Applied Kinetic Arts

I know I’ve posted a video of some of the experiments we did involving evacuating the plasma tubes of the Uira Engine but I’m not sure I ever posted any video of this later tube design.

Wow.  I found this when I was cleaning out my laptop hard drive.  This is one of the first concept drawings Ben (of Backbone Metals fame) did when he and I were first planning The Neuron Chamber.  It’s amazing how close we got to these original drawings while still creating something entirely different.

Well, they’re not entirely new if you’ve been reading my previous posts, but they are now properly documented and have been added to my for sale page. The image above is of “Acoustapus”, and the images below are of “Homunculus” (be sure to scroll down to see his accompanying video). Clicking each image will take you to each piece’s permanent page in my portfolio with additional images and information.

I’m not sure if I’ve posted about it here (I’m loosing track of what I’ve been posting where) but I’ve been working on a papercraft model of the RGR in addition to the wooden model.  I really had no idea how hard it was going to be to design a nice papercraft model of the RGR.  It’s got so many funky curves and you can’t simplify them or you loose the whole shape.  Below are some photos of the current model.  This is nearly the final design, I still need to do the fin layout and then add some details (rivets, logo, doors, etc.) to the images.  I put this one together really fast just so I can see how well the design worked which is why the model looks a little sloppy.  I’m impressed with how well the main curve holds up to flattening and reassembly.

I’ve started working on a new lamp.  The idea for this came from two components that have been kicking around on my work bench for a while that I realized would work well together.  The first is one of those pneumatic things that prevents your trunk from slamming down on you which is now broken and only offers sleight resistance as it slides in and out.  The second is this strange, plastic, green thing that already mounted to an aluminum bit that just screams to have an LED put in it.

The first thing I did was quickly machine two stainless bits that screw on to the threaded ends of the pneumatic thing.  These are what I’ll use to attach the light and the base.

I did a quick CAD sketch to show all the basic movements it will have.

The pneumatic rod, now black, will be painted green to match the plastic green bit the LED will go in.

There is still allot to figure out about this one.

Oh, it’s called the Norgren Lamp because, the plastic bit was made by Norgren and still has there sticker on it.

Almost Scientific will be showing The Triaparator and some new odds and ends on Friday, March 5th.

The show is at 416 26th Street, Oakland, (Betw.Telegraph and Broadway)

This is the first show of the nascent Five Ton Crane.

I’ll be at a reception at the Sanchez Art Center in Pacifica CA this Friday for a show of art from the S.F. dump’s growing collection. They will be exhibiting my “Guzzler” sculpture, along with work from other previous artists from their awesome residency program.

A little warm up piece.

Deer One

Typewriter parts

8”x2.5”x7”

Got posted in the Atlantic- Andrew Sullivan’s Daily Dish blog.

A few weeks ago I posted about a few new sculptures I’ve started, none of which have any designs or plans, but are “make them up as you go along” projects.  One of them I’ve been calling Spinny or sometimes Spinny Thing and it’s going to, well spin.  The spinning is going to activate the sculpture much like a centrifugal governor and different kinetic elements will be engaged at different speeds.  The first step was to get the thing spinning so I can start to experiment.  Well, here are some photos of the mounting (I finally got to use that giant I-beam I’ve been lugging around for years) and a little video of Spinny Thing spinning under human control.

So one of the ideas I had while building the Rocket Sam papercraft model was to build some scale models of the Raygun Gothic Rocket that everyone would be able to build.

I’m doing the first in wood, and I just got done putting together a prototype.  This was laser cut out of 1/16″ plywood, it’s about 13″ tall, currently has 6 unique parts and is glued together.  There were some minor design problems with this first prototype, specifically, I made the slots where the pieces come together  a bit too big and I think that the 1/16″ ply is too thin for most people to work with (it was kind of annoying for even me to put together).  So, the next version will likely be out of 1/8″ ply, and have tighter slots.

When the design is locked in and detailed out, the models will be for sale here at Almost Scientific, the RGR webpage and any showings of the RGR we do.

For now, you’ll just have to enjoy the photos of the prototype:

Its no secret that I have a soft spot for cephalopods (Giant Squid, Octovarius, Waste Deep and many more). This one came into being as a result of a gift of a broken acoustic guitar from my mother in law (thanks!). People often give me broken and unwanted things, and in this case it proved quite useful. I just recently destroyed several rocking chairs for my “Nowhere Fast” piece. The remaining parts paired perfectly with the guitar to form the creature pictured above.

Homunculus, from Mirriam-Webster dictionary:
1 : a little man : manikin
2 : a miniature adult that in the theory of preformation is held to inhabit the germ cell and to produce a mature individual merely by an increase in size
This has been a recurring theme for me, most notably in my “Little Big Man” sculpture and to a lesser extent in “Above it all”, “Beetle”, “Crab” etc. For whatever reason I am fond of big scary things being driven by meek little things. The sculpture I am working on currently will explore this theme yet again.

What more do you want me to say? I’ve resisted the pressure for what feels like ages now, but it finally got to be too much. You can find me here. Be gentle.

As you may know from my previous posts I am the proud co-founder (along with CTP) of Applied Kinetic Arts. This is a collective of artists, primarily sculptors, who work within the general realm of “kinetic” (loosely defined below). If you are a frequent abuser of Facebook, join our group and stay in touch.

I just favorited this http://tweetphoto.com/10400030 check it out! #TweetPhoto

Today’s episode of Daily Planet, on the Discovery Channel in Canada- skip to clip 6…. http://fb.me/5CfaCf2

About a month or so ago I picked up a copy of the SF Panorama which was almost too great for words.  One of the best things in it was a Rocket Sam comic by Chris Ware that, on the back, had a paper-craft model of rocket.  Well, the other night I totally geeked out on with a x-acto, a straight edge, some Elemers and cheep paint brush.

I had allot of fun making it and photographing it.  But more importantly it really inspired me while working on it.  I had a few really great ideas that popped into my head while building it.  I’m continually shocked at how deep the connection is between my cognitive activity and building with my hands, even if it is just cutting up and gluing together little bits of paper.  That activity can be so powerful.

The Panorama was created by the McSweeney’s folks to show the wold how valuable a physical newspaper can be in today’s digital world, and I think the Rocket Sam model really speaks to that.  I’d really love if some little paper craft project showed up at my door each week, printed on heavy stock with bright colors.  Imagine all the great ideas that would pop into my head.  Imagine people all over the city sitting down to build the same paper-craft models each week.

One idea is almost directly related to this Rocket Sam model and our Raygun Gothic Rocketship.  I’m not ready to post about it yet, but I’ll have it ready for an upcoming show in March.

Enjoy the photos …

For all of you Canadians- I’m supposed to be on the Daily Planet program on the Discovery Channel in Canada… http://fb.me/5fPJyqs

New piece featured at Wired.com

“Jeremy Mayer spent more than 1,400 hours at the typewriter in the past year, but he wasn’t banging out a sci-fi novel. Instead, he was building Nude IV, aka Delilah — a 6-foot-tall sculpture made entirely of typewriter parts.”

Read More http://www.wired.com/underwire/2010/01/delilah-typewriter-sculpture/#ixzz0eFBsZu1N“