BotShots

The Up-cycled Art of Gabriel Dishaw

2011-10-24T14:25:00.000-04:00

Working with metal and mechanical objects has been a passion of Gabriel Dishaw since his early teens. Eventually developing into an art practice and philosophy surrounding the up-cycling of discarded electronic and mechanical 'junk', Dishaw finds an outlet for his creative expression that, according to him "both helps me and the environment".

Sourcing found objects from abandoned typewriters, adding machines and old computers, Dishaw painstakingly assembles his creations, wrapping and stitching the items together using metal wire.

Fembot

Photo: Coleman Norris

According to his artist statement "I begin each sculpture with an idea of how can I take these found pieces of useless metal and insignificant objects and create something that everyone can understand and relate to. I find myself looking at ordinary mechanical items to see how I could turn that something, into something else not originally intended for that use."

Mickey Skull

Angel of Light

Shiva

You can find more of Gabriel Dishaw's work on his website gabrieldishaw.squarespace.com

Christopher Conte's 'PRECOG' & 'Scarlett'

2011-07-24T19:53:00.006-04:00

Precognative - 2010

PRECOG triggers Uncanny Valley type unease as the organic and inorganic world collide. We are forced to recognize something altogether familiar, yet eerily menacing, and cannot help but ponder if we are gazing at an ancestor of our future demise. A combination of custom fabricated and found object construction, PRECOG features an embedded Ipod Nano which projects subtle video (or visions) onto the lenses of each of the three eyes. The full color source video is mechanically broken down into the three additive primary colors. (RedGreenBlue)

'Scarlett' - 2011

Another sublime creation from Christopher Conte entitled Scarlett, was featured in the show "Conjoined", curated by Chet Zar, at Copro Gallery in Santa Monica, California. Christopher's work has a (literal) polish and finish that makes them look like fully functional production pieces that one might expect to see wandering around in search of some fresh oil... This may explain why he has sold every piece he has ever made.

Eric Joyner's Big Bang Theory

2011-07-19T15:57:00.003-04:00


Jungle Trek

Eric Joyner's 'Jungle Trek' (see above) has taken him some pretty interesting places, though perhaps none more visible than the hit CBS sitcom 'The Big Bang Theory'. You may recognize some of Erics work adorning the walls of Sheldon and Leonard's apartment. (see below)

Caught Again - 2008

'Caught Again' hangs on Leonard's bedroom wall, above his bed, and 'The Final Blow' (below) hangs on the wall of their living room.

The Final Blow - 2003

Let's hope this is the start of a trend and the producers of 'The Big Bang Theory' stop by botShots and get inspired to add more of the amazing robot art featured.

www.ericjoyner.com

Happy New Year, again...

2011-01-07T14:49:00.000-05:00

Well it's that time of year again and a whole year since I've last updated botShots. I am very sorry for this lapse and resolve to pick up right where i left off and not let another year go by without adding to this growing repository of fantastic robot related art. I have a backlog of content to add and new work is always being created that needs to be seen.

With that said I hope you will forgive my 'extended vacation' and continue to explore the fantastic world of robot art with us in the future. Watch this space. I'm back and with resolve. I hope your holidays and New Years were excellent and I look forward to resuming botShots with a new found motivation and rekindled enthusiasm.

2011... The Year of the Bot?

Happy Holidays and New Year!!

2010-01-01T22:37:00.004-05:00

Michael Mew was kind enough to send this Holiday greeting to BotShots so I thought I'd pass it on, along with our best wishes to all our readers in the new year. Stay tuned to see what we have in store for the coming year. Brand new shiny (and not so shiny) Robots... Yay!

Nemo Gould @ Nemomatic pt. 2

2009-04-22T04:33:00.015-04:00

'Praying Mantis - 2009 (Photos: Sibila Savage)

The amazing Mr. Nemo Gould is at it again. Crafting stunning sculptures out of found objects and recovered materials and continuing to blaze a trail in the world of RecTech, kinetic sculpture, robot art, recycling and creative expression.

(If I am gushing it's because I really love his work - and he's a really nice guy too, which is always nice...)

His works inspire wonder and fascination from materials that, before he got his masterful mits on, were destined to crowd our growing landfills.

His well trained eye sees what the rest of us mistake as worthless trash and his brain instructs his hands to fashion his fantastic visions, elevating the previous scrap to powerful statements of beauty and value, where none existed before.

His art informs us that our aesthetic tastes are fooled by broken metal and a bit of rust. Once polished, joined and re-configured, it's aesthetic worth is unmistakable.

'The Boogeyman' - 2009 (Photo: Cameron Platt)

'The Boogeyman' detail - 2009 (Photos: Cameron Platt)

'Bake-O-Lite' - 2009 (Photo: Sibila Savage)

'Bake-O-Lite' detail - 2009 (Photo: Sibila Savage)

'Psychos-O-Matic' - 2009 (Photo: Cameron Platt)
by: Nemo Gould
(Posted with Artist Permission)

www.nemomatic.com

Art and Science - Ties that bind...

2009-04-08T07:24:00.003-04:00

I have been less prolific with my posts of late... they will be starting up more regularly again soon...

Until then, some brain candy....

True science investigates and brings to human perception such truths and such knowledge as the people of a given time and society consider most important. Art transmits these truths from the region of perception to the region of emotion.
Leo Tolstoy
(1828-1910)

(Possibly explains why good robot art makes me so emotional :) )

Emek: Psychedelic Meets Post-industrial - Pt.2

2009-03-13T02:57:00.018-04:00

Award winning rock and roll poster artist Emek draws much of his inspiration from the culture, and of course counter-culture, of his parent's sixties. He himself missed that decade, although you'd never know it by looking at a lot of his art. With both his parents artists and sharing, not only their 'creative' and 'talent' genes but also, their music and other influences, he was uniquely suited or perhaps destined for the work he does now.

This helps explain the 'psychedelic' side but not exactly the 'industrial' and 'robo-mechanical' aspects to many of his works. This side of him seems more a mystery, as to it's origins, yet he makes no secret of his love of melding the mechanical with the organic, crafting surreal and fantastical images from his rich imagination and infusing them with his, often ironic, sometimes sardonic, sense of humor and social commentary.

'Evolution - Go Back'

'Coheed and Cambria' - Gig Poster

'SpeakerBot/SpeakerGirl' for Erica Badu

Original Artwork for Red Hot Chili Peppers

Original Artwork for Tool

Album cover for Les Rita Mitsouko

Album cover for Les Rita Mitsouko

'Last Picnic'
by Emek

(Posted with Artist Permission)

Part 3 will follow (in a future feature) and contain additional works from Emek, including an animation and in-progress illustrations as well as a preview of an upcoming feature on Emek's father, also an artist interested in robots and machines in art.

www.emek.net

Will the 'real' Paul Hoc please stand up...

2009-03-03T06:20:00.025-05:00

"Paul Hoc is not a robot."

This is in fact a quote from Paul Hoc's very own web page at Object Graphik.
Paul Hoc is not a robot. I humbly beg to differ. Not because it sounds like it should be printed on a T-shirt or the rally-cry of the obsessed fans of the 'real' Paul Hoc, an American painter of the 1950's but because Paul Hoc is, most definitely, a robot.

Why do I make such a claim, when even his designers/creators say differently?

To quote pioneering roboticist Joseph Engelberger "I can't define a robot, but I know one when I see one." (which incidentally is why there is no definition of Robot supplied on BotShots).

Created and designed by POB Technology and the artists at Object Graphik, of France, for the 2008 Saint Etienne International design biennial, Paul Hoc physically traverses paper and canvas to create intricate, geometiric, illustrations born of digital code and mathematical algorithms.

(Posted with Artist(s) Permission)

www.objectgraphik.com

Reuben Margolin: Art, Math and Motion

2009-02-23T02:53:00.016-05:00

While Californian artist Reuben Margolin does not exactly make 'robots', he is (forgive me) making waves that have implications and applications in both art and robotics.

His creative impulses include drawing, painting, furniture and even rolling-vehicle making, yet it is his mastery of kinetic sculpture, natural materials and motions, analogue controls (in a digital world) and theatrically dramatic presentations, often hypnotically captivating, that required his inclusion in this gallery.

'Magic Wave'

This is one of the biggest and most complex examples of kinetic art in the world. The 'Magic Wave' is an aluminum grid suspended by 256 cables and the overhead mechanics contain 3000 pulleys, 5 kilometers of steel cable, and 9 motors. In all more than 50000 parts. It was a collaboration with the staff at Technorama Swiss Science Center and displays wave characteristics of Wavelength, Amplitude and Frequency.

Video of 'Magic Wave' from the opening show at Technorama

'Round Wave'

Detail 'Round Wave'

Video of 'Round Wave'
Video by: Michele Orlando

'Spiral Wave' by Reuben Margolin
Video by Michele Orlando

(Posted with Artist Permission)

The following video for MAKE: TV is a fascinating profile of Reuben, his work and his process. I found it not only compelling but, more importantly, inspiring - as an artist and as a lover of art. It is included here in the hopes it has the same effect on others.

A Robotic Recital from Toyota

2009-02-20T08:17:00.008-05:00

This robotic humanoid from Toyota can, arguably, play the violin. Now I want to see ten more of these paired with a few of the percussive pianos from LEMUR's 'gig' at the National Gallery of Art. Things are really starting to get interesting now...

Builder's Studio Crafting Reto Bots From Wood

2009-02-18T20:42:00.017-05:00

Peter Pochylski likes his robots retro and made of wood. So that's exactly how he builds them. Large or small, these warm, wooden, constructs are infused with a charming humor and unique, age-worn, style.

Like characters from the earliest science-fiction films, many of Peter's pieces seem to tell a story or, at least, play their part in some larger, grander, drama.

Not surprising, perhaps, considering the clear influences from Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, Alex Raymond and even The Jetsons, that seem to inform his work and direct his steampunk/retro-future style.

'The Seeker'

'Big Fish Walker'

'Quad Walker V2' and 'Blue Snipper Robotosaurus'

'GrannyBot w/ Fresh Cookies' and 'The Littlest Centurion'

'Canadian RoboBull-Moose'

'Hey Big Spender'
by Peter Pochylski

(Posted with Artist Permission)

www.buildersstudio.etsy.com

Guillaume Reymond Transforms Spaces

2009-02-15T07:28:00.013-05:00

Guillaume Reymond, the French-Swiss award-winning artist, has stepped out of the traditional box for his art project series Transformers. Outside and up, in fact. Way, way, up. Requiring the use of a Zeppelin to fully realize, a collection of vehicles (from Garbage and Fire trucks to Buses and Ambulances) are carefully positioned, revealing massive, transformer-like, robots in parking lots and fields. So far there are three in the Transformers series. One and Two are featured below.

Transformers#3 is only available at the artist's website. (By the artists request, so as to leave you something to discover on your own.)

'Transformers #1'

'Transformers #2', or 'RetroBus'

by Guillaume Reymond

(Posted with Artist Permission)

www.notsonoisy.com

Eric Joyner's Sweet Nostalgia

2009-02-11T22:46:00.021-05:00

'The Usual Suspects'

... of Robots and Donuts. San Fransisco based Eric Joyner, illustrator, painter, instructor and robot dreamer, has been honing his craft for over twenty-five years. He works a nostalgically retro style which evokes memories of a time since past, yet a time that never quite existed either. A Surreal, alternate time, when Marlowe hunted for the red robots Hideout or when smoke-filled auditoriums held Friday night Rock 'Em Sock 'Em robot boxing bouts.

I haven't even gotten to the donuts yet. Like a kid in a candy store, many of Eric's worlds are filled with sweet treats of surreal proportion and mysterious function, infusing a warm charm that instantly comforts and delights. Yet all is not quite as sugary sweet as it first seems. Just under the icing lies undercurrents of violence, depression and tragedy. The robots, it seems, are not always happy.

'Between Rounds'

'Robo Kong' & 'This is This'

'IO Jima'

'The Hideout'

'The Collator'

'Draconian Ways'
by: Eric Joyner

(Posted with Artist Permission)

www.ericjoyner.com

Emek: Psychedelic Meets Post-industrial - Pt.1

2009-02-11T02:07:00.026-05:00

Emek's prolific (and generous) nature has required splitting his feature into multiple parts. Part 2 & 3 will follow.

He has also inspired me to expand on the materials, images and information so far included on botShots for each artist. While it was always envisioned as a (mostly) visual blog/on-line art gallery, botShots has begun to evolve and develop into a growing resource (and hopefully, authority) on Robot Art. As such, I will begin to expand the written component of botShots over the next while, possibly including some 'critical' essays and trying to include additional educational and reference resources. Coming soon...

'U R What U Watch'
(or The 4 Pornbots Of The Apocalypse)

Primarily a Rock and Roll poster artist, Emek has won numerous awards and created cover art and posters for bands including Neil Young, The Grateful Dead, Pearl Jam, B.B. King, Bob Marley and Radiohead. He surprised even himself when he was asked to provide some of his 'robot' work, at just how many he had done and how influential a subject matter it obviously is to him.

'Old School'

'BullBot & Robotz'

'Harley Bot'

'SharkBot'

'Steamcycler'
(Animated Version in Pt.3)
by: Emek

(Posted with Artist Permission)

www.emek.net

Part 2 of this feature will include a selection of posters featuring robots and will follow in the coming days. Part 3 will contain additional works from Emek as well as a preview of an upcoming feature on Emek's father, also an artist interested in robots and machines in art. Watch for these coming soon...

Pindar Van Arman's Robot Paints Realism(and other Robots)

2009-02-05T00:01:00.009-05:00

Pindar Van Arman collaborates with his robot 'Zanelle' to produce acrylic paintings. Apparently, and luckily for us, Zanelle 'prefers' to paint other robots although portraits of people have also been created.

'R2-D2 4x4'

'Run, Asimo, Run'

'The Slave Auction'

'Portrait of the Artist as a Young Cylon'
by: Pindar Van Arman & Zanelle

(Posted with Artist Permission)

www.VanArman.com

Max Dean and Raffaello D'Andrea's Robot Chair

2009-02-04T04:37:00.010-05:00

"The Robotic Chair" (Max Dean, Raffaello D'Andrea, Matt Donovan) in the short film Robotic Chair by Peter Lynch. The chair contains 14 motors, two gearboxes and various electronics. Sensors and algorithms aid the robot in re-uniting its missing parts.

Alan Rath's Unique Vision

2009-02-03T00:01:00.006-05:00

'Creature' - 2000 (Click for Video)

'I Like To Watch' - 2000 (Click for Video)

'Voyeur' - 1986 (wow)

'Optical Cylinder IV' - 2008

'Rover' - 1998 (Click for Video)
by: Alan Rath

(Posted with Artist Permission)

AlanRath.org

David Lipson's - Lipson Robotics

2009-02-02T06:28:00.007-05:00

'Elgin'

'Weston 273'

'Volcon'

'Weston Ampheres'
by: David Lipson

(Posted with Artist Permission)

Lipson Robotics

Ballet Mecanique at the National Gallery of Art

2009-01-30T06:33:00.017-05:00

Premiere of all-robotic version of George Antheil's infamous Dada piece for 16 player pianos and percussion orchestra. A rare, historically significant, recording from the NGA. Features new robotic instruments from LEMUR: League of Electronic Musical Urban Robots

Speaking of LEMUR - This is GuitarBot. It has to be seen and heard to be believed and appreciated. The following video is "Emercency Bot TV Theme" for GuitarBot, composed by Joshua Fried.

Nemo Gould's Moving Art @ Nemomatic

2009-01-27T23:46:00.006-05:00

'Venus Flytrap' (Click for Video)

'The Performer #2' (Click for Video)

'Little Big Man' (Click for Video)

'Rabbot'

'General Debris' (Click for Video)

'Hearth Attack'
by: Nemo Gould

(Posted with Artist Permission)

www.nemomatic.com

Michael Mew

2009-01-26T08:24:00.007-05:00

'Buddah Bot 3'

'Taste Test'

'Old Yeller'

'Bad Boys'
by: Michael Mew

(Posted with Artist Permission)

www.michaelmewstudio.com

Laura Barbosa's Uncanny Valley

2009-01-24T00:01:00.005-05:00

(The term 'UnCanny Valley' was first introduced by Japanese roboticist Masahiro Mori in 1970 to describe peoples emotional responses to the 'human-like' nature of robots.)

'UnCanny Valley'

'No Fear of Perfection'

'Progress'

'ROBOT'
by: Laura Barbosa

(Posted with Artist Permission)

The Art of Laura Barbosa

Max Chandler's 21st Century Art by: Robot

2009-01-23T00:01:00.008-05:00

Max Chandler builds Robots that traverse his canvases, sensing (seeing), thinking (programed), trailing an acrylic wake along it's, occasionally unexpected, way...

'Silent Dancing All'

'Napolitos 3'

'Rising'

'Climbing'
by: Max Chandler (and Robots)

(Posted with Artist Permission)

www.maxchandler.com

Kyle Jones' Robot Attack

2009-01-22T01:55:00.006-05:00

'R is for Robot Attack'
by: Kyle Jones

Kyle Jones on Flicker

Guy Robot, the Robot guy...

2009-01-21T05:43:00.008-05:00

'Ironman' (Detail)

'Ironman'

'Gyro'

'Euclid'
by: Guy Robot

www.guyrobot.com

The Sculpture of Christopher Conte

2009-01-20T00:27:00.007-05:00

'BioMech Arm'

'Steel Widow' (Detail)

'Steam Insect'

'Black Widow'

'Deco Droid'

'External Video Eyewear Apparatus'
by: Christopher Conte

(Posted with Artist Permission)

www.microbotic.org

Tick Tock Tom's RecTech

2009-01-19T00:11:00.009-05:00

'Ages 10 and Up'

'Goliath Online'

'Ron'

'Rail Grind' by Tick Tock Tom

(Posted with Artist Permission)

www.TickTockTom.com

Adrian Lazar

2009-01-17T01:19:00.013-05:00

'BugBot'

Bug Robot - turntable animation from Adrian Lazar.

'WarBot'

'WarBot'

WarBot - animation/personal/collaborative work from Adrian Lazar.

(Posted with Artist Permission)

Adrian Lazar

Juan Carlos Federico - Illustration...?

2009-01-16T02:56:00.006-05:00

'Pinzuino'

'Rabbito'

'Ekeyno' by Juan Carlos Federico

www.juancarlosfederico.com.ar

Lawrence Northey - RobotArt.net

2009-01-15T14:48:00.011-05:00

'Chantecler Eldorado'

'Diablo'

'The Duke and Blinky'

'Commodore 64' by Lawrence Northey

(Posted with Artist Permission)

www.RobotArt.net

Terry Collier

2009-01-15T06:05:00.006-05:00

By Terry Collier

Terry Collier

Andy Hill's Family of Fembots

2009-01-15T05:40:00.010-05:00

3 'Fembots' - by Andy Hill (for his family)

'Chapeau' by Andy Hill

www.electroartworks.com

Tom Torrey - GammaRayBots

2009-01-14T06:39:00.007-05:00

Gasbot1

BioBot2

ScubaBot1

Tom Torrey's GammaRayBots

Mike Heisler

2009-01-13T08:54:00.006-05:00

'Slo.gwin01'

'Slo.herren'

www.mheisler.com

Jeremy Mayer

2009-01-13T08:45:00.004-05:00

A 'Typewriter Bot' by Jeremy Mayer

jeremymayer.com

Mark Ho

2009-01-13T08:30:00.006-05:00

'Artform #1'

'Artform #1'

www.zoho.nl

Greg Brotherton

2009-01-13T08:12:00.007-05:00

'The Rise of Discord'

'Desoto Rising'

www.brotron.com

Transformer's 'Top Dog'

2009-01-13T07:48:00.004-05:00

Optimus-Prime from The Transformers

www.pjlighthouse.com

Brian Despain

2009-01-13T07:44:00.006-05:00

'The Discovery' - Brian Despain

'Tales from a Tin Can' - Brian Despain

www.imphead.com

Small Art Works - Big Talent

2009-01-13T07:13:00.001-05:00

A Model 'Botizen'

www.smallartworks.ca

Spykee WiFi SpyBot from Meccano

2009-01-13T07:12:00.003-05:00

Spykee WiFi Webcam Bot from Meccano

www.spykeeworld.com

The Invasion...

2009-01-13T07:10:00.003-05:00

Robot Invasion

www.smm.org/buzz/image/lined-assault

Robosapien V2 from WowWee Toys

2009-01-13T07:07:00.003-05:00

Robosapien v2 from WowWee

www.wowwee.com

Nissan's Dualis

2009-01-13T06:58:00.003-05:00

Nissan's Dualis

www.dualis.com.au/dualis-video.html

A Battlefield Bot

2009-01-13T06:57:00.004-05:00

The BEAR Robot

www.primidi.com/2006/08/29.htm l

The Rideable Robot

2009-01-13T06:55:00.004-05:00

Rideable Robot

www.coolest-gadgets.com/category/robot-gadgets/page/16/

__________

Clayton Bailey - RoboGroup

2009-01-13T06:47:00.006-05:00

Bailey's Bots...

Marilyn Monrobot

www.claytonbailey.com/robogroup.htm

Bennett Robot Works

2009-01-13T06:43:00.007-05:00

'Kenmore 3'

Gordon Bennett's Robot Works

www.bennettrobotworks.com

Andre Kutscherauer 3D Illustration

2009-01-13T01:49:00.006-05:00

3D Art by Andre Kutscherauer

www.ak3d.de

Bots in Service

2009-01-11T21:56:00.006-05:00

"At our service."

Just because they work for a living doesn't mean they can't look great doing it and the importance of aesthetics (especially in the service industry) is not lost on the designers of these fantastic service Robots. From vending machines to hero-bots that are designed to carry a wounded human out of harms way, they do a lot more than mow your lawn now...

BotArts - Robots in and as Art...

2009-01-10T06:49:00.017-05:00

For some reason the Robot has been a muse for Artists for many many years. From paintings, drawings, animations, films and videos, sculptures, design elements of clothing, furniture and even food. The Robot, it seems, is everywhere.

Toys, Models and Research Bots

2009-01-10T06:01:00.011-05:00

There are myriad Robots that fall into the Toys, Models and Research category. These Robots fuel our fantasies, inspire our imaginations and drive our desires to own them for ourselves. From commercially available toys that we get to play with and the Robots that teach us in school to the Robots we see on our movie and tv screens, real or imagined, they always bring a smile to our faces.

Welcome to BotShots!

2009-01-09T16:16:00.000-05:00

Hello and welcome to BotShots. The latest in a long line of Robot-related Blogs.

I am intending this Blog to be more visual in nature. "Shots" as in pictures (and video) - and of course "Bots" as in Robots (not web-bots).

I have just begun - so please be patient and check back often for your daily "Shot"...