2/13/09Living my constant obsession -- which is creating -- and being grateful that this obsession has manifested itself primarily as a jewelry designer, there was a time when the obsession was robots.
Yes, strange little creatures (big surprise there, huh), that would evolve as I poked around in my workshop for just the right capacitor, or switch, or electrode. Or that perfect little shape I'd find buried deep in the inner workings of, say, for instance, a 1962 Dictaphone. You know, your typical way of spending a robot-making day. Ok -- well -- maybe Mattel does it differently, but that's how I did it.
I always named these weird little sculptures, and they came complete with mini-biographies. There was Dramanoid and Oxymoronanoid. There was Squatbot and Alfalfanoid (he had great "sprout" growing out of his night-lite head). Then there was Motormouth and Harpfar.
One time I sold a set of three, a complete trio, to a gynecologist in northern Virginia. It was Viagrabot, Bride-Bobs-Alot-Bot and Lorena Bobbit Bot (Lorena Bobbit Bot held miniature scissors, and I always posed her facing Viagrabot, who, well, had taken lots of Viagra -- you can imagine). Actually these were bought as a gift for this doctor. I've always wanted to hear about her reaction upon opening them. Maybe one day she or a family member will wander back into Anthill and tell me all about it.
Oh, and one time -- in November 2005, I was commissioned to make a Bot for the retiring CEO of Dominion Virginia Power, Tom Capps. I named that one, "Tom Cappsanoid, Commander of all that is Electric". He was shocked! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . hehehehe
Well, to make this long blog entry even longer, the truly adorable, and kind gentleman in the photo is Dr. Peter Goodman. He is a local Richmond gastroenterologist. I call him Dr. Einstein, 1) because he looks like Einstein, and 2) because he's brilliant. And, btw, his wife is just as kind as he is.
Long after I had stopped dabbling in Bots, Dr. Goodman wanted one for his office. He told me it was to bring humor and put his patients at ease in sometimes trying times. Well I can answer that calling. So I got busy and made him this bot -- Dr. Peter Goodbotman. He came complete with replicated hair -- painted white and inverted into a tungsten lightbulb, and a medicine bottle body. It was so cute as he posed with it in Anthill.
He is such a good, good person.
Anyway -- hope you in enjoyed this protracted yarn . . . back to business as usual. And that means there are robots . . . . uh, I mean necklaces . . . to be made!
Have a great day!!
You can see more former robots by clicking here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kayadams/sets/72157606750527285/detail/
I made quite a few more than I've got photos of. I used to not photograph my work consistently, including necklaces and chandeliers too. :(
They say as an artist, if you don't document it, you may as well not have made it. So all you fellow artists -- take pics of it ALL. Besides, you'll want to see it again one day for posterity's sake. :)
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