Comments on: Alan Gibb's Eclectic, Electric Art http://boingboing.net/2009/06/18/alan-gibbs-eclectic.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Thu, 23 May 2013 04:50:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: hobson http://boingboing.net/2009/06/18/alan-gibbs-eclectic.html#comment-521818 hobson Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-521818 Some more pixs... http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2294/2319621059_3349230f5d_b.jpg http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2309/2320439686_78bbb02890_b.jpg http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3214/2319721751_e5dcb303b0_b.jpg http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2337/2319701775_f04c2e3aba_b.jpg http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2001/2319624305_3872d4186d_b.jpg Some more pixs…

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2294/2319621059_3349230f5d_b.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2309/2320439686_78bbb02890_b.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3214/2319721751_e5dcb303b0_b.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2337/2319701775_f04c2e3aba_b.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2001/2319624305_3872d4186d_b.jpg

]]> By: bigalba http://boingboing.net/2009/06/18/alan-gibbs-eclectic.html#comment-522587 bigalba Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-522587 I was lucky enough to photograph Electrum over the course of two evenings in August 2008 as part of a project out of Zagreb, Croatia exploring the work of Nikola Tesla (http://www.bulaja.com/TESLA/Tesla_about_eng.htm) and attach some links to the shots below. I can definitely say that Electrum is in no way wimpy. The noise it makes fills the entire bay with a high pitched buzz sawing drone each time it fires and the safe distance is around fifty foot from the base. It is an impressive and scary sight, especially manoeuvring in close for some detail shots through a long lens. These photographs are all long exposures and misrepresent the actual single bolt of lighting it generates which constantly shifts and plays over the surface of the Faraday cage. They do though reveal some surprising and delicate structures and ribbons of energy. I saw the lighting make a ground strike once and there's plenty of evidence of this in the fried vegetation surrounding the tower. On the second night of shooting, New Zealand artist Peter Roche interacted with the lightning using fluorescent tubes, throwing and smashing these against the tower and watching them light and glow as they arced through the electromagnetic field it generates. Electrum I Electrum fires at night over the bay at Kaukapakapa, North Island, New Zealand. http://bigalba-photography.my-expressions.com/archives/2837_1367917377/305421 Electrum II Portrait of Electrum firing at night. http://bigalba-photography.my-expressions.com/archives/2837_1367917377/306229 Electrum III Details of the delicate ribbons of lightning playing over the surface of the spherical Faraday cage in the dusk. http://bigalba-photography.my-expressions.com/archives/2837_1367917377/306231 Electrum IV Details of the delicate ribbons of lightning playing over the surface of the spherical Faraday cage as night falls. http://bigalba-photography.my-expressions.com/archives/2837_1367917377/306232 Examples of work in progress from Mechanical Figures, an experimental multimedia and film project inspired by the work of Nikola Tesla http://vimeo.com/album/97242 I was lucky enough to photograph Electrum over the course of two evenings in August 2008 as part of a project out of Zagreb, Croatia exploring the work of Nikola Tesla (http://www.bulaja.com/TESLA/Tesla_about_eng.htm) and attach some links to the shots below. I can definitely say that Electrum is in no way wimpy. The noise it makes fills the entire bay with a high pitched buzz sawing drone each time it fires and the safe distance is around fifty foot from the base. It is an impressive and scary sight, especially manoeuvring in close for some detail shots through a long lens.
These photographs are all long exposures and misrepresent the actual single bolt of lighting it generates which constantly shifts and plays over the surface of the Faraday cage. They do though reveal some surprising and delicate structures and ribbons of energy.
I saw the lighting make a ground strike once and there’s plenty of evidence of this in the fried vegetation surrounding the tower.
On the second night of shooting, New Zealand artist Peter Roche interacted with the lightning using fluorescent tubes, throwing and smashing these against the tower and watching them light and glow as they arced through the electromagnetic field it generates.

Electrum I
Electrum fires at night over the bay at Kaukapakapa, North Island, New Zealand.
http://bigalba-photography.my-expressions.com/archives/2837_1367917377/305421

Electrum II
Portrait of Electrum firing at night.
http://bigalba-photography.my-expressions.com/archives/2837_1367917377/306229

Electrum III
Details of the delicate ribbons of lightning playing over the surface of the spherical Faraday cage in the dusk.
http://bigalba-photography.my-expressions.com/archives/2837_1367917377/306231

Electrum IV
Details of the delicate ribbons of lightning playing over the surface of the spherical Faraday cage as night falls.
http://bigalba-photography.my-expressions.com/archives/2837_1367917377/306232

Examples of work in progress from Mechanical Figures, an experimental multimedia and film project inspired by the work of Nikola Tesla
http://vimeo.com/album/97242

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2009/06/18/alan-gibbs-eclectic.html#comment-521834 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-521834 Error in the article: The Aquada does 100 & 30 Mph, not kph Error in the article:

The Aquada does 100 & 30 Mph, not kph

]]> By: Man On Pink Corner http://boingboing.net/2009/06/18/alan-gibbs-eclectic.html#comment-521836 Man On Pink Corner Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-521836 #5 MATTW: True, the shots on lod.org look much better. Any large coil should be able to hit the ground with its discharges, and that puppy delivers. #5 MATTW: True, the shots on lod.org look much better. Any large coil should be able to hit the ground with its discharges, and that puppy delivers.

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2009/06/18/alan-gibbs-eclectic.html#comment-804725 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-804725 He didn't just do the Aquada, don't forget the Humdinga and the Quadski. Shame they were so expensive and also shame they used the KV6 Rover Engine in the Aquada, they could've used a better more powerful unit I'm sure. However the V8 in the Humdinga was a bit better and faster in the water too. Shame he never managed to get the 3.2 quattro Audi TT modified to amphibious that he was going to do! Does he have any new ventures like those? He didn’t just do the Aquada, don’t forget the Humdinga and the Quadski.

Shame they were so expensive and also shame they used the KV6 Rover Engine in the Aquada, they could’ve used a better more powerful unit I’m sure. However the V8 in the Humdinga was a bit better and faster in the water too.

Shame he never managed to get the 3.2 quattro Audi TT modified to amphibious that he was going to do!

Does he have any new ventures like those?

]]> By: GuidoDavid http://boingboing.net/2009/06/18/alan-gibbs-eclectic.html#comment-521610 GuidoDavid Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-521610 Sounds a tiny bit like John Varley's idea of climatic art in the Nine World series. Sounds a tiny bit like John Varley’s idea of climatic art in the Nine World series.

]]> By: Marchhare http://boingboing.net/2009/06/18/alan-gibbs-eclectic.html#comment-521867 Marchhare Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-521867 "Alan Gibbs resides in London...He also collects military hardware including tanks and APVs" I wonder if he hangs with Stephen Morris... “Alan Gibbs resides in London…He also collects military hardware including tanks and APVs”

I wonder if he hangs with Stephen Morris…

]]> By: Adam H http://boingboing.net/2009/06/18/alan-gibbs-eclectic.html#comment-521868 Adam H Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-521868 I thought it was the skin effect that protected people in the cage from the coil's electricity. Faraday effect is for electromagnetic radiation, right? I thought it was the skin effect that protected people in the cage from the coil’s electricity.
Faraday effect is for electromagnetic radiation, right?

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2009/06/18/alan-gibbs-eclectic.html#comment-521649 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-521649 Alan Gibbs resides in London, but maintains the farm for home visits. He also collects military hardware including tanks and APVs and famously almost beheaded himself parking a tank in the garage. His experiences with jet-skis are similar. He was the author of the 1998 'Gibbs report' which recommended restructuring the NZ Public Health System mainly by selling hospital assets and leasing them back - these reforms were never adopted but remain a conceptual cornerstone of neo-libertarianism in New Zealand. Alan Gibbs resides in London, but maintains the farm for home visits. He also collects military hardware including tanks and APVs and famously almost beheaded himself parking a tank in the garage. His experiences with jet-skis are similar. He was the author of the 1998 ‘Gibbs report’ which recommended restructuring the NZ Public Health System mainly by selling hospital assets and leasing them back – these reforms were never adopted but remain a conceptual cornerstone of neo-libertarianism in New Zealand.

]]> By: Man On Pink Corner http://boingboing.net/2009/06/18/alan-gibbs-eclectic.html#comment-521662 Man On Pink Corner Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-521662 That's actually a *really* wimpy Tesla coil, in terms of volts per linear foot. He needs to either feed it more power or hire an engineer who can optimize it. That’s actually a *really* wimpy Tesla coil, in terms of volts per linear foot. He needs to either feed it more power or hire an engineer who can optimize it.

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2009/06/18/alan-gibbs-eclectic.html#comment-521687 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-521687 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3S1si-yHbj0 This is the most amazing application of a tesla coil I've ever seen, and I've seen a lot. It's hard to tell from this video but the tesla coils are the ones making the music, they are not merely synced with it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3S1si-yHbj0

This is the most amazing application of a tesla coil I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen a lot. It’s hard to tell from this video but the tesla coils are the ones making the music, they are not merely synced with it.

]]> By: mattw http://boingboing.net/2009/06/18/alan-gibbs-eclectic.html#comment-521700 mattw Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-521700 I saw this coil fire at Hunters Point back in '97 (the week that picture was taken) both at 2/3 and full power. It definitely wasn't wimpy. http://www.lod.org/Projects/electrum/index.htm I still think it's one of the coolest things I've ever seen. I saw this coil fire at Hunters Point back in ’97 (the week that picture was taken) both at 2/3 and full power. It definitely wasn’t wimpy.

http://www.lod.org/Projects/electrum/index.htm

I still think it’s one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen.

]]> By: nemryn http://boingboing.net/2009/06/18/alan-gibbs-eclectic.html#comment-521721 nemryn Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-521721 That 'Horizons' sculpture looks more like a cartoon drawing of a sculpture here. What's up with that? That ‘Horizons’ sculpture looks more like a cartoon drawing of a sculpture here. What’s up with that?

]]> By: wastrel http://boingboing.net/2009/06/18/alan-gibbs-eclectic.html#comment-521726 wastrel Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-521726 Nemryn, it's a sculpture that's a cartoon drawing, blown up and freestanding. From the photo it appears to be a 2d standing frame, mostly empty space, sketching out that cartoony drawing of a sheet of fabric. It's a fun piece. Nemryn, it’s a sculpture that’s a cartoon drawing, blown up and freestanding. From the photo it appears to be a 2d standing frame, mostly empty space, sketching out that cartoony drawing of a sheet of fabric. It’s a fun piece.

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