kinetic art in recent years, it has been at the peak of popularity, because the masters, who have mastered light and movement, manage to achieve a stunning effect - to overcome the static sculpture. In our review - 8 most original examples as art objects come to life.
1.Fantastic mechanism by artist Lime Young
Lime Young is a real virtuoso. The master manages to design the most complex mechanisms from boards, microprocessors, servo drives and other mechanical devices. Activated, his kinetic sculptures have a magnetic effect on the audience, because it is simply impossible for the layman to unravel the riddle of the mechanism.
2.Silhouettes of cars from metal spheres
appeared a few years ago, but still causes delight. 714 metal spheres are stacked to form car models of different years.
3. Wing flap by Bob Potts
70-year-old sculptor Bob Potts creates minimalistic, but no less impressive works. His kinetic sculptures imitate the flapping of a bird's wings or the movement of an oar while rowing. It is amazing how the master manages to convey the trajectory of movement so accurately.
4. "Dancing" sculptures by Anthony Howe
works with rough material - steel reinforcement, but creates surprisingly harmonious kinetic sculptures. In calm weather, they look elegant and sophisticated, and with the first breath of the breeze, they begin their bizarre dance.
5. Mechanical Fish by ArtMechanicus Art Group
Through the efforts of the art group ArtMechanicus, more than one "mechanical fish" has been born. In the collection of Moscow masters, there are “Fish-House”, reminiscent of Noah's Ark, “Fish-Knight”, personifying a lonely horseman, “Nut Fish”, symbolizing the desire for beauty, and “Ram-Fish”, an allegory of the struggle between living and inanimate principles.
6. Wood Wonders by David Roy
David Roy gives his touching and tender names - "Fiesta", "Summer Rain", "Sunny Dance", "Serenade", "Zephyr". Wooden creations are set in motion by the wind and immediately become light and elegant.
7. Kinetic device playing the violin. Author - Seth Goldstein
Seth Goldstein is a mechanical engineer who managed to create a device that can copy the movement of hands. Equipped with actuators, rotors, pulleys and computer chips, the kinetic sculpture recognizes audio files played on an electronic keyboard and then plays a melody on the violin.
8 Giant Animal Sculptures by Theo Jansen
Giant miracle monsters that, obeying the gusts of the wind, come to life, Theo Jansen creates from plastic tubes, cable cord, nylon ropes and adhesive tape. And after - arranges fun beach walks of insectoid animals. Without a doubt, .
FUNNY DEVIL OF KATE NEWSTED: PINK BOX
Name: Keith Newsted
Year of birth: 1956
Location: Penryn, Cornwall, UK
Occupation: sculptor, mechanic
Creative credo: "I make automata because I love mechanics, graphics, design... and automata allow you to get a great combination of these areas of creativity."
The Englishman Keith Newsted is one such master. He honestly admits: “I began to design fair machines because I was terribly bored working in my main specialty.” After graduating from the University of Essex (direction - graphics and design), Keith tried to become a visual artist, but only six months later his enthusiasm faded, he quit his job and went to Finland in search of adventure. “Oh, it was too cold for me,” Kate laughs. “I had to hurry back.”
Actually, Keith faced a common problem: he clearly graduated from a "not his" university. Yes, he could draw, but he did not like to do it too much. Therefore, the hell had to earn a living: to deliver newspapers and goods sold through catalogs. In parallel, Keith made and sold jewelry.
And then I saw a television program about fair machines
The Devil Rides Out
The movement was commissioned by an American collector in 2011. The model is almost entirely assembled from metal parts. Work on the "Devil" took about two months.
Royal Cornwall Museum
It is a donation box, custom-made for the museum. When a coin is dropped into the slot, the characters act out a half-minute scene.
Smeaton's Tower Donations Box. Smeaton Tower is one of the most famous and oldest British lighthouses. It was erected near the city of Plymouth (Devonshire) in 1756-1759. By order of the museum, located in the lighthouse today, Newsted made a donation box: a coin activates an ingenious mechanism, and the model begins to move.
"Northampton Shoe Museum" (Northampton Shoe Museum)
The donation box, commissioned by the Northampton Museum, satirically demonstrates the advantages of modern footwear production methods over classical ones.
MOVING PAINTINGS BY CHRISTINE SUR
Year of Birth: 1963
Location: Svendborg, Denmark
Occupation: Artist, Engineer
Creative credo: "I just like doing what I do"
The style to which Christine Sur's painting belongs is called primitivism. This trend arose in the 19th century and popularized the deliberate simplification of the composition, the stylization of a child's drawing. The great masters of primitivism were Henri Rousseau and Niko Pirosmani, Henry Darger and Martin Ramirez. Primitive artists of the past were in most cases able to paint beautifully in a classical style, using deliberate simplification as an artistic device. Today, there is a growing trend in which painters actually paint at the level of talented children, betraying the inability to create something worthy of their own style.
But all this is not about Christine Sur. She not only draws beautifully, but is able to give her paintings a new dimension. When we look at an ordinary artistic canvas, we can only guess what is, for example, behind the back of the hero of the picture or somewhere outside the frame. And Christine, introducing animation into the story, allows us to look beyond.
"Girlfriends" (Veninder, 2008) An example of a fairly simple kinetic picture. The woman on the left angrily hits her rival on the shin with the toe of her shoe, the woman on the right responds with an exclamation of "Ouch!" (Av!). Only two moving elements are driven by a single inconspicuous lever mounted under the frame.
"Coffee Shock" (Coffeeshock, 2007)
One of the works of the "coffee" series by Christine Sur. In various paintings of this collection of cups, like rabbits from cylinders, the most unexpected objects appear. The crazy face from this work is found in other works by Christine.
Sculptures by Theo Jansen
Theo Jansen (born March 17, 1948, The Hague, Netherlands) is a Dutch artist and kinetic sculptor. He builds huge structures resembling the skeletons of animals that are able to move under the influence of the wind on sandy beaches. Jansen calls these sculptures "animals" or "creatures"
Smaller sculptures by Theo Jansen
But the real creation of thought and ingenuity are mechanical structures that can move under the influence of the force of the wind. Also, working on a clockwork or any motor capable of rotating a central rotor. These kinetic sculptures are designed and made by Theo Jansen.
Walking table
For many years, scientists have argued that walking mechanisms are not promising. Only nature realized in organisms all the perfection of life on two legs. For cars, the walker scheme, to put it mildly, is not preferable. They talked, but stubbornly continued to invent walking robots. And gradually the idea that the mechanism can walk became so natural that now not only complex robots with the rudiments of artificial intelligence are walking, but even furniture. For example, designer Water Sheublin created a walking table. The creation of this designer is not connected with electric motors, in order to move the table you need to push it
Cho Woo Ram: Mechanical Life Forms
What kind of alien monsters did not try to surprise us writers, filmmakers and creators of computer games! But most professional inventors should take a master class from Korean Cho U Ram. The kinetic sculptures that he creates look truly alien - and at the same time full of life.
Automaton
An automatic machine is a machine capable of changing its mode of operation according to a specific program. Due to the complication or change of control programs, the machine becomes multifunctional - that is, it is able to perform various actions without changing the instrumental part. Structurally, this problem is solved by the fact that in addition to the mechanical articulation of parts, the automaton contains a device for converting one form of movement into another. The first automata were built on limited variations of mechanical action, changing in degree and direction of motion transmission. With the development of electrical engineering, automatic machines receive effective control units. The modern development of automata is associated primarily with the success of microelectronics and programming.
Story
The first automata were made already in ancient times, as evidenced by the rather fabulous, however, walking statues of Daedalus in Athens, the flying wooden dove of Archyta of Tarentum, etc.
Just as incredible are the stories about automata that were made in the Middle Ages by Albert the Great (1193-1280), Roger Bacon (1214-1294), about an iron fly flying, etc.
moving figures were often connected by a clock mechanism, as, for example, on the clock of the Strasbourg Cathedral with their 12 moving figures in a singing rooster. Similar clocks are in Lübeck, Nuremberg, Prague, Olmutz, etc.
In the 18th century, Vaucanson's automatons (fr. Vaucanson) from Grenoble, which he showed in Paris in 1738 (a man playing a flute, a pipe, a duck eating), as well as works by Swiss watchmakers father and son Droz (fr. Jaquet Droz) from Lachaux-de-Fonds in 1790 (a writing boy, a girl playing the harmonium and a drawing boy).
Writers and painters
Drawing doll, made by Swiss watchmaker Pierre Jacquet-Droz, draws pictures and writes poetry. Drawing Automaton by Pierre Jacquet-Droz An automaton created by 18th century Swiss watchmaker Pierre Jacquet-Droz has the ability to sketch pictures and write poems.
The oldest writing automaton, a mechanical doll made of carved wood by Jaquet-Droz in 1772, had the ability to write. 28 cm high
The Writer - a mechanical doll made in carved wood by Jaquet-Droz in 1772 which had the ability to write. At 28 inches tall, it gave an unusual impression of life and was presented to every court in Europe
Henri Maillardet (1745-?)
Another 18th-century Londoner of Swiss origin: His doll without wig and dress:
Henri Maillardet. "TheDraughtsman-Writer" automaton, c. 1820, Franklin Institute, Philadelphia
Swiss-born, London-based clockmaker and inventor, Henri Maillardet, built a humanoid automaton that wrote three poems and could draw three pictures.
She can write three poems and pictures.
This is how this doll writes and draws:
China
Fortune teller He has about twenty different drawings
Japan
20th century - photo
18th century dolls Emil Frohlich with Two Automatons ca. 1906 Original caption: Emil Frohlich with automatons invented by Droz, 1760-1773.
19th century doll, wearing an 1830 dress. Mr. Schehl Pointing to Mechanical Part of Doll Original caption: Century-Old Robot Doll Draws and Writes. A robot doll over a hundred years old is "Miss Automaton," now reposing in the Franklin Institute of Philadelphia.
Various automatons
"Thimblemaker" from Beijing doll does tricks with cups and balls clock with caucasian automaton He does cup-and-ball tricks.
Sources: www.popmech.ru
Anthony Howe is a kinetic sculptor based in the village of Eastsound, Washington. The sculptor works mainly with stainless steel. His sculptures come to life with every gust of wind, as if by magic, a fabulous, hypnotizing spectacle.
The video below shows the best of Anthony Howe's work, and you can see the facial expressions change with the gust of wind and flashes of light.
Anthony Howe is a typical city dweller, in whose biography you can find references to such places as Manhattan or Seattle at every turn. And yet it was he, who grew up in the stone jungle, who managed to find a common language with the forces of nature, making them allies in his work. Wind is the main component, without which Howe's sculptures simply could not exist.
OCTO 3 . Stainless steel. 7.6 m high × 9.1 m wide × 9.1 m deep. 3200 kg. 16 connected blades rotating on a circular shaft. Withstands wind speeds of 90 mph. Various options for night illumination are provided. Sold in Dubai, UAE.
Even the lightest breeze is able to set in motion dozens of rotating parts of the sculptures. Howe claims that he pays great attention to testing his sculptures for wind resistance. One way is to attach the sculpture to your Ford F-150 and then drive on the freeway.
About face . Stainless steel, copper. 2.2 m high × 1.6 m wide × 1.5 m deep. 100 individually balanced copper panels.
Howe starts with digital modeling using Rhinoceros 3D software, then the steel elements of the sculptures are plasma cut and assembled using traditional metalworking techniques.
Octo 
Olotron 
In-Out Quotient 
Vlast-O- 
In Cloud Light 
Kinetic Wind Sculpture 
The creation of kinetic sculptures, that is, those that can move, as a direction in art arose not so long ago - in the mid-50s of the last century, and as an additional example, one can recall the works of Theo Jansen. However, unlike Jansen's plastic sculptures, Anthony works with metal, mainly with steel. Using steel rebar combined with forged curvilinear shapes and fiberglass coated discs, Howe creates fantastic sculptures. In calm weather, they surprise with their elegance, and with the slightest breath of wind they set in motion, whirling in a dance that only they can understand and creating an inexplicable secret harmony.
Anthony Howe has been creating kinetic sculptures for about 20 years. "I'm trying to create objects whose appearance will be associated with the attributes of science fiction as well as with biological and astronomical models," - says the author.
The sculptor was born in 1954 in Salt Lake City (Utah, USA). Anthony Howe began his creative career as an artist and only after moving to New York moved from painting to sculpture. The author gained wide popularity in the late 1990s.
Spine Tower
Kinetic sculpture is a special trend in contemporary art based on the effect of movement of the entire art object or its individual elements. Masters working in this genre managed to destroy the myth that real sculptural images should be static. Their creations are filled with movement and life. They attract attention, fascinate and make a person think about the impermanence of all things and phenomena surrounding him in this world.
Sculptures by Lime Young
Lime Young is a contemporary artist from South Korea who creates unusual sculptures of the most complex forms using microprocessors, circuit boards, stainless steel parts and other materials unusual for works of art. Set in motion by special mechanisms, his installations resemble unimaginable living creatures and have a truly magical effect on viewers. Understanding how they work is beyond the power of a simple person. But this is not necessary, because any kinetic sculpture of Young is created in order to amaze the audience.
Creations by Bob Potts
The famous American sculptor Bob Potts creates minimalist installations that imitate the flapping of bird wings, the movement of oars in a boat, etc. His sculptures are made of lightweight materials and are not burdened with unnecessary details, but this does not prevent them from bringing viewers into indescribable delight. Particularly impressive to art lovers is the amazing accuracy with which Potts manages to recreate the trajectory of the objects on display.
U-Ram Cho and his artwork
Kinetic sculpture has completely captured the imagination of South Korean artist U-Ram Cho. All his works have complex structures and mechanisms. Made of various metals, they are supplemented with gearboxes, motors, all kinds of boards and microprocessors, thanks to which they are set in motion. The Korean's installations resemble outlandish birds, fish, insects and other creatures unknown to modern civilization. To make unusual sculptures look more realistic, the master demonstrates them accompanied by light and sound effects.
Moving compositions by Anthony Howe
For more than 25 years, American Anthony Howe has been creating three-dimensional abstract compositions made of lightweight stainless steel, set in motion by the slightest breath of breeze. All the author's creations consist of several dozen mobile elements and resemble unthinkable astronomical models or from the future. Some of Anthony Howe's kinetic sculptures stand firmly on the ground, but there are some among them that are displayed in a suspended state. Driven by the power of the wind, they mesmerize those around them with a change in their appearance every second.
Outlandish Animals by Theo Jansen
Kinetic sculptures by Theo Jansen carry the idea of preserving life on the planet. They are made from plastic bottles and pipes, insulating tape, adhesive tape, nylon thread, cardboard and other scrap materials. Jansen gives his creations the appearance of huge outlandish animals, which, according to him, feed on wind energy and can move independently. Despite their apparent lightness, they are able to maintain stability even under strong gusts of wind. Before creating the next figure, the master uses a computer program to calculate the parameters of the model and only after that he assembles it and puts it on the beach, located near his home in Holland. Today, a whole family of outlandish animals has already gathered on it, peacefully adjacent to each other.
"Live" installations in Russia
Kinetic sculpture is popular not only in foreign countries. In Russia today there are many artists who are fond of creating moving installations. Thus, the efforts of the participants of the metropolitan art group ArtMechanicus created a whole collection of wooden mechanical fish. There are among their creations and Fish-house, and Fish-ram, and Fish-knight. In addition to Muscovites, Ivan Poddubny from Yalta is also creating unusual sculptures. He makes miniature installations of wood and leather, powered by a spring motor. Poddubny's works are perfectly combined with modern interiors and are designed to decorate residential and office premises.
© Anthony Howe, 2013. KweeBe . Stainless steel. 4.8 m high × 3 m wide × 3 m deep. 300 kg. 75 connected blades rotating on three shafts. Sold.
Anthony Howe (Anthony Howe, born in 1954 in Salt Lake City, Utah) is an American sculptor who makes autonomous kinetic sculptures driven by wind power.
After graduating from Cornell University and the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Howe began his artistic career from 1979-1985 as an artist. He painted pastoral landscapes in a home he built on a remote mountaintop in New Hampshire. His paintings have been exhibited at the Gallery on the Green in Lexington, Massachusetts.
In 1985, Anthony Howe moved to New York and began to work with kinetic sculptures. In 1994, he moved to Orcas Island in the San Juan Archipelago (Washington), where he again builds a house for himself and opens his own gallery. Howe's work became widely known in the late 1990s.
“For the past 17 years, I have been creating autonomous kinetic sculptures that interact with the wind and light of the environment. I'm trying to create objects that look like low-tech sci-fi equipment, astronomical or microbiological models. The sculptures are primarily made of stainless steel, driven by forged curvilinear elements or flat discs coated with fiberglass. Multi-shaft carefully balanced shapes, both symmetrical and asymmetrical, create a moving, soothing three-dimensional image of harmony. An outboard motor-reducer is mounted inside the sculptures” Anthony Howe says.
Howe starts with digital modeling using Rhinoceros 3D software, then the steel elements of the sculptures are plasma cut and assembled using traditional metalworking techniques.
© Anthony Howe, 2013. OCTO 3 . Stainless steel. 7.6 m high × 9.1 m wide × 9.1 m deep. 3200 kg. 16 connected blades rotating on a circular shaft. Withstands wind speeds of 90 mph. Various options for night illumination are provided. Sold in Dubai, UAE.
Even the lightest breeze is able to set in motion dozens of rotating parts of the sculptures. Howe claims that he pays great attention to testing his sculptures for wind resistance. One way is to attach the sculpture to your Ford F-150 and then drive on the freeway.
© Anthony Howe, 2013. About Face . Stainless steel, copper. 2.2 m high × 1.6 m wide × 1.5 m deep. 100 individually balanced copper panels. Sold.
“I was tired of everything still in my visual world”, - explains Howe, who considers motionless sculptures to be lifeless.
