles of Contemporary Kinetic Craftspeople. (How's that for alliteration!?!)…</p>
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<p>Greetings fellow Crafthausers and welcome to the first introductory installment of "Kinetic Revelations" a bi-weekly blog about kinetic art of all kinds. Throughout the course of this blog I will be presenting research on historically significant kinetic objects, makers, and traditions along with profiles of Contemporary Kinetic Craftspeople. (How's that for alliteration!?!)</p>
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<p><a width="300" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058166934?profile=RESIZE_320x320" target="_self"><img width="140" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058166934?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="140" class="align-left"/></a></p>
<p>Let me begin by introducing myself. I currently live in Houston, Texas where I teach Metalsmithing, Sculpture, and Design at the San Jacinto College South Campus. I am an active member of the Society of North American Goldsmiths and the Houston Metal Arts Guild. My creative work has been shown nationally and internationally including an "Honorable Mention" distinction at the 2011 Cheongju International Craft Biennale in Cheongju, Korea. I received my MFA with honors from the University of Kansas in 2009, a BFA from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania in 2006, and an Associate's Degree in Animation from The Art Institute of Pittsburgh in 2001. My creative work can be viewed on <a href="http://www.jeffmcgeeart.com/" target="_blank">my website</a> or my <a href="http://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/JeffreyRobertMcGee" target="_self">Crafthaus Profile</a></p>
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<p>That animation experience was my first foray into the kinetic art world. I have since carried over those principles of motion to my sculptural metalsmithing. My recent work incorporates collaborations with modern dancers performing choreography within and around my kinetic metalwork. There are challenges to collaboration, yet I draw inspiration from the critical-thinking process, and working with kinetics is nothing if not problematic.</p>
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<p>Despite those struggles, when a piece starts to come together and the performance gets nailed down, I feel a great sense of satisfaction. A sense that I had a hand in something greater than myself.</p>
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<p>For a Behind the Scenes video click <a href="http://jeffmcgeeart.com/video.html" target="_blank">here.</a> </p>
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<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058168927?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="175" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058168927?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="175" class="align-left"/></a></p>
<p><a width="175" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058164604?profile=RESIZE_180x180" target="_self"><img width="275" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058164604?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="275" class="align-left"/></a><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058168529?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="175" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058168529?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="175" class="align-left"/></a></p>
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