Instability structures and urban tumbelweeds

I was thrown down the rabbit hole of possibility when I saw a image on imgur of a wobbly paper rolling shape. I was trying to describe the shape to Leon and couldn't so took a circle bar coaster, ripped it in half, ripped notches and re-assembled and sent it rolling down the bar. That was the best concept demo I have ever given.

The possibilities for this shape are manifold. The first thoughts are of "urban tumbelweeds," free rolling kiosks plastered with show announcements, stickers, lost dog sheets, graffiti. Other thoughts range from unstable sculpture to wobbly city models.

Shape 1: This worked tolerably but was to stable.

I rounded the plywood into a vaguely lunglike shape.

And sent it rolling down the street to the bemusement of the Autozone neighbors. I took some videos of my feet and the sky in my attempts to capture its wobble. I like it, but the wobble is still to predictable.

I drew an esoteric gameboard on the concrete of the studio and left it as a game piece for the others to play with.

Later Areli and Leon came back with me to see the shape and determine the rules of the game.

Archeopterex

I see this as fusion of two techniques by Max Ernst, his collage art and his automatic "Europe after the rain" style paintings. These are just little digital vignettes, but it kept my hands busy. The scan slide technique opens opportunities for a rare chaotic painting of pixels. I think digital art is poo pooed because of the lack of danger. Drawing has no control Z. The scan slide introduces a interaction with time because of the movement of the scanner bar. It takes a hand motion to the "paint" the image. The movement of the hand, painting with the flower, interacts with the motion of the scanners light. + you should wear welding goggles to protect your eyes.

New Space

I moved into a garage known as the space, with a bunch of folks: Filmmakers, photographers musicians, installation artists. I carved out a little corner within the creative flotsam and set up a welder and other fun things. I started making another bike rack. It was great because I could stand and work on tables. The downside is that the fuses keep blowing

Stellata

I finally have a name for these things: Stellata, meaning star. I know it because of Magnolia stellata, which means star magnolia, a plant I adore. I like the design. When you put it in the landscape with the right plants, you have to look twice to understand that it's a sculpture, despite being composed of railroad spikes (which I also adore).

This was one of those, rush to get it done, leave it in the sun to let the coating dry, scenarios.

I this for biketoberfest to benefit Clean Energy Durham, because my friend Lisa requested it (and it was her birthday). There were critiques of biketoberfest. I mainly hung out with Bike coffee and their amazing mobile tactical cafe.

I had to leave after a cardamon coffee so I didn't get to stay to see who won the sculpture in the raffle. I found out the next day that it was one of the staff, their director of fundraising. The raffle wasn't well attended except by staff. This gnawed at me a little. Clean Energy Durham isn't my show, but I wanted to have my donated sculpture work have more of an impact. Especially, since I don't even have the time to follow up on my own projects and opportunities. This was cheeky and I felt a little funny doing it, but I asked the director of CED to ask the development director to re-donate the sculpture. I will try and get Outsider Art (who I've been wanting to host a piece anyway) to sell it then re-donate the money to CED. This seems like a plan. I'd like to do a smaller token of appreciation for the development director for her donation, but something more commiserate with her 1$ raffle ticket.

Halloween 12: The Pastry Avengers!

Last night Sarah and I got crafting for real. We're loosely following the d
rawing below. The Pastry Avengers! Crime fighting cupcakes. She's modifying her design somewhat and I've added yellow hotpants from the thrift store.

She's going to look great. She's located a cream colored wig and I made a corset thingy out of aluminum pipe covering. It's crenelated like a cupcake tin. Fi's will be similar, but no cupcake tin and a shirt that says: Let me eat Cake! (Sarah's log term idea)

I'm developing an obvious franco=phone persona. Je suis Ze Uman' Cwahsannt' ! I'm trying to figure out how to attach the mustache. I hot glued the croissant helmet last night and layered a flimsy yellow tyvek suit to replicate the flaky crust.

I'll also need some real (bad) croissants to throw at people. Yeah them hot pants are going to be hot! As are glue guns!

Nothing is Wasted

About 15 men and women from Wilson, NC worked diligently grinding, spot welding, discussing how to carefully take things apart. They were local mechanics, welders and farmers who had enrolled in a day long course on Whirlygig Restoration. Most of them were getting paid to remove Vollis Simpsons Whirlygig's from his shop, restore them and re-install them in Wilson, but it was clear they were motivated by love and interest. What was cool was that one man's artistic work was making jobs for many of his neighbors and a hoped for economic engine for a downtown in need of a jumpstart.

My friends are Folklorists for the State of North Carolina and were overseeing the careful restoration and celebration of Vollis's life work. Brendan worked with the community and oversaw the restoration work. Jeff worked with Vollis to get his recollections on the work and it's care. Folklore is participatory anthropology. He was pretty pleased that his friends and neighbors were doing most of the work. Vollis didn't want to much of the white glove treatment. Brendan and Jeff had invited me down to see the operation. I had visited Vollis's shop for a wonderful birthday picnic under his whirlygigs. It was magic.

I got to study Vollis's work up close. He's a master of balance, connection and engineering. My Sign Wave experience gave me some specialized knowledge in the area of art with aluminum signs. I volunteered my sources.

What surprised me was the level of care that was being taken with the Whirlygigs. I saw some analogies to old house restoration. The restorers carefully tried to figure out what was essential to preserve and what was ok to cover with a new material or coating. Unlike what I imagine is art restoration, the restorers had to consider safety. The whirlygig's needed to move in the outdoors and not fall on someone. They needed to deal with hurricanes and rain. The restorers were coming up with creative solutions to the transport and restoration. The rule was WWVD? Control the rust but leave the artists hand. Everyone joked that it took one senior citizen to make and erect the structures and 15-20 guys to take it down.

I was also happy to note that some of Vollis's welds weren't pretty (I can identify). Volis doesn't have the MIG welders obsession with roll-of-coins welds. He just want's the shit to stick and then move on.

Then there was the shop! Vollis wonderful sculpture park. I was getting tired, but when I pulled up to the park I caught myself smiling in wonder. Jeff and I strolled the sculpture garden and talked about the pretty women that had come to visit the park. We also talked about Vollis ideas about how to spatially locate the sculpture within the landscape: so they don't run in to each other. The effect of this placement is overwhelming. The air above you is alive! If you forget about it's kinetic possibilities for a minute then a breeze makes everything move and buzz.

Plants and vines are always a companion to the structures. This is one of the ones he didn't raise. It will be left on the site with several others as gifts to the neighbors.

Many locals, especially teens, just took the park as part of the landscape. Some would come as a good place to hang out and watch the motion, some have something cool to look at while they were drinking, and some to climb up and fall off with a thud "that sounded like someone dropped a watermelon."

Vollis's scrap piles are hotbeds of potential: signs, bearings, bicycles.

How the heck do you move something like this.

This will be the last piece to go. When Jeff asked why, Vollis replied "I just like looking at it." Vollis doesn't think of himself as an artist.

The feeling I was left with on the drive back was how few impulses, experiences or material are really wasted if you apply the courage to be creative and desire to see what happens. I'd really be interested to know the decisions that Vollis made to transfer his considerable practical and profitable skills to make amazing gifts for his community.

Dance afire sign

Dance afire is a great theatrical fire troop. They invited me to be a safety and to free spin for a show they were putting on at Floydfest. The show was a depression era tale ala "Oh Brother Where are Thou," with political and religious critique and on fire. See http://www.myspace.com/danceafire

Since I was getting a free ticket, free beer and a chance to hang out with great musicians in wonderful Appalachia, I wanted to build Dance afire a really fun sign.

I wanted it to be kinetic and wind driven, provide a classy way to busk, and packable. It should announce when the shows were going on, plus it should be deadly and your should be able to light it on fire. The sign should also go with their steampunk aesthetic. I don't always work in the steampunk oeuvre, but when I do it really clears the crap out of the junk box in a wonderful way.

Aluminum tank painted with alchemical symbols for money. A thinking mans way to busk.

Wind driven.

The symbol on the disc is a DC logo with a flame. The wings fold behind the disk...like a ninja!

Light this wick on fire for night time lighting.

The end of the arm announces the showtime.

It was a great time and a great show. I think everyone liked it and no one was seriously injured by the sign or by the fire. I'll find some pictures of the sign at floydfest and on the streets of DC.

Chef Challenge Trophy

Last year Erin a friend from the Farmer's Market asked me to do a trophy for the chef's challenge. This year I did it again using cedar, railroad spikes and round bar. I wanted to continue with some of the themes I'd been working with and I thought the cedar and RR spikes were a great North Carolina aesthetic. I also needed the cedar piece in order to put "The Champ" in text on the trophy. The lettering was the hardest part.

Frank Stacio, from the State of Things on NPR was the MC. I love his show. It's made me cry on several occasions and I always feel more human and rooted after listening to it. Last year, he interviewed me at the Market and I was unprepared so quickly had to explain why I do what I do. I wasn't to reflective at the time so this helped me focus. Thanks Frank. Plus I had to say the word "dangerMake" out loud.

Billy Cotter from Toast won the competition. I eat at Toast as a special downtown treat, so I like seeing my work there.

The secret ingredient this year was okra. Had I known I would have worked with the okra form. I was thinking more in terms of onions. Frank thought the cedar looked like a hamhock. A valid point, but I was thinking abstracted chefs hat.

It was just a little sculpture and didn't take much time, but I got a great reaction from folks.

I especially loved the chefs smack talking about how they were going to have to make more room on the refrigerator when they won. The chefs made me feel cool and gave me some confidence to plug my bikeracks for the Scrap Exchange program.

Art Bike Racks for Scrap Exchange

I've been interested in fusing sculpture and bike racks for a while now. I had been thinking about building racks with detachable sculptural tops. Oakwood Community House needed something simpler, but in the process I fused the functional forms into sculpture to make something they could use. The OC house is such a great experiment, they inspired me to donate the proceeds from the rack to help the Scrap Exchange. I had wanted to give local businesses I frequent art racks, but it makes more sense to have them give a donation to the Scrap Exchange.

Here is the Oakwood Rack. The next rack will have some similarities, but will lose the central loop.

I wish I had doubled the center loop to give more space for the bikes.
The leaf form is what I'm really interested in .
The bike racks were made from all scrap: drunk driver downed gaurdrail, train parts and water pipes from the neighborhood. It makes sense to use them to fund the Scrap Exchange.

Bottle Tree

The Bottle Tree has been on my porch collecting spirits for a month or two now. I've had no spectral infestations, so I'd say that would be a 100% success ratio. Rob Damman, a great painter who lives in Durham, finally picked it up. I'm glad to know his house will be safer.

This is partially why the way I why

http://non.primate.net/chicagofreakbike/2007/11/bm07-bikes-of-burning-man-07-burning.php

This features some of the great bikes of Burning Man, a re-engineers paradise. Good stuff.

Minor the Mechanical Bull. Part the First.

Kaferine de Nerve asked me to make a mechanical bull for the Wild Wild Wetlands Beaver Pageant 2010. Over several work sessions, Kevin an engineer and Beaver Queen 2009, constructed a dangerous fierce silly and wonderful bull.

Safety Third folks!

Step 1: First we build a very stable base out of plywood and super-attach springs from a mercedes benz (Courtesy of Frega Creative Enterprises) Then we do the surfer test.

Step 2: We build the body out. Construct the head, horns, a flapping jaw, and a neck that would hold up a roof.

Step 3: Attach a velveteen skin (courtesy of the Scrap Exchange) googly eyes made from ping pongs. Test it out with a beautiful red head and a baby. (gratuitous redhead bull testing photos next post)

Step 7: Bring it to the Wild Wild Wetlands. Install haybales and a dirty mattress for minimum safety.

Fischenta, Beaver Queen 2009 performs on Minor.

A example of proper parenting: Dad let's kid do something dangerous and acts as a spotter.

The Beaver Queen 2010 and his beautiful bride wearing a stunning beaver log dress.

Step 8: Hijinks ensue. There was a very real and hilarious threat of someone being gored. A metal flywheel was added to make the bull extra tippy. At first people didn't get that just because their was no motor Minor wouldn't go buck wild. They soon got it as Minor leaped into action. I had to admit that it was fricken dangerous and a sometimes little tense, especially when parents would leave their children to be babysat by a mechanical bull.