Pencil Pusher Pushing Pencils

20' pencil + hard work = drawing. A performance driven artwork that creates a drawing through mechanical proxy.

The Pencil Pusher is a performance driven art form that fuses the characteristics of installation, sculpture, drawing, and the business of art into an interactive performance. The work day/performance starts when the artist punches in on a time clock for his 8 hour day. After making a pot of coffee, the Pencil Pusher climbs into a metal cage-like office complete with swivel chair, foot pedals, and hand crank. Using the hand crank the Pencil Pusher propels the 400 pound office up the inside of a 20 foot high skeleton of a pencil: a 15 foot high version is also available (pencil is 4 feet wide). As the Pencil Pusher ascends the Pencil, he maneuvers the foot pedals back and forth, transmitting these movements down a series of cables and pulleys to a drawing jig, drafting table, and real pencil. Over the course of the work day a single drawing or "Performance Evaluation" is produced. When the Pencil Pusher is not ascending and descending The Pencil, he is interacting with prospective clients who enter the space. Equipped with a binder of information about the business of Pencil Pusher Pushing Pencils, Inc., the Pencil Pusher attempts to sell specially printed "Occupational Hazard" pencils and pseudo stock shares.

Copyright 1999.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• art
• performance
• sculpture
• installation
• drawing
• pencil
• pusher
• artist
• extreme
• contemporary
• arts
• hard
• work
• job
• knockout

[syzwnzainal]

dude i have nothing to say but eternal respect..NICE

[abeferraro]

I really appreciate the eternal respect!!!

[christschool]

Did you build this machine? I think the ideas expressed here are profound.

[abeferraro]

Thanks and yes, I did build this entire installation by myself in about 1000 hours over 3 long months

[bwhahrhr]

no comment? )o:

I dont know if you are familiar with greek mythologie, but your work reminds me a lot of Sisyphus and his mindnumbing work and strugles. or to be even more precise of cámus "the myth of sisyphus"

[abeferraro]

Thanks...was wondering why no one has commented on this video yet, and yea I love Greek mythology and think Sisyphus' living purgatory condemned by the gods for tricking them to push a boulder up a mountain for all eternity is right up my alley!

[shankbyaspoon]

the most pointless thing ive seen so far.

and ive seen modern art.

[cheezit83]

HAHAHAHAHAa...i love this! pushing pencils to prospective clients....brilliant!

[bwhahrhr]

that would equal (from the youtubeperspective - mind you) 21point something hours of work per second of this video.

The more I hear about your art, the often I see it, my own machines start drilling their way through my thick skull.