On the Workbench

Nuts!

ginak — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 21:14:56 +0000

While in Ann Arbor I picked up some, um uh, percussive nuts. I’ve immediately found an interesting use for them.

Big Piece – Long Title

ginak — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 15:00:36 +0000

For the past six weeks I’ve been working away on my latest piece; Yelling ‘Theater” in a Crowded Fire. It’s freestanding, electric, has a couple of interesting clutch mechanisms and makes lots of sounds. Here’s the rough video and, did I mention how much I love the smell of WD40 in the morning?

The Discipline of DE for Kinetic Sculptors

ginak — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 19:59:34 +0000

Here’s one of my favorite films from Ann Arbor, an early short film adapted from a short story by William Burroughs. Having had my share of broken drill bits, solder burns, broken taps and a million other little shop accidents, I find this a wonderful reminder in my day to day.

Animatied Films and Quay Brothers

ginak — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 14:46:16 +0000

The Brothers Quay film “Maska” was one of the highlights of Animated Films in Competition last night at the Ann Arbor Film Festival. This film was the dark apex of a beautifully curated selection of animation, some of the best I’ve ever seen. An adaptation of a story by Stanislaw Lem, a Polish science fiction writer, Maska addresses cybernetics in a feudal word. It is a dark fairy tale and terrifying story of technology. The lighting and puppets were amazing! Here is the teaser.

After the screening there was a interesting question and answer session.

To my left is Bryan Boyce, creater of Walt Disney’s “Taxi Driver”, a hilarious mash-up of Scorsese’s film and Disney movies. To my right; Meejin Hong, creator of Soil ( I loved the surface in this ), Juan Camilo Gonzolez, who’s film SISISISISISISISISISISI worked with cycles in four quadrants, building on sucessive drawings. Tianran Duan, creator of In Between Shadows, who’s work reminded me of the pinscreen animation of Alexandre Alexeieff; Shadows and light move slowly across a structure. To my far right is Ben Popp from Portland. His film Lázslo Lassú uses primitive looking black and white cut out images which marry beutifuklly to the Balkan folk music of Hawk and a Hacksaw.

50th Ann Arbor Film Festival

ginak — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 13:30:51 +0000

This week, I’m giving my sore hands a break and attending the Ann Arbor Film Festival, one of the longest running events focusing on underground and experimental film and video.

The Michigan Theater, where the screenings take place features a lovingly preserved theater organ. Music starts 20 minutes before the screening, as the lights go down, the organ slowly lowers into the orchestra pit! An added bonus, there are a couple of really interesting installations in the theater lobby including a very cool pedal-powered Zoetrope By Jodie Mack.

Tonight, my film Secret Bee will be part of the animation competition along with films by the Brothers Quay and Steven Woloshen.

Clap Clap Clap

ginak — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 16:07:41 +0000

The fourth in my series of smaller pieces. “Clap Clap Clap” is based on a pair of offset cranks and a horizontal cam. The egg was a wooden form which had been buried in dirt for a year or so, this is a cool way to age and degrade objects if you have the time. I love the surface which results from this process.

Interview on Frenzer Foreman Podcast

ginak — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 17:12:41 +0000

Joel Frenzer and Alan Foreman do a regular podcast on all things animation. This month, I’m the guest and talk about Sing Sing Prison, Cactus Thorns, Animation and Kinetic Sculpture!

Frenzer Foreman Animation Forum

I Feel Fine

ginak — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:50:58 +0000

I’ve been continuing on the track of creating smaller pieces. The latest, “I Feel Fine” is based on the Kinematic Machine in the video below. The model is from the mechanical engineering collection at Ohio State University and inspired me to create this piece.

New piece; “Three”

ginak — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:53:09 +0000

For the next few projects I’m scaling things down a notch, working with lighter materials and smaller sizes. “Three” is the first of these “sketch” pieces and features a lucky accident with a Maltese cross Geneva. After scrapping several designs for the driver, I came across a ribbon feed from an old manual typewriter. The fit, even down to the width of the driving pin was miraculous. Sometimes, you just luck out. Perhaps this will make up for the millionth time I’ve lost a tiny part between the cracks in my floor

Polynomial

ginak — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 17:28:28 +0000

We start 2012 with something a bit different; a collaboration with Multi Talented Boston artist Josh Wisdumb. His work includes paintings, drawings, sneakers, tattoos, sculpture, video, musical instruments and hell, just go to his site and take a look.

Polynomial was created by working together on a sketch and outlining pieces which I cut from aluminum sheet. The pieces were synced using bead chain and sprockets, balanced then delivered to Josh’s studio where he responded to the forms as seen in the video below.