'MKP_02' 2020

MKP_02 is the second of the two kinetic sculptures designed for Year 12 TCE Art. It uses a different mechanism and motion to MKP_01 to lift up clear pastic baubles in a simple choreography to explore the concept of a "mechanical ballet."
I like this piece a lot more (partially because it wasn't quite as traumatising to build as the other one.) I also like that the design is simpler, but I think the movement itself is much more powerful.
I didn't do any prototyping for this piece, simply because I ran out of time so I just had to hope and pray that it worked, which it did. One (quite predictable) issue with this one was the abject nightmare caused by the tangling of hundreds of strings of fishing line. However, I think the fishing line is a really beautiful element, and the complexity of the weave of lines above the main movement adds a lot to the design.
My favourite thing about this project was the way that people interacted with it when it was on display. Kids naturally chose to lie underneath and watch the movement from below. This wasn't how I intended for it to be viewed but I love that that's what they chose to do. It made it feel dynamic and interactive, rather than a conventional artwork.