Welcome to: The Robotorium: November 2018

Tuesday, November 27, 2018

2 New Works

Over the last few weeks I have managed to carve out some time in the studio. Its a personal goal to try and incorporate that into my weekly routine (such as it is). These past few weeks saw me start and finish 2 more robots. In this case I think the productivity had more to do with building 2 more of types I had already done, which is way easier (no endless hours staring at something trying to figure out how it goes together) rather than me focusing on working. Either way though being productive makes me want to be more productive, which is good because that's what I want to focus on.

This one looks like the one I gave my friend Lisa last month, it uses some of the stuff she gave me.

This one is the fourth of this type I have done. Being wheeled its a little different from what I usually do, its also somewhat smaller since it has no legs.

Artists Statement

Robots, the future was supposed to be full of them. I grew up in the shadow of the Apollo program, transfixed as massive machines left Pad 39A, rising on a pillar of fire. I drank up every episode of The Thunderbirds, Star Trek, Creature Double Feature and Dr. Who. I devoured Asimov, Clark and Heinlein. They showed me a future of great adventure and promise, all accompanied by a faithful metal companion; not a Roomba or a self-driving car. While cool, they lack the reassuring yet potentially sinister metal gleam of Robby, or B9 from Lost in Space. They do not lurch from task to task or generate massive electrical arcs. They are not imbued with superhuman strength, and are missing the frightening single-mindedness of Gort or The Terminator.

I have always loved building things. So, given the robotless state of my present, I grabbed a screwdriver and drill and took remnants from the past to make my missing future. I see potential creations in stuff that gets thrown away. I love the machine age look of polished aluminum, wrinkle finished paint, and Bakelite. I look for parts that complement each other. Using cast-offs from a time before transistors, I try to create something with an aesthetic unity. I want my robots to look like they have been used and worked, while broadcasting a personality and sense of presence. I want them to look real, that’s important. Most of all, when I’m done, I want to look at them and laugh. With each creation I get a little closer to the dreams I had as a boy, a little closer to the future I imagined. Step into The Robotorium and let me share with you the way it all could have been.