Video of Survival Research Labs at LA MOCA last weekend

Last month, I broke the news that Survival Research Laboratories was restoring their first ever machine, the "De-Manufacturing Machine" (1979), for a group exhibition titled "Under the Big Black Sun: California Art 1974–1981" that just opened at the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art. Above is video of the machine in action at the show opening, co-starring a fantastic lineup of mechanically reanimated eels, chickens, and fish. Don't miss the behind-the-scenes footage of Mark Pauline's hotel room the previous night where the circuit bent contraptions were surgically fused with their new biological companions.

SRL at LA MOCA

Under the Big Black Sun: California Art 1974–1981

• [frankieboy]

  “Under the Big Black Sun” is also the title of a record by X, a band active in the late 70′s to the early 90′s, unless they’re still flogging it.
  Any relation or cross pollination or ripping off going on, or coincidence?
  I totally loved that band and their energy, but sometimes squirmed at their pretty shallow and solipsistic politics.

• [Mister44]

  This is too bizarre to not have any comments about it.

• [schmaltastic]

  Just look at the screaming reanimated chicken.  Just look at it.

• [George Tirebiter]

  Hmm, the animatronic chicken reminds me of Eraserhead.

• [icepick method]

  Love these guys. First saw them on the discovery channel probably 20+ years ago when i was a kid. Then rediscovered them in my early teens reading the Industrial Culture Handbook. Mark Pauline seemed at the time (to my uncultured 13 year old mind) like the only one really doing “industrial” art. Compared to TG, Non, Cazazza, etc. whose noise/performance art didn’t connect as directly/viscerally as giant junkbots selfdestructing and destroying eachother.