Boing Boing » sculpture

Deflated giant duck

Cory Doctorow — Thu, 16 May 2013 19:19:58 +0000

You'll have seen the pictures of a giant rubber duck floating down the world's iconic waterways, from the Thames to Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong -- it's Florentijn Hofman's brainchild. What you may not have seen is what the duck looks like after it's been deflated, and that's even better -- a kind of puddle of duck, which has a Beatrix Potter-y ring to it until you see it and then it has nothing at all about it that suggests Ms Potter's works.

florentijn hofman's giant rubber duck: the aftermath (via Making Light)

Hellishly complex, gorgeous assemblage about endless work

Cory Doctorow — Thu, 16 May 2013 04:56:51 +0000

"Quaestus" is the latest assemblage from sculptor Jud Turner. He sez,

“Quaestus” is a latin word meaning “gain or profit extracted from work”, a concept darkly represented in my latest sculpture: 5 tiny employees are trapped in an endless task inside a gigantic machine, toiling to keep up with the conveyor belts they are walking on. Each work station has a 2 digit counter which seems to be keeping some kind of score. If the employees don't keep up with the machine, they will fall off the ends of their conveyor belts and be fed to the machine.. The employees actually power this machine, but are unaware and unable to stop moving forward for fear of falling behind.

It's an amazing piece. Click through for hi-rez and details.

"Quaestus"

Canberra Skywhale: fanciful, breast-studded lighter-than-air cetacean

Cory Doctorow — Wed, 15 May 2013 03:00:19 +0000

Here's a beautiful gallery of publicity shots of the Canberra Skywhale, a lighter-than-air sculpture created by Patricia Piccinini to celebrate the centenary of the capital city of Australia. The Skywhale is a fanciful, breast-studded creature from a contrafactual alternate history:

"My question is what if evolution went a different way and instead of going back into the sea, from which they came originally, they went into the air and we evolved a nature that could fly instead of swim. In fact coming from a place like Canberra where it's a planned city that's really tried to integrate and blend in with the natural environment, it makes a lot of sense to make this sort of huge, gigantic, but artificial and natural-looking creature".[8]

The Centenary of Canberra Skywhale (via JWZ)

For sale: "Rocking Machine" phallic sculpture from A Clockwork Orange

David Pescovitz — Mon, 13 May 2013 20:58:46 +0000

Japanese designer toy firm Medicom worked with Herman Makkink to recreate an edition of his iconic sculpture "The Rocking Machine," famously seen in the film A Clockwork Orange. It's almost three feet long and more than a foot wide. You can have one one of your very own for $1600 or so. "The Rocking Machine" (via Death Waltz Recording Company)

Merman from whale tooth

David Pescovitz — Mon, 13 May 2013 18:11:19 +0000

German sculptor Martin Bässler carved this lovely merman from a sperm whale tooth. (via Propnomicon)

Kickstarting solder-it-yourself junkbot kits

Cory Doctorow — Mon, 13 May 2013 13:45:24 +0000

A group of engineering students (with no stated manufacturing experience -- caveat emptor) are kickstarting a series of cute assemble-it-yourself junkbots called "D.Bug"s. You get a kit full of electronic components, instructions for soldering them into cute robots, and a display box for your complete project. They're on the pricey side ($35 for the cheapest), especially since they don't come with the tools you need to assemble them, but they're a cute and potentially fun entree to soldering and working with electronic components.

To assemble the kit, you solder together electronic components to form the body parts of the D.Bug. Easy to assemble!Easy to assemble!
The manual includes step-by-step photo instructions, the background story for each D.Bug, a guide to identifying electronic parts, a tutorial for soldering, a harvesting guide for where to find the best parts, and insider tips on how to make your D.Bug look awesome.

D.Bug Model Kits - Art hacked from electronics (Thanks, Sophie!)

Yog-Sothoth idol - limited sale

Cory Doctorow — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 18:00:46 +0000

Jason McKittrick sez,

On sale for 24 hours only! After the dreadful events that occurred in the backwater town of Dunwich, Massachusetts further inquiry was launched by professors at Miskatonic University. Searching the charred ruins of the old Whateley home, a badly damaged but still intact wooden lock box was found among the rubble. This box contained a hideous metal sculpture, seemingly ancient occult documents and a small cypher-encoded notebook with the name 'Wilbur Whateley' scrawled on the cover.
With the help of Prof. Henry Armitage, the notebook was deciphered and it was revealed that the metal sculpture was an idol of Yog-Sothoth, a multidimensional being that had been worshiped by the Whateley family for generations. Several metallurgical tests of the idol yielded no definitive answer as to what material it had been fashioned from and led scientists to conclude that the origin of the material to be non-terrestrial.
The Idol of Yog-Sothoth is hand cast in solid resin and individually signed and numbered by artist Jason McKittrick: Measures 5" x 3", $50+shipping.

THE IDOL OF YOG-SOTHOTH (Thanks, Jason!)

Vegetables in your guts

Cory Doctorow — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 14:43:57 +0000

I'm very taken with Klaus Weber's 2011 sculpture Veggieanatomy, which includes real vegetables in its makeup.

Veggieanatomy, 2011 (via Neatorama)

28-geared, 3D-printed cube

Cory Doctorow — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 21:56:16 +0000

Shapeways user Maundy created the Steampunk Geared Cube, a magnificent geared confection that came out of the 3D printed fully assembled!

The cube contains a total of 28 gears, all of which turn from manually rotating only one (though the designer notes that rotating two gears results in a smoother motion). The outermost gear on each side has handles for easy rotation, and each is linked to its adjacent gear in an interlocking pattern. Once one gear is spun, the others correspondingly spin along.
In addition to the fascinating pattern and mechanics, the cube has a tray in the middle for holding various small objects. The product also comes with a stand and a lockable lid, which is placed on top of the cube and can be locked and unlocked by rotating the gears.

3D Printed 28-Geared Cube

C3PO junkbot

Cory Doctorow — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 15:34:22 +0000

This spectacular C3PO junkbot assemblage was made by junk artist Gabriel Dishaw, and sells for $800. Worth every penny, too. Mr Dishaw's got plenty of other wonderful pieces for sale, too.

C3PO "Woody" (via Neatorama)

Animal sculptures from thrift store plastic

David Pescovitz — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 18:27:36 +0000

Sayaka Ganz creates marvelous animal sculptures from plastic crap she picks up at thrift stores. "Sayaka Ganz: Reclaimed Creations" (via Juxtapoz)

Spooky tree sculpture in Bali

David Pescovitz — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 16:48:20 +0000

BB pal Karen Marcelo photographed this magnificent living tree sculpture in Ubud, Bali. More beautiful photos in Karen's Flickr stream, k0re.

Toothy tongue

Cory Doctorow — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 03:06:22 +0000

DeviantArt's Jengabean made Tonya, this wonderful, toothy tongue sculpture. Jengabean's whole portfolio is rather wonderful, and worth a look. There's word of an upcoming Etsy store, too.

Tonya (via JWZ)

Crocheted skeleton with organs

Cory Doctorow — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 02:39:03 +0000

Artist Shanell Papp has a project called "Bawdy," which is about bodies and textiles. The centerpiece is "Lab," a yarn skeleton with a complete set of organs.

Lab (skeleton) (via Making Light)

Science fictional, sculptural mask/helmets

Cory Doctorow — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 13:21:05 +0000

Bruce D. Mitchell is an amazing sculptor who works in the film industry; his "Conceptual Executioner" site showcases a series of gorgeous masks and helmets from 2010. He implies that they have been offered for sale at some point, though no prices are given, leading me to believe that it's one of those, "If you have you ask, you probably can't afford," deals. At least we get to look.

I Have been working in the FX industry since 1992. I have contributed to the creation of various creatures, costumes, miniatures, set pieces and props. I have met and worked with some awesome talent and learned something from each of them. I will be showing my own work on this page. These are the pieces I have been making and showing in Gallery's and special venues. The Masks and Helmets are all wearable and incorporate some function. All pieces were created in my home studio. One thing I would like to say to any producers. Please do not look at this as a menu but rather what I have conceptually achieved so far. . . Thanks for viewing.

Bruce D. Mitchell Conceptual Executioner

Space station cake from EVE Online

Cory Doctorow — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 21:40:11 +0000

This amazing EVE Online Gallente Space Station cake was created by Duff Goldma of Charm City Cakes in Baltimore, MD. It's unquestionably the greatest MMORPG space-station cake I've ever seen.

Dock Your Fork in This Gallente Space Station Cake

Just look at this banana sculpture.

Cory Doctorow — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 20:26:50 +0000

Just look at it.

fruit - Matt James Stone (Thanks, Marie!)

Ron Mueck's hyperreal figures coming to Paris

David Pescovitz — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 17:49:45 +0000

My favorite contemporary sculptor, Ron Mueck, has a new show of his huge hyperreal sculptures opening at Paris's Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain on April 16. Before moving into fine art, Mueck was a puppeteer and model maker for TV and films such as The Storyteller and Labyrinth. In fact, he was the voice of Ludo in that film! See more behind-the-scenes photos: Upcoming Exhibition: Ron Mueck

Teacup, spoon and saucer made from cicada body-parts

Cory Doctorow — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 13:06:44 +0000

Carrianne Bullard made this teaset out of the wings and legs of cicadas. It's got a lovely Silence-of-the-Lambs meets Tinkerbell vibe.

Carrianne Bullard (Object Cicada wings, legs) (via Bruce Sterling's Tumblr)

Houses carved out of blocks of books

Cory Doctorow — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 01:02:06 +0000

"Built of Books" is a series of sculptures from Dutch artist Frank Halmans -- houses carved out of blocks of stuck-together books.

dutch artist frank halmans explores themes of domesticity and memory through his sculptural installations. his series 'built of books' employs vintage publications - the selected titles have no particular meaning and are not exceptional literary works - which he arranges into stacks. lining them up along shelves, he carving windows and doors through each, creating sets of imaginary buildings and interiors in each section of volumes. in a way these spaces which he slices through the books, stand as a metaphor and the idea of moving through something, whether it be a literary passage, or a physical expanse.

built of books [Andrea/Designboom]

(via Neatorama)

Amp made out of old brass instruments

Cory Doctorow — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 16:51:34 +0000

The Analog Tele-Phonographer is Christopher Locke's fantastic smartphone amplifier made from salvaged, chimeraed brass instruments. Each one is different, and each one is awesome in its own way.

These devices are made from salvaged trumpets and other brass instruments, with assorted machine parts.

Analog Tele-Phonographer

My Little Pony Applejack automata

Cory Doctorow — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 04:06:40 +0000

OK, nobody tell my kid about ~renegadecow's "Applejack's Apple Harvest" My Little Pony automata. Nine days left on eBay, bids open at $200:

No pony appreciates a good days work more than Applejack. She loves the hard-earned life so much that she doesn't even look like she's working at all! Of course, not everybody is gifted with the talent for apple bucking. It's also an untold mystery as to how she can send each and every single apple into a bushel with nary a one touching the ground. But I think her ever faithful, canine companion Winona has rooted that secret out. That or she's on the lookout for bad apples.
The figures, stand, tree and bushel are carved out of Philippine mahogany while the gears and apples are made out of Narra hardwood. They're painted in enamel and protected by clear flat lacquer. Applejack stands at 5 1/8" tall (with her hat down) while the entire complete piece measures 11 3/4" high, 9 1/2" long, and 3 1/2" wide. It took 161 hours to complete.

Applejack's Apple Harvest (via Neatorama)

Chest of drawers that looks like a woodpile

Cory Doctorow — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 02:03:04 +0000

Facecord is a chest of drawers disguised as a woodpile, with hidden drawers:

the vision of a stockpile of wooden logs, brings forth visions of fueling the fire and keeping warm by the hearth on cold winter's night.
american artist mark moskovitz translates this into 'facecord', a chest of drawers using the irregularities and haphazard geometry of cordwood,
and the accidental poetry of its stacking to camouflage the storage furniture's actual function. the work is included in new york's museum of arts & design
exhibition against the grain which features projects that examine the age-old medium of wood, and how it can be transformed into
a contemporary object.

hidden log drawer - facecord by mark moskovitz [DesignBoom] (via Neatorama)

Electronic salvage junkbots

Cory Doctorow — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 01:53:55 +0000

Marco Fernandes's R³bots are absolutely sweet little light-up junkbots made from electronics salvage. They're even poseable! They run about €350 each.

R³bot series (via Colossal)

Casey Curran's hand-cranked mechano-natural sculptures

David Pescovitz — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 20:02:01 +0000

This week I visited BB pal Kirsten Anderson's wonderful Roq La Rue Gallery in Seattle where Casey Curran has hung a number of his exquisite kinetic sculptures. Each sculpture is a baroque ecosystem of wire plants, synthetic flowers, metallic creatures, faux feathers, and other ornate faux-naturalia. Gently crank the handle on each sculpture and these fantasy worlds come alive. At first I thought they would benefit from an electric motor but I quickly realized that cranking them myself not only made me a more active observer, but it required a physical proximity that immersed me in each surreal scene. You can glimpse still photos and videos of the show here: "Casey Curran: Dissymmetry" Also showing at the gallery is a series of beautifully dark paintings and drawings by Sam Wolfe Connelly, titled "Nocturne." Both exhibitions will be up through March 2.

Insect Inspector leather mask

Cory Doctorow — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 19:36:47 +0000

The latest from steampunk/fetish maskmaker Bob Basset is the "Insect Inspector": "Leather, Brass, Glass, soviet gas mask parts."

Insect Inspector. Steampunk art Leather Gas mask.

Two-faced Cthulhu mask

Cory Doctorow — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 03:03:21 +0000

The wonderful Ukrainian horror/fetish/steampunk mask maker Bob Basset has produced a two-faced Cthulhu mask; on one side, the betentacled visage; on the other, a lecterine horror.

Call of Cthulhu. One mask 2 faces.

Grotesque creature housewares and jewelry

Cory Doctorow — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 03:43:28 +0000

DeviantArt's dogzillalives is makes jewelry and housewares studded with eyeballs, tentacles, yellowing fangs, stitched faux-skin, and more. She's got an Etsy Store, too!

Stitched eyes cuff side (via Neatorama)

Snap-fit 3D printable airship can also form the base of a Saturn V rocket

Cory Doctorow — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 03:05:14 +0000

RealAbsurdity's "Modular Snap-Fit Airship" on Thingiverse is a 3D-printable toy whose parts can interchangeably form part of a Saturn V rocket. More snap-fit vehicles are planned.

This is a fully modular snap-fit (no glue required) model of an Airship. It is the vanilla base for a series of absurd mashups that currently includes a Trireme and a Saturn V rocket. Designed for 3D print, it comes in two flavors: solid and shell.

Modular Snap-Fit Airship (Thanks, crystlem!)

TV made out of a grid of discarded remote controls

Cory Doctorow — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 03:09:09 +0000

Artist Chris Shen made a TV out of 625 discarded remote controls, hacking their LEDs to light up in a grid, creating a low-rez moving image. The Evil Mad Scientists posted his loving documentation of the the technical aspects of the project:

The main change to the Peggy was to solder molex headers instead of LEDs: this is to allow the wires to be easily plugged in and out of the board which is necessary when dismantling and reassembling the piece. Yes, all 625 remotes are numbered so they can be removed from the frame for transportation! The current and voltage was also adjusted fo IR LEDs as opposed to visible LEDs.
While researching, the main thing I was looking for was the ability to play video (live) on a low-res matrix. I looked into various ways of doing this but once I found the Peggy 2 kit it gave me confidence to go ahead with building Infra because of the open-source nature, existing work done by Windell, and Jay Clegg’s video Peggy mod.
I connect all the remote controls via 500 meters of speaker wire to the Peggy, held into the frame by a simple looped elastic band. The circuit is mounted to a sheet of acrylic as the circuit bowed with all the wire attached. Each remote had to be opened to solder the wire directly to the LEDs legs. The wire is then routed out through the back of the remote and closed back up.

The TV is on show in London, at 18 Hewett Street, London, EC2A 3NN, until 3rd February 2013.

Infra, a TV built from remote controls Artist Chris Shen made a TV out of 625 discarded remote controls, hacking their LEDs to light up in a grid, creating a low-rez moving image.