Yet another 'brand' name

Since I attempted to market my passion for tensegrity, I had to come up with a name for it. The first one was You Can Touch This!, encouraging people to engage with their hands with my work. For more than two years I enjoyed engaging with people on the Rose Street Artists Market, gaining valuable feedback about the not so kosher aspect of 'marketing' art.

It took some iterations to end up with 'Magical Thingamabobs' for my busking attempts, and if nothing else, I appreciated the smiles of those noticing the light-hearted approach to a complex art.

Just like with my first market appearance, when I exhibited my work on a festival it was neither branded or priced, my stall became decoration and chill out space. Somehow, I like the idea that people soaked in the energy I wanted to create in this space, combing the Platonic Solids with the Vector Equilibrium.

A central tetrahedron projected into the VE, the four other solids arranged over the four entrances around it. A womblike structure (the Shelter Systems dome) containing six most basic geometries of universe, a rebirthing for those over-engaged in the mind.

I had the faint hope to sell at least one piece on the festival, but my merchant approach was not very apparent. I still might have some follow-up customers. The gipsy ways of selling at festivals are appealing, yet require a good product.

I build more than I could sell when I started at the market. I sold lots while busking on the street, being inspired to many new variations. Enough to somehow survive, pay the rent, eat, even the occasional vice and material to go on.

Mr. Mouth is my first shop exposure, and I'm surprised how well it works, especially given the lack of written information and branding.

I'm happy with the new logo, now I have to decide whether to use big words, or make a real simple description of my work. Either way, getting some editing help before the final release sounds like the right way forward.

Best thing ever

Using phone and computer to document my latest piece has been frustrating, to say the least. Working on 'Diamond DNA' got me exhilarated, and the results exceeded my expectations after the idea came to me.

Base joined tetrahedral tensigrity

The diamond structure, two tetrehedra joined at the base, shows an interesting balance along its central edges. I presented the smaller versions upright, along the axis of compressability, suspending two thirds of the material with only three points of contact to the ground.

It's the Illuminati tensegrity - 2 triangular and 3 square corners, the geometry strengthening diamond. Build properly, it will balance on the square corners around its girth, albeit very delicately. Suspended, it should show horizontal stability between the triangular corners.

I experimented with connecting the former corners (crossings) centrally instead of outlining triangle, squares and pentagons. I'm not too sure about the classification of tendons connecting in a hub without compression elements, but it adds functional and aesthetic qualities.

The central junction of three corner tendons can act as a mount point for anything suspended in the centre. I had a spiral made of six shorter sticks which needs a pull from either ends to maintain a 3d shape. I looped string around the centre of the outer sticks and attached the elastic string to the junction of the two triangular corners in the structure.

I did my best with a random spray job for the outer struts, balanced on one triangular corner it measures more than 2 metres. I have no idea about its durability - it uses elastic strings around its girth (which I might replace), and elastic to suspend the central spiral.

While I liked to call my sculptures 'kinetic', this one fits the description. The slightest amount of wind gets movement into it, either by rotating the centre or the entire structure. It's like a mothership of randomness, another turn will happen, unpredictably. Different perspectives provide different colour aspects, just like the rotation. Any capture seems unique, like an elephant felt up by the blind.

So I indulged in making a clip, which is still rendering in the background while I type. No idea whether I'll get in copyright trouble when uploading it, I haven't even bothered watching the final result besides bits of preview. If you're in a hurry, don't bother watching. It'll be about 15 minutes without anything spectacular happening,

The raw footage still captured lots of detail I was interested in than the GoPro footage I took before. I love the balance the single point of suspension provides, as well as the independent movement of the spiral in the centre, even though the twist pulls the entire structure together.



PS: This piece brought me most excitements from any of my creations. I had some pieces hanging, and enjoyed the movement. Many delicately balanced pieces were blown over, exploring the rotary power will bring another dimension into my work.