Have you ever wondered what might happen if you just showed something to someone? Inside you'd be thinking, "this will really make his/her day", right? But what would you do if it wasn't that simple? You know, like what if it were the President or, William Gibson for example. How would you do that? Would you join a group like this and then submit a photo? Would that work do you think?

GroupPhoto.jpg (56 Kb, 18 downloads) Robot Art

No, I don't think that would work.

I don't like the name Lawrence! Only faggots and sailors are called Lawrence! From now on you're Gomer Pyle!

But the robots aren't half bad.

What if you just went ahead and did it, you know, just went ahead and submitted a picture anyway just to see what happened? Oh sure the first wave of responses would typically be from the peripheral hyenas and socialists. You know the type, never really accomplished anything themselves but always quick to criticize anything and everything. I suppose you could react like poor Colin, you could surrender, just give up, that's easy enough to do. But what would happen if you just hung in there? Even if it were against the odds something might happen if you tried right?

Fast approaching his sixth year on the WGB, ED/MEB realized there was truly never a dull moment....

quote:

Originally posted by lawrence145:
What if you just went ahead and did it, you know, just went ahead and submitted a picture anyway just to see what happened? Oh sure the first wave of responses would typically be from the peripheral hyenas and socialists. You know the type, never really accomplished anything themselves but always quick to criticize anything and everything. I suppose you could react like poor Colin, you could surrender, just give up, that's easy enough to do. But what would happen if you just hung in there? Even if it were against the odds something might happen if you tried right?

You'd likely be eaten be a grue.

What exactly do you want out of this? We looked at your drawing. It is well done. Bill Gibson might look at your drawing, but he probably won't comment on it if he does.

I think Deviant Art or some such is a better venue to receive critiques or attention or job offers.

You drew some nice robots. Where do we go from here?

They aren't drawings, they are sculptures. Nicely done at that.

I'm curious about how they were photographed, because the lighting makes them look as if they were CG renders rather than actual objects.

But how do I know if I'm a peripheral hyena? I thought all hyenas were peripheral - hangin' 'round the dead gazelle, outside lunging distance of the lions, waiting to pick the carcasse - or are we talking about some sort of hyena that plugs into your computer or something?

Or perhaps I can't know, and this is something only Lawry here can decide, as he implies. We are all guilty of being lions or socialists, and only Mr. Northey here can exonerate us.

Maybe the socialist part would come from us Wigbers who would deride this thread as spam - for the only evidence, scant as though it may be, is a link that points to an artist's website that's very heavy on the sales pitch.

Would dismissing this as an attempt at viral marketing label us as pinkoes? It is a quaint enough attempt, perhaps made on the errant assumption we are susceptible to it, because we're young and hip and unable to think for ourselve. Most of us can, despite the amount of people who read Wired and use Macs.

Or perhaps we are meant to be working on a strict code of consumer honour - as if this sneaky, quasi-philosophical marketing post were meant to appeal to such an honour, and even though it may offend us, we're meant to let it slide. Because WG mentioned viral marketing and "that was cool"? Like in the movies, where the samurai dreams of death coming from an honourable opponent on the battlefield?

Maybe that's the trick. The words, methinks, senor Northey wishes to here, to clear us of all left-leaning hyaenidaen labels, is "You got. Here's my credit card. I'll take five."

Verily, such question that arrive from this thread! How the mind does boggle incessantly upon perusal! Why do we do anything? Why are we here? What is the meaning of life? Why do robots near clear helmets that encompass their head? Are they vulnerable to toxic gases or liquids? Wouldn't it just be cheaper to get third-world immigrants to do their work?

I cannot answer these. What I can answer is that, no, I don't want a robot figurine, nor do I have a credit card. Also, I'm now over-stimulated, and need to go lie down.

lithos: making threads worthwhile since 2004.

Thank you Justy, great question. It can be tricky photographing highly-polished and therefore highly-reflective surfaces. You don't really want the work to be mirroring back everything else that might be in the room. I first construct a tent of solid, white fabric around the sculptures. I then use three 1000 watt Tungsten lights to bounce light off of the ceiling to light the work. I use a 120 Medium Format camera to capture the image in this environment.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: lawrence145,

quote:

Originally posted by Justy:
They aren't drawings, they are sculptures. Nicely done at that.

I'm curious about how they were photographed, because the lighting makes them look as if they were CG renders rather than actual objects.

Weird, I was convinced they were drawings at first but I guess you're right.

Lawrence, I thought you meant something like Kinetica at first.

So, um, what's the idea? Is there a story behind the robots?

quote:

Originally posted by lawrence145:
Have you ever wondered what might happen if you just showed something to someone? Inside you'd be thinking, "this will really make his/her day", right? But what would you do if it wasn't that simple? You know, like what if it were the President or, William Gibson for example. How would you do that? Would you join a group like this and then submit a photo? Would that work do you think?

Or you could try reading the FAQ, and not start name calling when your first post isn't welcomed with the open arms you expected. The fact that you call people "socialists" as if it were an epithet makes me think you're a wanker anyway.

The robots are quite good, if a little derivative.

If Karl Rove didn't like your robots would that make him a socialist? And what are the political and economic opinions of people who do like them?

On the other hand, it wouldn't be entirely unprecedented for WG to notice art work posted to the forums.

And he seemed to like my Fuldog t-shirt!

In response to Babylon the Bride's question, "Is there a story behind the robots?" Why yes there is, thank you for asking. I was struck by many of the ideas put forward by Graham Hancock in his book "Hidden Archeology". The notion of a sophisticated, antedulivian civilization really started my wheels turning. For one reason or, another I found myself dreaming of this lost society of machines. I began to populate this imaginary world with robots. Each character I created came with its own story which, neatly fit into the grander vision I eventually called "Wired City".

I am however, first and foremost a sculptor and would never presume to credit myself as being a serious author. The stories I write simply evolve from the type of work I do.

I like Graham Hancock, he's a bit of a media whore, but his ideas are fresh, if likely wrong.

The old machines idea is good, I've toyed with something similar.

Are they metal, or resin painted metallic?

He's Rubin!