Peter William Holden Presents "Arabesque" a kaleidoscopic kinetic sculpture

In my recent work I have concerned myself not only with the sculpting of three dimensions but also with a fourth: the dimension of time. I have attempted to create work that evolves, adapts and regresses. Work which falls somewhere between conventional notions of pictorial art and a kind of performance. "Arabesque" is the natural continuation of this exploration -- a real time animation.

With its roots in Mary Shelly's "Frankenstein" (1818) and the alchemist's laboratory, the installation presents itself as a mechanical flower: a simulacrum of nature. Life sized human body parts, impaled upon steel, move and sway and dance. The limbs, translucent and livid, bare their internal robotic mechanisms to the gaze of the viewer. The wiring itself is an aesthetic expression deliberately integrated into the installation to bring chaotic lines of abstract form to contrast with the organized symmetry of the body parts.

The lifeblood of this organism is air and when activated this air flows invisibly, bestowing movement to these mechanisms and its presence is only betrayed when exhaled loudly from the valves attached to the serpentine air hose.This combined with the rattle of relays and the tandem clattering of pistons to produce a hyper-modern accompaniment to the music of Strauss.

Part cinema, part theatre, "Arabesque" can be viewed form a multitude of angles, revealing a multitude of different forms, different patterns and different experiences of the piece. A kaleidoscope of paradoxically beautiful shapes and patterns created from the essentially grotesque.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• Arabesque
• Installation
• Art
• Animation
• Robotic
• Kaleidoscope
• Performance
• New
• Media
• Short
• Film
• kinetic
• sculpture

[Marisa829]

Lovely dance d'objets! As someone who works in video and dance, I really appreciate brining sculpture into the realm of choreography in a time-based medium like this.

[skeevy17]

This is beautiful. The time and effort that went into it, the whimsy, the MATH and precision...it gets me thinking about synchronized swimming, and (obviously) a kaleidoscope. I love the limb models used...pointed toes, the way the arms are stretched out in a "hurray!" kind of motion. It's one of the most wonderful things I have ever seen.

[hacerle]

wow! amazing!!

[Vetervspinu]

Вышак!

Спасибо за видео!

[eventide925]

I really like it! But... The music... Perhaps Prokofiev? The Dance Of THe Knights from Romeo and Juliet?

[NeonString]

Very cool. Disturbing and beautiful at the same time, like a dancing robotic ballerina spider... with human limbs!

One thing is for sure, you can't take your eyes off it. Great job!

[nektarin]

jajaja me like it :)

[xxpolluxxx]

i admire the thoght time and effort...but this person needs a date

[glendaleguy20]

this is stupid

[Lukehausherr]

I don't know, this looks like it took a lot of time and material, and it doesn't do much.

I WORSHIP THE ROBOT GOD!! It would be pretty cool if they could move around faster, and you should shed some light on the situation, (being that the prosthetic limbs are hollow and slightly transparent,) that would look pretty cool. With all due respect, I am not trying to insult the sculpt, I just think it lacks some cool lighting.