Who Said Automata Need to be Whimsical?
Automaton artist Tom Haney posed a question to me in the email that accompanied a link to this video:
Indeed, contemporary automata are as valid a medium for social statements as any other art form. Their ability to tell a story through character, scene, and motion make them well suited to portray all manner events -- even serious human drama as in this piece by Jon Haddock entitled Andrew Meyer (Don't Tase Me Bro').
Because the viewer/user must provide the power to the hand-cranked mechanism of the automaton, they might feel somewhat complicit in the acts depicted. This may make automata a particularly powerful vehicle for critical thinking, reflection, and social change.
[ Thanks to Tom Haney ]
"Who says all automata have to be fun and/or whimsical?"Point taken.
Indeed, contemporary automata are as valid a medium for social statements as any other art form. Their ability to tell a story through character, scene, and motion make them well suited to portray all manner events -- even serious human drama as in this piece by Jon Haddock entitled Andrew Meyer (Don't Tase Me Bro').
Because the viewer/user must provide the power to the hand-cranked mechanism of the automaton, they might feel somewhat complicit in the acts depicted. This may make automata a particularly powerful vehicle for critical thinking, reflection, and social change.
[ Thanks to Tom Haney ]
Labels: art, automata, Jon Haddock, Tom Haney, video
posted by Dug North on 10/06/2008
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