Lackhead.org

I recently stumbled across this, and will present as it is itself, with few words. A movie of 100 people of ages 1 to 100 hitting a drum.

-c

Theo Jansen refers to himself as a “kinetic sculptor”, but words can hardly do justice to what he creates. Well, I suppose there would be some debate over whether or not the word “he” fits into that last sentence, given the evolutionary way in which his ideas develop, but hey, I’m getting too wrapped up in semantics here, when we should be talking about his work.

Theo Jansen is an artist who works in the union between art, engineering, genetics, and machine learning, to speak venn-diagrammatically. The basic gist is that he writes computer programs that work with models of motion, and through genetic algorithms those models are developed or grown into new forms; they are subjected to many iterations of selection and reproduction (according to a predetermined abstraction of fitness), and through this “artificial evolution” new forms emerge. Some of the models which are born out of these computer experiments Jensen then makes into real life constructions, breathing life into plastic tubing, soda bottles, and plastic sheeting. These contraptions are wind-powered, and are often let loose upon the windy shores of the beach that his studio sits on (confabulation might be a better word for what he builds, as the vision they create blends the tastes of both familiarity and imagination).

This intangible recognition of the other-worldly and biological natures of his creations just mystifies me. A very similar emotional response as to the fantastic and ineffable creations of Hayoa Miyakaki, which in itself touches upon a similar juxtaposition as what the steampunk and/or cyberpunk movements seem to be aiming for. In this case it is the “kinetic” part of his self-ascribed moniker where most of the magic is to be found. Take a look for yourself:

• a BMW commercial that features a number of his creations walking about
• Animaris Rhinoceros
• Animaris Geneticus Ondula

There is a fair bit of information about Jansen’s work online, and if you have the time, there’s a great 20-minute lecture he gave which goes over how these models are created and function in more detail.

Enjoy!

-c

From what I can tell, these all come from a Japanese children’s educational TV show, where such devices are often used for the intro/ending of to the show. Just amazing stuff! It is reminiscent of the Pointer Sister’s pinball number song on Sesame Street.

Of course, thinking about Sesame Street got me going on a YouTube hunt, where i found one of my favorites of all time, fat cat sat hat:

Another favorite of mine, over under around and through:

and who could forget riding on the subway!

A bonus find is this video of Stevie Wonder playing Superstition:

As an extra listening bonus, check out this cello and flute playing in Union Square!

-c

Now, I adore harmless pranks, especially when someone goes out of town for a trip. Remind me sometime to tell you about the time my friend Chris and I bought 50 c. ft. of styrofoam peanuts when one of our devious-schmevious plans and plots. Anyway, this wonderfully conceived and executed prank has just made my day. Complete with time-lapse video! And if you look really carefully, you’ll notice that they didn’t wrap the one book that was itself pink. Yay!

That all being said I am going out of town on Friday and if my apartment is pink upon my return, well, there had better damn well be a time-lapse video and a killer web site detailing it.

-c

How many days start with a killer yoga class, followed by playing Simon Says in French outside in the glorious early-summer sunshine, and after a lapse into a wee bit of drudgery (read: work), continues with your commute home (a mountain bike ride on the Shoreline Trail), and finishes with a nap during your kid’s lacrosse practice, and cheap burritos?

Hmmm?

-c