Don't Tip the Table - The first module functions a as a large collection point for a great number of balls either entered at this stage or that are pushed down by the train module. Based on the tip table design of module I looked at in the past the module works by changing the angle of the hopper and combining gravity and a motor. The module is made mostly from mount board and wood to make the base, the mechanics are K'nex and a small motor and gearbox which were taken from a classic penguin slide game. This piece wasn't intended to have great meaning or representation, it was one of the first pieces made and is in a prominent position at the front of the final piece because its frenetic but repetitive motion is interesting visually.
The Bat Phone - The module is one of several which aren't motored and simply work with gravity. The module is made from a authentic vintage phone, the dial is removed so balls can fall through it and set of the internal bells, they then roll out the back and onto a ramp leading to the next module. The phone was originally binge but I sprayed it red to better resemble the Bat Phone, the module is more visually interesting than anything else and helps to add the the cacophony of noises the sculpture produces.
The Little House on the Prairie - The section is less of a module and more of a ramp, the ramp is made of four knitting needles bound together in pairs which are then attached through a Lego joint. The ramp was made to connect to sections which were distant from each other, the interesting feature of this ramp was its low friction that meant the balls roll fast along it and the joint which allows it to be angled even after it's mounted to the mainframe. I added the small house onto this ramp so balls could roll through its front door and out the back, I liked to include the house as a little reference to my past works which have normally be dollhouse inspired or structured.
Record Breaking - I acquired a large number of quality vintage vinyl singles from the younger sister of an ex-girlfriend. The module works because the rods spin round and tap balls along the base, it not only accelerates balls but also looks visually excellent and sounds amusing. The module is powered by the rear differential from an RC car, by mounting the axle and wheel horizontally it drives the larger metal rods through friction. I decide to make the module look like a convoluted record player so a needle arm from a art mannequin and fitted some electrical parts to suggest a function. The module has a great vintage look and is appealing visually and audibly. The module is made from several everyday items, a RC car, a art mannequin, several electrical circuit boards and the metal frame used to be a novelty picture frame.
The 3:10 to Yuma - I thought a module theme around a train would be an interesting addition to the project, the train travels on an oval track and rams balls along it and off the edge. The module was vastly inconsistent and indeed barely functioning at times, the track and train base where from an electric toy train which can be purchased off Amazon for under £3 which is pretty amazing in my humble opinion. I wanted the track to be removable so it was possible to view and interact with the modules beneath which meant I have to build it a frame, The frame was made from a section of balsa wood model plane. Train was intended to be the module directly after the Ferris wheel and I deliberately set myself the challenge of mounting it seemingly in mid-air. I continued this train theme by making a signal box which also covers the Ferris wheel motor, and added minor touches of a Hornby carriage and authentic model railway signal which no doubt will be older than most the people viewing my work.
Ferris Wheel - From the start the Ferris wheel was to be the largest and most complex module, it's also the heaviest and most noticeable. The Ferris wheel is made from a bike wheel mounted on an old mirror frame, its powered by a friction drive which is cleverly hidden under the signal box. The wheel works by collecting balls at the bottom and and dropping them at the top, the buckets which facilitate this are each made by me from flat sheets of card. I'd have liked to have repurposed something but I needed seventeen identical and complex buckets so this was impossible. The Ferris Wheel is the most eye catching module and its slow but monotonous movement set the mood of the whole piece.
Chain Conveyor - This char convey works by having a series of cups on a chair which rotate and lift balls to a higher point, I made this module because most of my module transport balls to a lower point so I need some lifting modules too. The chain conveyor was more function over form however the way it moves is also quite appealing, it was made from several children's toys meshed together, I purchase a lot of toys and object from car boot to make this project so this module encapsulates the reuse of an unwanted object.
The Z-Ramp - This module was designed to showcase to aspects of my final piece in one section. I wanted to build a module which used only gravity to move balls in an interesting way, the ramp also makes a pleasing sounds as balls flow through it. The other aspect this module explore is in its construction, the ramp was made from two pieces of 3 metre wood which I found and recycled. The module also explore my own ability to make things from basic materials, a lot of my sculpture are made from other objects so I rarely make something entirely from scratch. The module itself is the wrong size to fit with the other modules but none the less I included it within my final piece, because of its visual and technical intrigue.
Lift Me Up - This module is based on the lifting disc style of Lego Module I research, by rotating a disc this module incorporates gravity and a lower rev motor to lift balls. This module was made almost entirely from sheets of foam board, it's powered by a K’nex motor which has been rewired to work with the mains adaptors just like the rest of the project. The whole final piece is powered by five main electrical adaptor plugs, recycles from everyday electrical devices. The adaptors range in output voltage from 1.5v (a phone charger) to 12v from a small DIY drill. This modules motion is slow and visually appealing it one of my favourite and one of the most technically interesting. From an aesthetic standpoint the module is painted in acrylic spray paint and has several colours layered for a vintage industrial effect.
Paddle Boat - The paddle boat functions by moving balls in the same way a boat moves through water. I decided to make this module resemble a tug boat, by doing this it add interest and combine the ideas of function and aesthetic appeal. I mounted the boat in such a way that one of the paddles brushes against a barrier so it makes a sound similar to that of a combustion engine. The power source of the boat comes from the rear drive train of a RC car, each paddle has its own motor and gearbox which I modified by gearing down for slower revolutions. This module was interesting because it is one of the most reliable but also one of the most aesthetically pleasing of all the modules this one best combines the ideas of form and function. The ship's hull is made from cardboard which I then textured using resin and then painted accordingly, the cabin and minor details on the ship are various everyday objects linking to my ideas of repurposing. I created the water effect on the base plate using spray paint, I layers light blue with green, white and black to imitate the appearing of water on a flat surface.
Moss or Less - I wanted this work to have a genuinely clever and thought provoking title, I also wanted to incorporate this title in my final piece. The title 'Moss of Less' is the combination and blending of two phrases 'a rolling stone gathers no moss' and 'more or less'. my piece explore the idea of turning everyday items into pieces of art which are less traditionally functional hence 'more or less' is it more available as a piece of art or less viable because it comes from the destruction of functioning objects. 'A rolling stone gathers no moss' is a is an old proverb, credited to Publilius Syrus which mean a person who travels and is without roots will have no responsibility or cares, this proverb seems suited to the piece because it explores both movement and because its creator aims to live a life without responsibility or cares.
Archimedes’ Drill - The Archimedes' drill is one of the biggest and most visually stunning pieces within the project, the hypnotic motion is not only appealing but one of the most interesting ways of moving balls up and incline. An Archimedes' screw consists of a helical screw inside a hollow pipe or gutter which rotates to move matter upwards, originally created by Academies to move water the principle can be used on small objects. This module is made of a gardener's auger (a type of long screw used for digging) and the motor from a small drill. The framework that holds these two elements is made from board and reinforced with wooden beams, to make the channel the screw fits in I bent pieces of card within a framework to get and effective curve. This module is effective, noisy, reliable and appealing so it ticks all the boxes, its use of everyday items also means it links well to my premises.
The Bagatelle - The bagatelle module is simple from a technical standpoint, the module is simply a slope with a variety of obstacles and a channel at the end. This module was inspired by my pinball/bagatelle board which i made as lead up work to my final piece. This module is visual interesting to see the balls roll through it and make an amusing poinging noise as they fall. The obstacles are made from various bits of scrap metal and odds and end by using them scrap objects like this make it more interesting to look at and shows a variety of different materials to make different sounds and fall patterns. This piece had a really good junky look and combines standard manufacture and paint in the baseplate and assemblage and everyday object collecting in the obstacles
The last module is a series of par which form a greater whole. Then inverted Oxo tin is in fact the casing for the mainframe of overall sculpture, all the power cables come and go from this unassuming box. The whole final piece is power by 5 mains adaptors and each module can be turned on and off by a series of switches and controlled independently. The OXO tin was used intentionally, I also used red wiring to draw a comparison between the electrical system and the human heart.
On the box are several elements which use gravity and are intended to be aesthetically pleasing if not technically inventive. The first is a ramp which runs from the end of the bagatelle board to the next section, this ramp is made from a piece of plastic which was made to hold plywood panels together in a wardrobe, this ramp is very low friction so despite a small incline the balls move very quickly along it.
After the low friction ramp is a simply helta skelta like module which changed the angle of the balls and wraps them back round to the last module. This module is made from several old pegs and the box from a Edison record roll. These cylinders work similar to records and are fairly unusual, using the box from one a counters the record player module opposite it. The piece is very loud so the theme of sound is one which came about semi-accidental.
The last module is made from the body of an old SLR camera, having studied photography for the last year I have lost almost all interest in learning to take photos, however the form and technology behind the process does interest me, a idea which I've hinted at by using a camera in this module. The module works using gravity in the form of a small ramp, it is the beans on toast of modules from a technical standpoint but from an meaningful point its more interesting. The camera used is the same model as one my grandfather on my mother's side used. This piece is a homage to my grandfather on my father's side so in the interest of fairness I've used this module as representation of the other grandfather. He was a skilled metal worker for various companies, there's no doubt in my mind most of my metal work is piteous in comparison but perhaps there's a little in the genes, I do often use some of his tools.
Archimedes’ Drill - The Archimedes' drill is one of the biggest and most visually stunning pieces within the project, the hypnotic motion is not only appealing but one of the most interesting ways of moving balls up and incline. An Archimedes' screw consists of a helical screw inside a hollow pipe or gutter which rotates to move matter upwards, originally created by Academies to move water the principle can be used on small objects. This module is made of a gardener's auger (a type of long screw used for digging) and the motor from a small drill. The framework that holds these two elements is made from board and reinforced with wooden beams, to make the channel the screw fits in I bent pieces of card within a framework to get and effective curve. This module is effective, noisy, reliable and appealing so it ticks all the boxes, its use of everyday items also means it links well to my premises.
The last module is a series of par which form a greater whole. Then inverted Oxo tin is in fact the casing for the mainframe of overall sculpture, all the power cables come and go from this unassuming box. The whole final piece is power by 5 mains adaptors and each module can be turned on and off by a series of switches and controlled independently. The OXO tin was used intentionally, I also used red wiring to draw a comparison between the electrical system and the human heart.
On the box are several elements which use gravity and are intended to be aesthetically pleasing if not technically inventive. The first is a ramp which runs from the end of the bagatelle board to the next section, this ramp is made from a piece of plastic which was made to hold plywood panels together in a wardrobe, this ramp is very low friction so despite a small incline the balls move very quickly along it.
After the low friction ramp is a simply helta skelta like module which changed the angle of the balls and wraps them back round to the last module. This module is made from several old pegs and the box from a Edison record roll. These cylinders work similar to records and are fairly unusual, using the box from one a counters the record player module opposite it. The piece is very loud so the theme of sound is one which came about semi-accidental.
The last module is made from the body of an old SLR camera, having studied photography for the last year I have lost almost all interest in learning to take photos, however the form and technology behind the process does interest me, a idea which I've hinted at by using a camera in this module. The module works using gravity in the form of a small ramp, it is the beans on toast of modules from a technical standpoint but from an meaningful point its more interesting. The camera used is the same model as one my grandfather on my mother's side used. This piece is a homage to my grandfather on my father's side so in the interest of fairness I've used this module as representation of the other grandfather. He was a skilled metal worker for various companies, there's no doubt in my mind most of my metal work is piteous in comparison but perhaps there's a little in the genes, I do often use some of his tools.
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