Kinetic sculpture of how the mechanism works. Woo-Ram Cho and his works of art

" received new article"". These are really interesting mechanisms, like living things. It is based on the laws of computer and natural evolution. The first sculptures were sailed. The last animals walk in the calm, sense water and obstacles, remember the path and even protect themselves from storms.

Kinetic Theo sculpture Jansen works only on wind energy: there are no gasoline, diesel, electric, etc. engines. Energy for movement is stored in bottles. General overview about Theo Jansen's kinetic sculptures can be obtained from the video:

And if you like, we will consider more detailed design features further.

So, for starters, the operating principle of one stilted part.

These are the dimensions of the 11 leg components.

The legs, in turn, are attached to a kind of spine. The spine in this case is a crankshaft, which can either simply transmit movement, or be rotated using propellers, compressed air, and so on.

The best leg movement occurs when the foot describes something like a triangle with rounded vertices. The different proportions of the 11 components of the leg produce different geometric shapes when moving. The author of the sculptures experimented a lot, in particular with computer models, to find the ideal ratio of the parts of the leg. This relationship can be presented somewhat more clearly with the help of the following video. It also gives a different interpretation of the appearance of the leg of the kinetic sculpture.

By the way, computer modeling special results did not work due to the huge number of options geometric shapes, which the foot of the leg can describe. For example, each of the 11 leg components can have 10 length options. This results in more than a million possible curves. The computer would work on them for hundreds of years. I had to turn to the method of computer evolution.

So, the computer chose 1500 random options leg component lengths. And he appreciated the geometric shapes that the foot of each leg describes:

Out of 1,500 options for geometric shapes, the 100 most optimal ones were selected. Accordingly, there were 100 types of combinations of different lengths of leg parts.

From these lengths of parts (the rest were eliminated), another 1500 leg options were randomly created. From these, 100 legs with the most optimal curves were selected. Based on the resulting lengths of the parts, new 1,500 leg options were created - and so on.

The cycle repeated itself day and night for many months. The final result is the leg of Animaris Currens Vulgaris, the first animal to walk independently on a beach. But this leg was not ideal either; the animal stopped periodically. So the evolution continued :)

Here is an example of a set of numbers that give a more or less moving leg:

a = 38, b = 41.5, c = 39.3, d = 40.1, e = 55.8, f = 39.4, g = 36.7, h = 65.7, i = 49, j = 50, k = 61.9, l=7.8, m= 15

Another calculation of the leg components, carried out in Matkada:

And here is another example of calculating the components of the legs:

Based on this calculation, a kinetic sculpture is also built:

In this video you can get a good look at sets of plastic bottles that are used to store wind energy:

The wind moves the sails on the crankshaft, the energy is transferred to the bicycle pump, which inflates the bottles. This takes several hours. But how can you make an animal move, and even automatically? This requires muscles. Muscles are a tube within a hollow tube, which can cause it to lengthen. Elongation is caused by the inflation of a rubber ball, which increases in volume and pushes the inserted pipe.

Some enthusiasts are trying to develop real vehicles based on them:

Well, the author himself believes that this type of movement is a revolution in the world of technology, comparable in importance to the invention of the wheel. The way these creatures move is based on the principle of the wheel (there is an axis that is always horizontal to the ground), but everything else is different. This is an advantage over a wheel, especially in hard-to-reach places such as sand.

An excellent example of a kinetic sculpture with a “hamster” engine:

Interview with Theo Jansen with Russian subtitles:

The main components of modern kinetic sculptures from Theo Jansen:

  1. The stilted legs we talked about earlier.
  2. Engines are also the windage of sculptures.
  3. Batteries, they are also fan-shaped things on sculptures and plastic bottles into which air is pumped.
  4. Signal transmission system - tubes transmitting compressed air and check valves with springs.
  5. Obstacle and soil moisture monitoring system (if the probes encounter insurmountable obstacles, they turn the sculpture back).
  6. Water sensing system (based on sucking water into bottles, increasing pressure and sending the animal back).
  7. The animal's brain is a system of bottles, valves, tubes), working on a binary system. The brain counts steps from obstacle to obstacle. Therefore, when the animal reaches water, etc., and turns back, it knows how long to go back.
  8. Storm protection system (a hammer that drives the stakes on the nose of the sculpture into the ground in strong winds).

There will be more in the future :)

These are the original living kinetic sculptures from Theo Jansen.

Anthony Howe is a kinetic sculptor living in 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 sight.

The video below shows best works Anthony Howe, it is noticeable that facial expressions change with a gust of wind and glimpses of light.



Anthony Howe is a typical city dweller, in whose biography you can find references to places like Manhattan or Seattle at every turn. And yet, it was he, who grew up in the concrete 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 Hove's sculptures simply could not exist.


OCTO 3 . Stainless steel. 7.6 m high x 9.1 m wide x 9.1 m deep. 3200 kg. 16 connected blades rotating on a circular shaft. Withstands wind speeds of 90 mph. Provided various options night illumination. Sold to Dubai, UAE.

Even the lightest breeze can set dozens of rotating parts of the sculptures in motion. Howe says he takes great care to test his sculptures for wind resistance. One way is to mount the sculpture on your Ford F-150 and then drive it down the freeway.


About Face . Stainless steel, copper. 2.2 m high x 1.6 m wide x 1.5 m deep. 100 individually balanced copper panels.

Howe starts with digital modeling using software Rhinoceros 3D, then the steel elements of the sculptures are made using plasma cutting and assembled using traditional metal working 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 a additional example one can recall the works of Theo Jansen. However, unlike Jansen's plastic sculptures, Anthony works with metal, predominantly steel. Using steel reinforcement combined with forged curved forms and fiberglass-covered disks, Howe creates fantastic sculptures. In calm weather, they surprise with their elegance, and with the slightest breath of wind they begin to move, spinning in a dance that only they understand and creating an inexplicable secret harmony.

Anthony Howe has been creating kinetic sculptures for about 20 years. "I'm trying to create objects, appearance which will be associated with attributes science fiction just like with biological and astronomical models,” says the author.
The sculptor was born in 1954 in Salt Lake City (Utah, USA). Anthony Howe started his creative career as an artist and only after moving to New York moved from painting to sculpture. The author became widely known in the late 1990s.

Spine Tower

Kinetic art in last years is at the peak of popularity, because masters who have mastered light and movement manage to achieve a stunning effect - to overcome the static nature of sculpture. In our review - 8 of the most original examples how art objects come to life.

1.Fantastic mechanism from the artist Lime Young

Kinetic sculpture by South Korean artist Laimi Yang


Lime Young is a true virtuoso. The master manages to construct the most complex mechanisms from circuit boards, microprocessors, servos and other mechanical devices. When put into action, his kinetic sculptures have a magnetic effect on viewers, because it is simply impossible for the average person to solve the mystery of the mechanism.

2.Car silhouettes made from metal spheres

Kinetic sculpture at the BMW Museum


The kinetic sculpture at the BMW Museum appeared several years ago, but still causes delight. 714 metal spheres folds into the shape of car models different years release.

3. Wing Flap by Bob Potts


Kinetic sculpture of Bob Potts


70-year-old sculptor Bob Potts creates minimalist, 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’s amazing how the master manages to convey the trajectory of movement so accurately.

4. “Dancing” sculptures by Anthony Howe

Kinetic sculpture by Anthony Howe


Anthony Howe works with a rough material - steel reinforcement, but creates surprisingly harmonious kinetic sculptures. In calm weather they look elegant and sophisticated, and with the first breath of wind they begin their fancy dance.

5. “Mechanical fish” from the art group ArtMechanicus

Kinetic sculpture from art group ArtMechanicus


Thanks to the efforts of the art group ArtMechanicus, more than one “mechanical fish” has been born. The collection of Moscow masters includes “Fish-House”, reminiscent of Noah’s Ark, “Fish-Knight”, personifying a lonely horseman, “Nut Fish”, symbolizing the desire for beauty, and “Fish-ram” - an allegory of the struggle between living and inanimate principles.

6. Wooden Wonders by David Roy

David Roy gives his kinetic sculptures touching and tender names - “Fiesta”, “ Summer rain", "Solar Dance", "Serenade", "Zephyr". Wooden creations are set in motion by the wind and immediately become light and graceful.

7. Kinetic device that plays the violin. By Seth Goldstein

Seth Goldstein is a mechanical engineer who managed to create a device that can copy the movement of hands. The kinetic sculpture, equipped with drives, rotors, pulleys and computer chips, recognizes audio files played on an electronic keyboard and then plays a melody on the violin.

8.Giant animal sculptures by Theo Jansen

Kinetic sculpture by Theo Jansen

Theo Jansen creates giant miracle monsters that, obeying gusts of wind, come to life from plastic tubes, cable cord, nylon ropes and adhesive tape. And then he arranges fun beach walks for insect-like animals. Without a doubt, Theo Jansen is one of the geniuses of kinetic art.

THE FUNNY CHEATS OF KEITH NEWSTEAD: PIGGY BANK

Name: Kate Newstead
Year of birth: 1956
Place of residence: Penryn, Cornwall, UK
Occupation: sculptor, mechanic
Creative credo: “I make machines because I love mechanics, graphics, design... and machines allow you to get a great combination of these areas of creativity.”

Englishman Keith Newstead is one of these masters. He honestly admits: “I started designing fairground machines because I was terribly bored working in my main specialty.” After graduating from the University of Essex with a degree in graphics and design, Keith tried to become a graphic designer, but just six months later his enthusiasm waned, 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 the wrong university. Yes, he knew how to draw, but he didn’t like to do it too much. Therefore, they had to make a living by whatever the hell: delivering newspapers and goods sold through catalogues. At the same time, Keith made and sold jewelry.

And then I saw television program about fair machines

The Devil Rides Out
The mechanism was made by order of 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 skit.

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. At the request of the museum, located in the lighthouse today, Newstead made a box for collecting donations: a coin activates an ingenious mechanism, and the model begins to move.

Northampton Shoe Museum
A donation box commissioned by Northampton Museum satirically demonstrates the advantages of modern shoemaking methods over classic ones.

MOVING PICTURES BY CHRISTINE SUR

Year of Birth: 1963
Residence: 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 movement arose in the 19th century and popularized the deliberate simplification of composition, stylization children's drawing. The great masters of primitivism were Henri Rousseau and Niko Pirosmani, Henry Darger and Martin Ramirez. Primitivist artists of the past, in most cases, were able to draw beautifully in classic style, deliberate simplification was used as artistic technique. Today there is an increasingly widespread trend in which painters actually paint at the level of talented children, passing off their inability to create something worthwhile as their own style.

But all this is not about Kristin Suhr at all. She not only draws beautifully, but is able to add a new dimension to her paintings. When we look at the ordinary artistic canvas, we can only guess about what is, for example, behind the back of the hero of the picture or somewhere outside the frame. And Christine, by introducing animation into the plot, allows us to look beyond the boundaries.

“Girlfriends” (Veninder, 2008) An example of a fairly simple kinetic picture. The woman on the left angrily hits her opponent in the shin with the toe of her shoe, the woman on the right reacts to this with an exclamation of “Ouch!” (Av!). Only two moving elements are driven by one discreet lever mounted under the frame.

Coffee Shock (Coffeeshock, 2007)

One of the works of the “coffee” series by Christine Sur. IN various paintings In this collection, the most unexpected objects appear from cups, like rabbits from top hats. Crazy face from this work appears in other works of 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 that resemble the skeletons of animals that are able to move under the influence of the wind. 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 clock mechanism or any motor capable of rotating the central rotor. These kinetic sculptures are invented 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 walking design, to put it mildly, is not preferable. They talked, but stubbornly continued to come up with walking robots. And gradually the idea that a mechanism can walk became so natural that now not only complex robots with the rudiments of artificial intelligence walk, but even furniture. For example, designer Water Sheublin created a walking table. This designer’s creation is not connected to electric motors; to move the table you need to push it

Cho Woo Ram: Mechanical forms life

What kind of alien monsters have writers, filmmakers and creators tried to surprise us with? computer games! But most professional dreamers would do well to take a master class from Korean Cho Woo Ram. The kinetic sculptures he creates look truly alien - and at the same time full of life.

Automaton

An automatic machine is a machine capable of changing its operating mode according to a specific program. Thanks to the complication or change of control programs, the machine becomes multifunctional - that is, it is able to perform a variety of actions without changing the instrumental part. Structurally, this problem is solved by the fact that in addition to the mechanical articulation of parts, the machine contains a device for converting one form of movement into another. The first machines were built on limited variations of mechanical action, varying in degree and direction of transmission of movement. With the development of electrical engineering, machines receive effective control units. The modern development of automatic machines is associated primarily with the successes 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 Archites of Tarentum, etc.
Equally incredible are the stories about automatic machines that were made in the Middle Ages by Albertus Magnus (1193-1280), Roger Bacon (1214-1294), about a flying iron fly, etc. In the production of watches with
The clock mechanism often connected moving figures, as for example on the clock of the Strasbourg Cathedral with its 12 moving figures in a crowing rooster. Similar clocks are in Lübeck, Nuremberg, Prague, Olmutz, etc.
Vaucanson's automata (French) became especially famous in the 18th century. Vaucanson) from Grenoble, which he showed in Paris in 1738 (a man playing a flute, a pipe, a duck eating food), as well as works by Swiss watchmakers father and son Droz (fr. Jaquet Droz) from Lachaux-de-Fonds in 1790 (a boy writing, a girl playing the harmonium and a boy drawing).


Writing and drawing


The 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 from 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 master, a Londoner of Swiss origin: His doll without wig and dress:
Henri Maillardet. "The Draughtsman-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 designs

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.

Doll from the 19th century, in a dress from 1830. 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 cup-and-ball tricks clock with caucasian automaton He does cup-and-ball tricks.

Sources: www.popmech.ru

Modern artists and sculptors have long gone beyond the generally accepted concept of “ fine art" They became real inventors and as a result created a separate artistic movement called “ kinetic art" Kineticism is based on a simple idea: under the influence of wind, light and movement, you can create a stunning artistic object that literally “comes to life” before the eyes of the audience. Our selection contains the most impressive examples of kinetic sculptures created by Sovriska figures.

THE INHABITANTS OF THE SANDY BEACHES BY THEO JANSEN


Dutch artist Theo Jansen creates truly unique art objects that are driven by gusts of wind. Fantastic creatures gigantic sizes walk freely along the sandy beaches, which brings complete delight and amazement to the spellbound audience. These characters seem to have stepped out of the pages of post-apocalyptic novels and now live among people.


Back in the 90s, Jansen created a computer program with which he was able to calculate the evolution of many creatures that were in the struggle for survival. Seriously fascinated by this matter, he decided to transfer his developments from the computer screen to real life. To create the giant inhabitants of the sandy coasts, the artist uses plastic tubes, which he buys for 10 cents per meter. Cable ties, tape, plastic bottles and nylon threads are used. The result is very light and inexpensive kinetic sculptures, vaguely reminiscent of bizarre insects, each of which contains an average of 375 tubes.

SPACE ART OBJECTS ANTHONY HOWE


Contemporary art closely interacts with information technology, and vivid proof of this is the work of the American sculptor Anthony Howe. It is with the help of a computer that the master has been creating autonomous kinetic sculptures for the past 17 years. Huge art objects react to such natural phenomena like light and wind.



The author of the “space” sculptures admits that he draws inspiration from astronomical and microbiological models. Howe primarily uses fiberglass and stainless steel in his work. The sculptor achieves three-dimensional harmony by creating symmetrical and asymmetrical balance between multiple axes. Looking at these unique creations, it really seems that they were not created by man at all, but rather they came to us from outer space.

A TOUCHING LOVE STORY FROM Tamara KVESITADZE


Another stunning sculpture called “Man and Woman” is located in Batumi (Georgia). The author of this creation is Georgian sculptor Tamara Kvesitadze. Every evening at 19.00 an 8-meter steel composition begins to move, playing out a real love drama. The fact is that the sculpture depicts the Muslim Azerbaijani Ali and the Georgian princess Nino from famous novel, which was supposedly written by Kurban Said in 1937.


In the book, the action takes place in the Caucasus against the backdrop of the First World War. The novel "Ali and Nino" raises the most difficult questions related to the search for ways to reconcile Islam and Christianity, West and East, men and women. In the evening, at the most romantic time, the statues begin to move towards each other, unite in a touching embrace for a short time, and then part. The performance lasts only 10 minutes, but in this short period of time the sculpture manages to tell an incredible story. touching story love that leaves no spectator indifferent.

HYPNOTIC MECHANISMS OF BOB POTTS


Bob Potts is a painter and sculptor from San Francisco. He creates amazing kinetic sculptures that imitate the smooth movements of fish and insects, the flapping of bird wings, and the movements of boat oars. In the process of working on his art objects, the artist uses a variety of parts: chains, levers, gears and connecting rods. It is with their help that he creates stunning minimalist sculptures, focused only on movement.


For his work, the sculptor (and also a professional carpenter) uses mainly stainless steel, brass, aluminum, copper, bronze and wood. To begin with, he creates a prototype of the future sculpture from wood, calculates the dimensions and geometric proportions. The master creates each of his creations slowly, carefully calculating every detail. Often the original is very different from its prototype.

MAGIC RAIN FROM ART+COM


The kinetic sculpture, located in the first terminal of Singapore's Changi Airport (by the way, has been repeatedly voted the best airport in the world), consists of 608 elements imitating raindrops that seem to be frozen in the air. Thanks to the operation of special motors built into the ceiling, the drops are set in motion every 15 minutes and demonstrate something like a rain dance - a truly impressive spectacle.


The art object was created by the Berlin company ART+COM. The drops are made of lightweight aluminum with a copper coating. A similar large-scale sculpture from ART+COM was presented at the Munich BMW Museum in 2008. It consisted of 714 metal spheres suspended on the thinnest steel wires 0.2 mm thick. The wires are almost impossible to see, so it feels like the “drops” are floating in the air. By the way, the studio ART+COM received for this work highest award One Show Design Awards - the Oscars of the advertising industry.

BIOLOGICAL FORMS OF LIFE TSOYA URAM


Seoul-based artist Choi Uram creates interesting kinetic sculptures that mimic natural life forms. To produce his works, the master uses various types of metals, gearboxes, motors, as well as processors and circuit boards that set the sculptures in motion. Each exhibit is equipped with a very complex mechanism, and therefore, before exhibitions, Tsoi has to explain in detail to the organizers how to adjust the work of the sculpture if it suddenly loses its rhythm.


Over time, parts wear out to such an extent that the object becomes unusable. Then Tsoi dismantles the sculpture to use the remaining parts to create his new masterpiece.

CLASSICS IS A FLEXIBLE CONCEPT: AMAZING SCULPTURES BY LI HUNBO


At first glance, the works of the Chinese artist and sculptor Li Hongbo may seem ordinary and even mediocre, but once you touch the sculpture, not a trace will remain of classical art. What appeared to be a monolithic sculpture made of plaster or marble turns out to be a stack of sheets of paper. Tens of thousands of pages glued together in a special way, V original form they look like ordinary statues. Metamorphoses begin if you pull part of the sculpture up or move it to the side.


Lee uses ancient way paper gluing, which is widely used in China for the manufacture of decorative elements and children's toys. Lee found original version use of this technology: the sculptor works with various types paper, gluing the sheets together along lines that form a pattern reminiscent of a honeycomb. Each creation by Li Hongbo is the fruit of painstaking handwork, which can last several months. For example, for a human-sized figure, the artist used about 20 thousand paper sheets.