Capturing Ganson in Metaphor

Who could imagine that such an unusual art medium like wishbone can be perceived as legs of a cowboy and made it walk with a machine? Only a playful mind could project a ridiculous idea to become a piece of real aesthetic. Arthur Ganson expressed his ideas on how things move with his kinetic sculptures and in his discussion entitled “Arthur Ganson makes Moving Sculpture” as shown in TED conferences website, he stressed that his ideas root from the happiness and fascination that motion brings even when he was still young. He combined a touch of engineering, problem solving, critical thinking, precission and artistic skills in producing his mechanical piece.

            The effects of these works rely on its movement and this form of art is an interpretation of contemporary communication similar to what was used in technological art. Kinetic sculpture, as used by Ganson in his machine that bathes itself with grease is like a hundreds year old tree that needs no one to mind him. That piece shows a clear manifestation of self sufficiency and a statement of strength and independence.

            Ganson’s works has the theme of gestural dance. His line of works shows collective motions carefully woven in the way that it will show aesthetic pattern as they continue moving for time. The gestures of simple objects expressing passion using an engineering point of view definitely have the ability to move the audiences.

A brief history shows improvements in kinetic art have evolved continuously as technology keeps on upgrading given that most kinetic art requires motor to function. Marcel Duchamp, Naum Gabo, and Alexander Calder pioneered it in the 20^th century following the trend of modernist aesthetics (Coney et al. 5-8).

            Machines are thought to be the complete opposite of human for it can be created by man who limits them from expressing any emotion until the rise of kinetic sculptures that conveys aesthetics with full honesty – such an act and a quality that some humans are limited to.

References

TED.  “Arthur Ganson makes Moving Sculpture”. May 2008. Ted Conferences. Accessed 3 May          2010             <http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/arthur_ganson_makes_moving_sculpture.html>

Coney, Donald et al. “Directions in Kinetic Sculpture”. CA: University of California Printing    Department. 1966