I spent a year in art college making kinetic sculptures, trying to create movement in my work but due to lack of knowledge, help from the academic staff and being told that this wasn't art It was a failure both for the works I was trying to make and for my grades so I was forced to repeat the year. I hind sight this was for the best as I changed direction and made some new friends. I will talk about this period of my work at a later date but for Showcase Sunday this week I will present some of my sculptures that were inspired by that time.
I had still been searching for a way to put movement into my sculptures and had started to understand the illusion of movement was the way to go. No more complex motors or engineering but simple forms and lines suggesting direction and action.
When I began sand sculpture I then had a revelation and a whole new style to explore.
You can click the images to go to the post which explains more
Casino
This was my first breakthrough, A simple die being cast and showing the movement it would make with different intersecting forms like it was a strode light 3d photo. Simple ideas but it really got the juices running. (My! that almost sounds sexual but in a way I was really turned on by the idea)).
Dreamtime
Exploring the Aboriginal Culture of Australia in a very uneducated way led me to explore the idea for another means as the character is tripping his way down a plug hole.
Falling asleep
Showing someone fall asleep was again an exploration of movement over time I was very happy with how this simple concept was starting to evolve into being able to tell a story with it.
A hop, skip and a jump
I think this one was a bit of a failure due to sand may be not being the best material to show dynamic forms with complex undercuts (in the biz we call it this, for you non sand mortals it is when you have overhanging sand that is supported by air). Still, it had seeds of ideas that will be developed more.
The Matrix
When the matrix came out I was very impressed by the bullet-time photography special effects and to be honest it could have been inspiration for the work I was doing in my sculpture. But I had even heard of this technique before The Matrix on an episode of 'Tomorrows World' in 1993 (Clip below) about Tim Macmillan a photographer who invented the technique, after that I was even trying to build my own rig of cameras from old disposable cameras that I was collecting from a film development shop. That project never worked out as I never worked out the shutter mechanisms.
A conclusion of sorts
But this post is about sculpture and trying to capture movement, time and form in a new way, Bring together my love of Sculpture, film and action.
Have a great Sunday.