Welcome to: The Robotorium: February 2019

Friday, February 22, 2019

School Vacation...

This has been a good week. As a teacher, like most jobs, there can be many things to complain about, but I almost never complain about my schedule. This week has been February break, my goal was to get the G.E. light meter bots done and I am just about there. I only have 2 left to wrap up. I am very happy with how they came out. I should be listing some on Etsy soon. I will post here, with a link, once the listing is live. For now though; behold the mighty army.

Sunday, February 10, 2019

GE Light Meter Bots

I am cranking along on the GE light meter bots. I have 6 with heads, waiting for arms and the bases. There are 3 more waiting in the wings for me to get going on. My plan right now is to have all 9 done by the end of February break, which starts on the 15th. Once I am finished I am going to reboot my Etsy site and then list a few of them and see what happens. I love these meters, they really integrate well into my aesthetic.

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.