Geekery: Sculpture Gets Mechanical
Just play one of these videos; you’ll quickly understand why this is so damned cool.
Kinetic sculpture adds motion to three-dimensional art pieces – this can be accomplished with wind, motors, human interaction, etc. When they’re successful they meld art, science, and mathematics into something astounding.
Choe U-Ram works with metal and clockwork precision to achieve the graceful motion in his tabletop sized works…
Theo Jansen, probably one of the most well known kinetic sculptors, has been building perpetual motion sculptures out of pvc tubing and zip ties for 25 years. His machines are powered by wind; sometimes with a kick start from a person. They are simply amazing to watch in action. They look like they’re alive as they crawl down the sand.
He calls them Strandbeest, which translates to BeachBeast. Each new iteration boasts improvements in speed and hardiness. He’s even made a few that are able to store air pressure and move when the wind has died down.
If you have a favorite kinetic artist or piece (perpetual motion machines totally count), share in the comments!
