Click on each of the photos for
description,
and possibly a video or two of my rolling ball
sculptures.
-- in progress --
#64 "Coolest Toys on Earth" Completed Sept 2007
Click photo for close up and description.
Click photo for close up and description.
Click photo for close up and description.
Partial photo of #64, just the photo.
Partial photo of #64, just the photo.
Loop D' Loop (in back) and a deep spiral.
Click
photo for close up and description.
Shallow spiral
Click photo for close up and
description.
Track switch, and large spiral,
Click photo for
close up and description.
Large rotating baton with marbles loose in each
end!
Click photo for close up and description.
Triple loop d' loop, Click photo for close up and
description.
Upper two "Talking Heads"
Click photo for close
up and description.
Two tipping arms for 2" marbles
Click photo for
close up and description.
Two marble collectors, the one in back is just
releasing the marbles.
Tall coil spinner, painted blue : ) and marbles on
track.
"Farris wheel Lift"
Click picture for
description and video
Gravity lift: 2" marble lifts 1 3/8" marble
counter-weight.
Just some track.
Large horizontal star spinner.
The marble rolls
around the ouside of the star starting it spinning.
Loop D' Loop for 2" marbles
Loop D' Loop for 1" marbles (white track)
More loop D' loops and track, 2" marbles
Marble jumping into the wire basket. 1" marbles
Wooden bowl, small.
Tipping arm for 2" marble
Closer view of track and loops
Bottom view of sculpture show above.
Large wooden bowl.
Types of Kinetic Art:
Although kinetic art encompasses a very
wide variety of
overlapping techniques and
styles, there are a few noticeable
genres:
Mobiles and Whirligigs
Sculptures designed to move under the influence of air
currents. A popular creator of mobile sculptures was Alexander Calder. The
category of 'whirligig' also includes a wide variety of simple
non-wind-operated toys, usually made of wood. See Mobile
(sculpture).
Rolling-Ball
and Related Gadgets
A wide variety
of kinetic sculptures use rolling balls on tracks or guide ways to create
movement. They usually have some sort of powered lift mechanism for
raising the balls and are usually continuous in operation. Other related
gadgets use wheeled objects, water, or sand operating under gravity to
function.
One-Time
Gadgets
There are a wide variety of
kinetic-art assemblages designed to operate only once. The most familiar
type are Rube Goldberg Gadgets, mechanisms using an assembly of complex
elements to perform an absurdly simple task. Another type is domino
tumbling which has been popular for several decades. A newer type, Fortean
Gadgets, expand the idea of domino tumbling to wide variety of other
chain-reaction techniques such as stick bombs, herring bones, and
string-a-lings.
Optical
Sculptures
Some kinetic sculptures
use light to create the illusion of movement. They usually involve colored
filters, mirrors, diffraction gratings, and other optical elements in
motion.
Automata
Self-operating machines which can also include
robotics
Other
The
medium of kinetic art is broader than most other art media and is very
hard to categorize. Other kinetic-art gadgets and sculptures may use
exotic techniques such as pyrotechnics and are limited only by their
creators' imaginations.
