Welcome to: The Robotorium: A New Series is Born

Monday, December 31, 2018

A New Series is Born

I like creating series. One off robots are cool, but there is something about a series that I really enjoy and today I just finished 2 in what will be my newest line. They use old analog light meters as the body. I came across these meters a few months ago while rummaging around on Ebay. I didn't really do much with them robot wise, but did make some old school ray guns. After all ray-guns are cool

Fast forward to last month when I used one of the light meters in a robot I made as a gift for my buddy Lisa's daughter (she is a photographer ). I loved the way it came out so this week I grabbed the other two and went to work. This is what I came up with.

I love the way these look. These are on swivel bases, an idea I got from my wife, and creative consultant, Lori. The GE light meter serves as a great base to work with, the size is nice, about 6 inches tall, and they have great personality. I already found a few more meters on Ebay and ordered them yesterday. These are fun to build and will make a great robot army!

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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.