The Art Drawing Hamster

Feb 21st 2011 I was walking home from Middlesex university where I was studying A Bsc Product design and Engineering course. The shuttle bus had clocked off for lunch so I decided I would take the scenic 10 minute walk down snakes lane, a long road that passes through woodland to the university.
My project at the time was about recycling waste people had thrown away, so I was keeping an eye out for litter thrown in the woodland by the path. About halfway along the path I saw a blue plastic tub placed on a log. 'Perfect' I thought, that will definitely be useful. As I approached the tub I noticed something was moving down by the side of the log in the leaves. To my surprise it was a little white and ginger hamster standing up looking at me.

Someone must have abandoned him there in that tub. It was starting to get dark and I knew that if I left him there he would not survive so I put out my hand and he climbed on, He was very tame. I placed him back in the tub and took him home and named him Oliver after the homeless character Oliver Twist.
Out of all the thrown away objects I would ever find, none could possibly be as interesting as Oliver.

I wished to give Oliver a purpose, something that would make him special so he would never be deemed useless and be discarded again.
I built him a contraption called the Hamstergraph. Built form scrap and waste, The Hamstergraph is a circle drawing robot with spinning pens and brushes.
Oliver is its pilot, he steers the Hamstergraph by running in his exercise ball, deciding speed and direction of the contraption. The art Oliver creates is colourful circles and arches similar to those of a spirograph, hence the name.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• hamster oliver art

[azayles]

I just came across your blog entry where you came across Oliver/Olivia!

How is the lil fur ball? Hopefully still with us and doing well? :)

[youngmasterpete]

@azayles Yes, Infact Its exactly 1 year today I found him. He has been spoilt with food and hamster birthday cake. Im currently upload pics on facebook to celebrate his life and work

[chaigh2]

That's oddly brilliant. Hampster meet balll, ball meet robot, robot meet paper, paper you just been made into art by a hampster, and that's for real.

[MusIc4lif3333]

Yesss this is genius xD

[azayles]

@youngmasterpete Oh that's amazing! I'm so pleased he's still doing well :D

Hammy Adoption Birthday, Oliver! <3

[TheUnstoppable1990]

Lmao, that is awesome Pete

[2005jesusfreak]

Smart Hamster.