Originally published at: http://boingboing.net/2015/07/08/watch-the-walking-cube-a-sha.html
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Reminds me of this old NIN video:
I do not think deconstruction means what they think it means.
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Also: walking.
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Can’t tell what this gadget really does b/c the editing and lighting are getting in the way.
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It reminded me of “head like a hole” - dark space, flashes of light, dangling cables, fog-mist-smoke.
#1990 CALLED - THEY WANT THEIR VIDEO BACK
that video influenced me far more than it should have
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It looks like 8 12 pneumatic actuators on flexible couplings that form a cube with individually changeable length of the edges.
Not sure what it is good for. Most likely something people call “art”.
Maybe they could drop it into some terrain, put a core with a CO2 cylinder and valves and a controller/“brain” in the middle, and let it learn how to use its actuators to move around?
Edit: 12 actuators. Tea did not kick in yet.
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It is deeply flawed. (Sorry, I am always being accused of being a spoil sport) The thing hangs from cables which they hide with lighting and editing. It wouldn’t pass for art in my crowd. Some of whom have been making robots and kinetics for decades. The only way they could present this thing as s serious is because they don’t know the history of kinetic art. This . . . ugh, that’s all.
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Maybe they should just rename it Homage to Square and call it a day?
(for everybody else, I’m trying to channel both Josef Albers and Jean Tinguely. Both of whom deserve your time. Albeers stained glass panels are really something.)
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No it’s fine. It’s fine boingboing. I won’t have nightmares for weeks now.
Not everything has to be polished to be beautiful. I wish I’d thought of it.
Who said anything about polished? My impression is that they spent a little time on it and said, “fuck it, we’ll jazz it up in post and move on to our next half-baked idea.”
My interest in art is closely tied to following up and making it better. Not necessarily a better version of the original idea, but learning from what happened and starting again with a new idea of what is possible. This thing has the ethos of mass media. Not much commitment, and not enough loyalty to the audience. I always ask myself, “Is this worth driving across town to see?” This is a minimal test for success.
I hope it is an early iteration. It really wasn’t ready to share. Like I said, I am a tough critic. There is enough crap in the world that we should not expect others to accept a weak effort. It is every artist’s responsibility to be their own toughest critic.
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…so, translated from pretentious silliness, you don’t think it is very polished.
I wish the video wasn’t so annoying, but I think the object and its motion is quite interesting. I really like the cables hanging down like that. The awkwardness if part of what makes it work. In short, I’m glad they listened to their own critiques instead of worrying if it “has the ethos of mass media”.
Yeah, that’s interesting. I can see how you might think that. I thought you meant literal polish. Like a finely finished product. I don’t need polish either. I wan’t to see commitment though. I don’t get that from the cube. I see “Let’s move on.” I don’t think it is pretentious to say I want to feel like my drive across town took more commitment than the artist was willing to make.
It isn’t the object that has the ethos. It is the maker. Mass media fakes stuff and expects the audience to not care. That’s why it is so disappointing. That’s why the distinction is made. The video suggests that they don’t care and don’t think I do either. I will save my enthusiasm for something else.
if you expect me to enjoy the struggle and awkwardness then don’t try to hide it.
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You forgot to mention his ivory tower and lack of appreciation for beer and boobs and all things 'Murican!
Their shit ekphrasis, as well as our reactions to the deliberate shitness of the piece and the accompanying ekphrasis is all part of the art folks.
Their deliberately shit art. Totally redeemed but not by their deliberateness. Which redeems it but not… wheeeeeeeeee
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Welcome to BoingBoing Twerk.
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Learned about a new word. Thanks. Don’t understand it, yet.
After wiki edit: I always thought Homer’s description of Achille’s shield was an example of . . . something. Now I know what that is called. I am very grateful.
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Okay, I looked at their website. I may not have credited them with the sophistication they clearly have. This likely stems from a resentment I feel toward architects who stray into the territory of fine art. That is pretty clearly an idea that is no longer valid.
Still, Something about this bugs me. Too slick a presentation for a weak result. I was a member of group years ago that did steam powered kinetic art. We were careful not to do what is going on here. That was our choice, though. Bias exposed!
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