CLOCKWORK ATOMICS

Pyramid As Viewed In Tethered Phases: Clockwork Atomics x324

2011-12-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

Many of these drawings are of nothing in particular. Almost more of an visual/conceptual exercise. Start with a classic geometric form (a pyramid) and deconstruct it while keeping it whole. Create an object that has no definitive outside planes. Or one that is shown to be moving through itself in space. The general idea is that it is both inside out and not simultaneously. Which for me is the answer to the question of how do you get a bigger object in a smaller one. At any rate it is a hell of a way to kill time.

Orrery Of A Binary System With Five Orbiting Bodies: Clockwork Atomics x326

2011-12-15T06:00:00.000-08:00

I would have to say that my favorite mechanical device is still the Orrery. An orrery is a model that shows the relative positioning and movement of astral bodies/systems. They can be highly detailed clockworks and are beautiful to watch. Many of my drawings have their genesis in orrerys. If not in subject then in the movement of the machine and its parts.

Folding Instructions For Turning A 2D Plane Inside Out: Clockwork Atomics x313

2011-12-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

I remember one of the more enjoyable (maybe the only one) standardized tests I took as I child was one that tested aptitude. If I remember correctly (which I most likely don't), I performed amazing well in areas that had to do with spacial relations and reasoning. And did really poorly in areas that dealt with mechanics. The spacial part definitely played out in both work and my past times. But for the other it did not matter in any way as my fascination with mechanical devices only continued to grow. (Possibly due to my subconscious inability to understand them fully). Who knows?

Vergeltungswaffen-4 (V-4) Spacial Compression/Collapsing Engine: Clockwork Atomics x347

2011-12-13T06:00:00.000-08:00

The Germans developed some scary technology for the time during the war. Even more frightening were the weapons and tech that never made it off of the drawing board. Tapping into every niche of scientific and arcane knowledge the projects that were discussed surely exceeded even the most wild imaginations and nightmares. This idea is continued in Mike Mignola's excellent Hellboy books. Many of which feature impossible machines and weapons.

Quantum Atomic Heart Of The Machine Of Apokolips: Clockwork Atomics x353

2011-12-12T06:00:00.000-08:00

I borrowed a little from Jack Kirby here. A very very little but he was the genesis. The sculpting lines/tubes around the sphere gives volume and adds an element of primitive tech. Jack used vaguely similar line structures especially in his depictions of Apokolips and its technology. I have never been able to mimic his art to any degree of satisfaction but it continues to serve as a point of inspiration.

Omni-Directional Cathode Ray Emitter: Clockwork Atomics x297

2011-12-11T06:00:00.000-08:00

A predecessor to the numerous death ray machines to come (I still lay the blame at Flash Gordon's feet). But it is the play between archaic and advanced tech that I continue to explore. Making something advanced with primitive items. One part Da Vinci and one part the Professor from Gilligan's Island.

Dr. Frankenstein's Electrical Accumulation Engine: Clockwork Atomics x359

2011-12-10T11:02:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite sets in film is the lab of Dr. Frankenstein. I never get tired of the look of his equipment. Not sure I understand any of the devices but I love em. This design partially borrowed from those machines. On a side note: this napkin is from Morton's in Georgetown where I ran up a surprisingly large tab without realizing it.

Jet Turbine Directed Sonic Array: Clockwork Atomics x346

2011-12-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

At some point I started adding metal plating/housing to the machines. I think this was an attempt to conform more to the idea of what a Steampunk design should be. But ultimately I gave up on making this a major component. I felt it just didn't work as well. It made the machines feel too solid. This also features a 2D front array as part of a continued experiment primarily inspired by the ray gun designs from WETA.

Astrometric Diagram Of Gravimetric Forces On A Ternary System: Clockwork Atomics x295

2011-12-08T06:00:00.000-08:00

The majority of my early drawings were either mathematical diagrams, alchemic structures, or astrometric relationships. While that has changed and I now work almost exclusively on drawings of the machine or my new obsession concentric circles (its more interesting than it sounds), I occasionally return to the diagrams. I find them relaxing and enjoy immensely the under-drawing that occurs when working on napkins. The sketching is non correctable so whatever happens happens.

Edison Vacuum Tube Compression Death Ray: Clockwork Atomics x348

2011-12-07T06:00:00.000-08:00

More death rays. Never never can be enough. Sadly this drawing is kinda fucked. The right 2/3 is perfect and then I ganked it. For some unknown reason I thought it would be cool that the final focusing array should be flat. Flat as in 2D. This was not a good idea. My attempts to correct this (over draw) were semi-successful. It still looks a bit blocky. But I just love the right side and I learned my lesson...sort of.

Tesladyne Dynamic Ionic Centrifuge: Clockwork Atomics x293

2011-12-06T06:00:00.000-08:00

One of the most important elements in my drawings is the feeling of movement. The gears grinding and meshing with each other along with parts of the machine in motion. Circular rotation in the machines has developed from the gears spinning to an array that moves to my current drawings that in which all parts move. Granted they would have to move through each other. However, the contradiction of the machine's possible functionality and the impossibility of the spacial relationships I find extremely appealing.

John Cleves Symmes Jr.'s Hollow Earth Model: Clockwork Atomics x321

2011-12-05T06:00:00.000-08:00

I love this theory. It's been kicking around as long as there has been written history. The idea that there are secret areas and hidden parts of the world is almost a dead thing. It's a shame really. Much of pulp fiction entails the exploration of the lost parts of history. I feel that the resurgence of pulp fiction's themes is the desire to regain, even superficially, some of the mystery that is gone from the world.

Da Vinci's Newtonian Dynamic Particle Death Ray Cannon: Clockwork Atomics x341

2011-12-04T06:00:00.000-08:00

Part telescope, part clockwork, part gravity well. All super weapon. What's with all the death rays? Too much Flash Gordon as a child I guess. I blame my parents. When I was 10 they gave me a beautiful book of the newspaper comics from the 30's. It was one of my first exposures to the retro futurism and continues to effect my ideas. While the drawings and designs I produce are not Steampunk in the strictest sense, I like to think that they share a certain flavor. The idea of old or primitive technology being used to produce advanced tech is highly attractive to me. There is a certain beauty to the slightly archaic designs that never fails to catch my eye and heart.

NYC's Queensboro Bridge (59th Street Bridge) In Four Dimensions: Clockwork Atomics x290

2011-12-03T10:10:00.000-08:00

NYC has many bridges and several are quite famous. The 59th street bridge is not one of those but it is one of my favs. I see it everyday from the train and I never get tired of it. It reminds me of something that would be built from an Erector Set. I just love its structure I guess.

Mapping Stress Planes In A Crystalline Cube: Clockwork Atomics x320

2011-12-02T06:00:00.000-08:00

Gem cutting has always amazed me. Being able to get to a hidden shape by fracturing the whole kills me. I don't know if its true but I remember hearing stories of jewelers studying a stone for a great length of time before beginning. The matrix or crystalline structure of a solid object showing it's inner working is beautiful. Admittedly it might be in part to my being a fan of the Inhumans. Karnak rocked.

Archimedes' Death Ray Powered By Micro Singularity: Clockwork Atomics x325

2011-12-01T06:00:00.000-08:00

Death rays. Who could ever get tired of these things? It captures the imagination with both thoughts of power and destruction. The idea of siccing devastation from afar upon an enemy is by no means a new idea. While not always called a death ray, the general idea has been around for at least the last two thousand years. Archimedes supposedly created such a device. Modern testing shows it would most likely brown bread rather than cause an inferno of death. But the idea and desire was certainly there.

Rotational Matrix of H.G. Well's Time Machine: Clockwork Atomics x317

2011-11-30T06:00:00.000-08:00

This shape is vaguely based on 2002's Time Machine. Granted it is highly simplified but the angle was what I was interested in. Actually this is something I should revisit.

John Byrne: The Machines Of The Fantastic Four

2011-11-29T06:00:00.000-08:00

John Byrne was my first introduction to comics. (To this day I can remember buying that issue of The Uncanny X-Men #143 off of a 7-11 comic rack in Florida.) Pictured above is one of the impossible machines of the Fantastic Four that John created. The sense of depth, detail, and possibility that it might somehow work or exist continues to captivate me. To say his art and design have been influential simply does not do justice to his contributions. While my drawings look nothing like his, it was my fascination with his creations that spurred my interest.

The Hidden Apparatus of Jules Verne: The Gimbal Free Gyroscope Of Captain Nemo's Nautilus: Clockwork Atomics x316

2011-11-28T06:00:00.000-08:00

True true, a gyroscope should only have three rings. Three seems so limiting. While six is much more exciting. Much more. What will they do? What force are they effected by? Can you have a gyroscope without gimbals? Who cares. Ask Nemo.

Analog Turbine Grinder: Clockwork Atomics x307

2011-11-27T06:00:00.000-08:00

This isn't actually a napkin rather one of the disposable hand towels from the wash room. Very strange consistency in the 'paper' caused the drawing to have a grey look. Not bad but a pain to work on. Anyway I was at The Capital Grille in KC a while back and was watching the bartender using a grinder that looked as if it were made 100 years ago and it made me think. How can I take something fairly simple and elegant and make it complex and seemingly highly dangerous? Well I worked out an answer.

Astronomical Clock For The Grand Central Terminal Kiosk NYC (as imagined while drinking at Cipriani Dolci: Clockwork Atomics x308

2011-11-26T06:00:00.000-08:00

A great place to get a drink, if you can get a seat, before the drudge home (especially after returning from work on Metro North) is Cipriani Dolci. Located on the mezzanine over looking the floor it is fantastic to unwind a watch people get where there going (especially during the holidays...it can get ugly). One of the highlights of the room is the central kiosk with its beautiful clock. As much as I like the clock I have often thought of it being updated or backdated. Depending on how one looks at it. So it would tell more than time and show more one's place in existence. Giving one pause before joining the inevitable hoard and traveling off into the world. Away from what at times seems the crossroads or the center or reality. ..What can I say it was damn good scotch.

2D Plane Seen In Four Dimensions (or the folding directions to every map I have ever used): Clockwork Atomics x319

2011-11-25T06:00:00.000-08:00

Yea, I know the title makes no sense. But hey what really does.

Arkham University's Model Of Local Astronomical Bodies (Now Discredited): Clockwork Atomics x312

2011-11-24T06:00:00.000-08:00

I occasionally get asked if I ever throw away or abandon a drawing. Either through boredom or a mistake is made. Actually no. I make an concerted effort to work through mistakes (which many are made and none can be corrected) or push a drawing to it's limit if it just isn't working. This is one of those drawing where nothing seemed to work. When I see this "what was I thinking" immediately comes to mind. It is too much and poorly planned, but I find it interesting and important to see where it went wrong. To avoid it in the future but also to refer to it later. The difference between a disaster and a moment of brilliance is very fine.

Hyper-Dimesional Non-Euclidean Form In Phase: Clockwork Atomics x309

2011-11-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

One of the many drawings that I have done exploring the idea of a form in phase. A solid that turns itself inside out. Where the inside and the outside of the form are connected and are one in the same. The ultimate origami.

Conflicting Irregular Pyramidal Planes Of A Spherical Body (or What I Did Between Acts At The Comix Club): Clockwork Atomics x306

2011-11-22T06:00:00.000-08:00

I learned a couple of important things while I drew this: 1. I enjoy stand up comedy way more on tv 2. I also find it weird to have the comic look directly at me while performing 3. That while performing the comic tends to really not like it when someone in the audience is more intent on working on a tiny drawing that they are working on by candlelight than paying attention to what's on stage 4. This is not a good idea

Calculation Of Orbital Ley Line Vertices: Clockwork Atomics x289

2011-11-21T06:00:00.000-08:00

Although I rarely include them when showing my work, many of my drawings are based on a sort of geometry. I have always enjoyed the idea that the world is not all that it seems and there is an underlying structure. The question of course is what do you do with it once you have figured it out.

Phased Cubist Reliquary For A Distorted Enlightenment: Clockwork Atomic x154

2011-11-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

One thing that continues to amaze and fascinate me are the early cubist paintings that Braque and Picasso did. They give a sense of space that both expands and collapses. At the time I was seeing how far I could push it and still seem semi-solid.

'Pataphysical Engine For The Next Age Powered By Cubist Tesseract : Clockwork Atomics x101

2011-11-19T13:55:00.000-08:00

After having done hundreds of these drawings, the one thing that I have learned the most is how they evolve and change. I would work in a general direction or theme and then something new would come about. This is one of those moments. Until this point all the drawings were based much more on alchemy and maths. Slowly the idea of the machine began to show itself. This is one of those moments of clarity that I continue to seek. It remains one of my favorite drawings.

Insane Caffeine Fueled View of Gravitational Ley Lines at EJ's Luncheonette NYC: Clockwork Atomics x199

2011-01-08T12:22:00.000-08:00

Proof positive that these drawings are not planned. Its one of the things I love about them. They capture a specific time, day and mood. Better than a snap shot or a journal entry. Here I was spending several hours killing time between appointments at a dinner on the Upper East Side. Apparently I was drinking far too much coffee for far too long.

Geometric Comparison of Shock Waves from a Nuclear Sky Burst Detonation vs. Ground Detonation: Clockwork Atomics x167

2010-12-25T07:57:00.000-08:00

What can I say? This is what I think about during a morning espresso in the city. I blame the morning commute with the idiots on their cellphones. Seriously, who needs to talk that loud?

Kafka-Tesla Suicide Machine: Prototype and Production Type: Clockwork Atomics x428 & x429

2010-12-18T06:34:00.000-08:00

This is one of the rare cases where I did a smaller drawing and then immediately produced a larger version of that idea (mainly I was playing with conical gearing). But x428 is fun in its brevity and I was careless and left coffee stains on it (the ink is very water soluble). The next one was done during lunch breaks over a couple of days while we were sorting through an art collectors home (which was inspiring as always). As for their names, I am often bothered or interrupted while drawing. (Apparently headphones on and intently drawing in a corner is an invitation for interruption). When I was stopped by someone's curiosity this time by them wanting to know what I was drawing, I told them the first thing that popped into my head that I thought would make them go away. It was a drawing of a Kafka-Tesla Suicide Machine. They quickly left and the name stuck.

Structural Matrix of a Nuclear Bullet: Clockwork Atomics x071

2010-12-04T10:02:00.000-08:00

An early drawing, back when they took very little time. This was before the drawings became machines. All the drawings were based on something a read or heard about. Many were inspired by pulp novels from the early 20th century and the design of alchemy etchings.

Mechanical Reliquary for a Forgotten Catholic Saint: Clockwork Atomics x442

2010-11-27T14:34:00.000-08:00

There are a couple of great examples of reliquaries at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC. And after seeing them I thought a mechanical one was sorely needed or may have been made and lost to time. This is my second attempt in the series. It holds promise, but needs more work.

Planet with Satellite Group Collapsing into a Black Hole's Event Horizon and Being Reduced to a Singularity: Clockwork Atomics x270

2010-11-20T13:45:00.000-08:00

A ridiculously long title but that's what it is a drawing of. A few years ago there was a brief period where I was fascinated by black holes. As a child I saw Disney's The Black Hole (great in a weird way..although wildly inaccurate) and always thought it was mind blowing how they even exist. So I ended up reading JP Luminet's book Black Holes and became obsessed with them all over again. This one was drawn after work at a bar on a Starbucks' napkin that I happened to have on me (which has one of the ugliest shades of green logo on it).

Leonardo Da Vinci's Geared Celestial Sundial: Clockwork Atomics x315

2010-11-13T06:21:00.000-08:00

This is the first piece I sold at the show I was in at The Laundromat Gallery in NYC. I had no idea if anyone would get the whole elaborate drawing on napkin thing, but a few did. Anyway, Da Vinci has always been a huge influence. The pages of his various codex have fascinated me ever since my first exposure to them. I was lucky enough to see the Codex Leicester in NYC. I do not write backwards as he did, but I enjoy the look and writing out notations about the works.

Fritz Lang's Heart of Metropolis: Clockwork Atomics x212

2010-11-06T17:33:00.000-07:00

The first time I saw Metropolis was the fascinating yet not terribly true to the original idea 1985 Moroder version. I still think that version is awesome in its own Hindenburgian manner. Soundtrack and story (what was left of it) aside, the visuals came through loud and clear. This drawing is but a doodle of the impression I have from the film. Cyclopean monoliths with Tesla generators with a mathematical matrix at its center.

I have been fortunate enough to be at time when a nearly complete version of the film is available for viewing. After viewing it at Film Forum in NYC, it is impressive as the first time I saw it in its truncated form.

H.G. Wells' Martian Tripod v 0.9 at Juan Valdez Coffee: Clockwork Atomics x401

2010-10-30T10:04:00.000-07:00

First off, yes there is a Juan Valdez Coffee shop (I know who knew). Anyway I have always loved H.G. Wells' stories, in fact they are some of the first books I ever read. And War of the Worlds was definitely a favorite. I loved the idea of the Martian's Tripods that reined destruction upon mankind. The elegant hovering ships from the 1953 version were great but I much prefer the mechanical beasts that were in the illustrated in the book I had as a child.

I have drawn a variety of versions of the tripods and give this one a v 0.9 notation as it is an unmanned version. A continuation of my fascination with destructive clockwork automatons.

Galileo's Astronomic Gyroscope at Dunkin' Donuts:Clockwork Atomics x381

2010-10-23T12:47:00.000-07:00

First off I really like Dunkin' Donuts. Decent espresso and a good selection of donuts. But very few have my favorite one. Does no one else like maple frosting? Anyway...

I have always loved gyroscopes although I never fully comprehended the physics behind them. In my studies in the sciences I always understood just enough to appreciate something but enough was still out of reach to make my knowledge of it slightly flawed and potentially dangerous. I like to think that has certain advantages....so long as you are standing at a safe distance.

Geared Caulder Mobile at Cipriani's Grand Central Bar: Clockwork Atomics x305

2010-10-16T15:46:00.000-07:00

One reason of the reasons I love drawing on napkins is that for me it captures a moment in time. This was drawn at the end of an exhausting day. I had been in Greenwich all morning attempting to install a Caulder mobile. I say attempting because it had been flat packed (dismantled) and no one knew what it was supposed to look like ....no pictures, nothing. Many hours later it was installed in what I felt was the most balanced and logical of configurations. Needless to say I felt I deserved a drink or two. So after getting off Metro North and before the subway, I stopped at Cipriani's on the west side of Grand Central ordered a drink and drew this.

Dual Death Ray at the Carlyle's Bemelmans Bar: Clockwork Atomics x360

2010-10-09T14:06:00.000-07:00

Not that being at Bemelmans turns my mind to sinister things (or at least no more than anything else), but the low lighting, excellent drinks and mummers from other tables sets my mind in motion. It really is a great place. While, as usual, I have Manhattans there, I do occasionally have one of the signature drinks. All and all a great place to meet, drink, write, draw and plan for the conquest of the know world.

Jules Verne Automaton Airship at the 21 Club: Clockwork Atomics X420

2010-10-02T11:10:00.000-07:00

It began as a sketch of a dirigible and after a few cocktails (Manhattans to be precise) it became, as I like to say "complicated". While it may not be the best drawing, the experience drawing it was excellent. Early evening and seated in large chairs in the lounge of area of the 21 Club in NYC drinking a fantastic Manhattan, possibly the best in the city, and letting ones mind drift to imaged times when airships and steampunk technology ruled the day. (I really can not express how good the service and the atmosphere of the 21 Club is....but it is quite fantastic.)

Geometric Tardis or Cafe Lalo and What Too Much Espresso Does

2010-09-25T05:07:00.001-07:00

Officially the title of this is Clockwork Atomics x434. To be perfectly honest the title should be more along the lines of "Holy Shit, I Think I Have Had Too Many Espressos". Anyway, this was drawn at a little cafe and pâtisserie on the UWS on 83 and it is kinda nice for that sort of thing. A nudge toward the French aesthetic with a bit on NYC thrown in. It was a cold wet day and I had about 3 hours to kill between appointments, so I drank espresso and drew on there napkins. Needless to say 3 hours was too long.

The general theme of the drawing is how can a larger object fit inside a smaller object (yes, like the Tardis). As for the solution, I really can't say. While I can normally decipher my writing here I am at a loss. I left Cafe Lalo with reality jittering and trying to catch up with my super caffeinated consciousness.

Steampunk Atomic Bomb: The Clockwork Fat Man: Clockwork Atomics x403

2010-09-18T11:15:00.001-07:00

For me steampunk is the culmination of the brilliant cacophony of gears and pistons, the kaleidoscopic motion of spinning gyroscopes and mentally rending designs. This is not the standard definition, however it is what inspires me. My designs are meant to be the crossroads of Victorian Era science and the new future that Tesla, among others, would come to represent. The base form for this design is from the atomic bomb nicknamed "Fat Man".

T-Rex Skull At American Museum of Natural History (AMNH)

2010-09-11T09:18:00.000-07:00

While I do try to spend my time sketching and designing machines during my down times between appointments. I have recently begun going to the American Museum of Natural History on the Upper West Side in NYC and doing some still life sketches. My favorite area unsurprising is the 4th floor that houses the dinosaur exhibits. While it can become insanely crowded and noisy and children treat it like a playground, it is enjoyable to draw there. The trick is finding a niche where people have trouble getting behind you. (I don't mind people watching, but if I don't know you are there it creeps me out).

Anyway the Tyrannosaurs Rex is by far one of the most fun to draw and look at (it is also one of the busiest areas). I started going with the intent of teaching myself to watercolor, which I have no discernible skill in, but often sketch instead. (Which explains the odd horizon layout book with the watercolor bleed on the spine.)

Clockwork Atomics x155: Mathematical Musing

2010-09-04T09:05:00.000-07:00

One of my earlier drawings, but I like it. I was killing time between appointments at the Dean and Deluca in Soho drinking espresso and drew this. I had been reading an article on transitional states and planes and was intrigued by the geometry.

Electric Eye of Science: Gyroscopic (Uzumaki) Hybrid: Clockwork Atomics x457

2010-08-28T08:32:00.000-07:00

While I have begun working larger, I have tried to continue to use improvised materials. Many of which are small (i.e. napkins). This was drawn on the back of a Kirin beer bottle label while I was at one of my local sushi joints. I love spirals. And I love the Japanese translation: uzumaki.

Clockwork Atomics x445

2010-08-21T14:27:00.001-07:00

In the process of moving from smaller images to larger I made a few 'transitional' works that were comprised of multiple napkins lightly glued together. Which led to several revelations. Among them being that I like the larger work area (the scale is the same) and the collage effect really does nothing for the piece. Other than make it insanely fragile and destroy my cheat of using a scanner.

Stay Calm...The God Machine Is Watching

2010-04-19T10:48:00.000-07:00

Don't worry...the Electric Eye of Science is in control.

From the Ministry of Technology

2010-04-17T22:49:00.000-07:00

The MOT enthusiastically endorses the Electric Eye of Science. Furthermore the EES approves of said statement.

The Electric Eye of Science

2010-04-14T08:36:00.000-07:00

The Electric Eye of Science is real.

Clockwork Atomics x329

2009-10-06T05:18:00.000-07:00

Clockwork Atomics x330

2009-10-02T04:25:00.000-07:00

Clockwork Atomics x331

2009-09-28T04:29:00.000-07:00

Clockwork Atomics x401 - WMD 1880

2009-09-24T04:19:00.000-07:00

Clockwork Atomics x401 is featured in my new book WMDs Of The 1880 under the section of Articulated Mobile Constructs.

WMDs Of The 1880s

2009-09-23T08:15:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to announce that I have finally compiled my fourth book: WMDs Of The 1880s. Collected within it are a dazzling array of destructive and world altering devices that never were. Divided into: Clockwork Machinations, Voltaic Centrifuges, Focused Ray Emitters, Clockwork Atomics, and Articulated Mobile Constructs. Think you can do a better job of running the world, because everyone else is doing such a piss poor job of it? Then this is a one stop shopping guide to 'pataphysical science dominance. Devoted to the mad scientist in all of us, when all we really want to do is dominate and rule the world....possibly with an iron hand, maybe not.

Clockwork Atomics x333

2009-09-22T04:47:00.000-07:00

Clockwork Atomics x334

2009-09-16T03:57:00.000-07:00

Clockwork Atomics x335

2009-09-14T04:25:00.000-07:00

Clockwork Atomics x336

2009-09-11T04:04:00.001-07:00

Clockwork Atomics x337

2009-09-10T06:10:00.000-07:00

Clockwork Atomics x286

2009-09-09T04:48:00.000-07:00

Clockwork Atomics x281

2009-09-08T05:52:00.000-07:00

Clockwork Atomics x279

2009-09-04T03:40:00.000-07:00

Clockwork Atomics x276

2009-09-03T04:08:00.000-07:00

Clockwork Atomics x271

2009-09-02T03:47:00.001-07:00

Clockwork Atomics x270

2009-09-01T03:47:00.001-07:00

Mike's Electric Stuff: Vintage Valves

2009-08-31T06:39:00.000-07:00

There is indeed a site for everything. I get a lot of inspiration from old mechanicals and discarded technologies and this site is a treasure trove of old gas tube, bulbs, etc. Show here are two WWII German valves. I love the fact this is how electronics used to work. It was more elegant and frankly dangerous.
http://www.electricstuff.co.uk/

Clockwork Atomics x261

2009-08-28T01:42:00.000-07:00

Clockwork Atomics x182

2009-08-27T03:28:00.001-07:00

Clockwork Atomics x129

2009-08-26T03:18:00.000-07:00

Clockwork Atomics x321

2009-08-25T04:31:00.000-07:00

Clockwork Atomics x332

2009-08-24T04:04:00.000-07:00

Pen & Parchment: Illuminated Manuscripts at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

2009-08-21T05:02:00.000-07:00

An excellent exhibit of illuminated texts and parchments displayed in the side galleries on the second floor of the Met. Which is nice because the galleries are softly lit and sparsely occupied due tho the fact that most people cruise by to other galleries. My two favorite works by far are the Diagram with Crucifixion and Diagram with Zodiac Symbols (shown above). Drawings like this one were meant to be studied and meditated upon in order to fully understand the meaning. (It includes twenty reference contents!) The detail and the complexity are awe-inspiring. Drawing such as these with the attention to detail are definitely inspiring to my own work. I love the fact that I know something important is being communicated here, but I have absolutely no idea what it is.

http://blog.metmuseum.org/penandparchment/

The Art of The Recession: Clockwork Atomics

2009-08-20T02:48:00.000-07:00

The Art of the Recession is upon us and it is Clockwork Atomics. I may be overstating things, but it is kinda perfect. The works are made of materials that are normally throw away (earth friendly). The works are small (easy to find hanging space for), easy to frame (cheaper and if you have ever framed anything that is saying a lot), easy to store and transport (for when you have to move to a smaller apartment). And best of all, be it the books or the original drawings, they are affordable (because we are all strapped).

Clockwork Atomics x282

2009-08-19T05:17:00.000-07:00

Clockwork Atomics x234

2009-08-18T04:00:00.000-07:00

Geometric Time

2009-08-17T03:41:00.001-07:00

"Time has dimensional and geometric properties in the same way that space does. Some of these aspects can be described as "past, present, future" and they can be thought of in same way that one thinks of "up, here, down". These conditions exist simultaneously. Just as higher dimensions exist around us without our being able to experience or interact with them purposefully, the same applies to different states or dimensions of time. So moving through time isn't a linear problem (as it does not exist in a linear form), but is rather a geometric problem."
-From the Lecture "Moving Through Time Moving Through Space", University of Kansas, 1969 - Perry Stevenson

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2009-08-17T03:36:00.000-07:00

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2009-08-14T03:17:00.000-07:00

Tamentai no Origami

2009-08-13T04:15:00.000-07:00

I bought this book a few years back as a present to myself. Tamentai no Origami shows the folding patterns for dozens and dozens of geometric forms. Sure it has how to do a "cube", except that is really a Regular Hexahedron or a "pyramid" is a Regular Tetrahedron. But how about a Pentagonal Isositetrahedron? Or a Heptagonal Dipyramid? And they just get crazier from there. I love this book. It is completely in Japanese and I can't read a word of it, but I love this book. Truth be told, you don't really need to be able to read Japanese to enjoy and use this book. There is very little writing. The entire book is filled with very clear diagrams that need no translation. Tamentai no Origami has been invaluable in the development of my "folded space/dimension" drawings.

The Curta Calculator: Cranking Out The Answer

2009-08-12T02:29:00.001-07:00

An amazing piece of machinery and engineering, the Curta calculator was thought of as one of the best portable calculators available until electronic calculators became affordable (and just portable for that mater). Conceived by Curt Herzstark in the thirties, he continually worked on perfecting the design for almost 2 decades (including the time he spent in a concentration camp). Elegant and small, the Curta is a marvel. It is even more amazing once one views the interior workings. Unfortunately for curious owners reassembling the calculator is almost as impressive a feat as its creation. To operate, numbers are entered using the slides and then the calculating is performed by cranking the top a specific number of times. Different math functions are achieved by adjusting the crank and carriage position. The Curta calculator is a part in the origin of the phrase "cranking out the answer" due to the fact it requires one to actually crank the top of the device to produce the answer.

Anything you would want to know about the Curta can be found at the very excellent Curta Calculator Page (http://www.vcalc.net/cu.htm#nice) and a great demo video on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYsOi6L_Pw4).

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2009-08-11T03:40:00.000-07:00

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2009-08-10T04:24:00.000-07:00

Jack Kirby: The Machines of the Fantastic Four

2009-08-08T10:16:00.001-07:00

Jack Kirby set a benchmark in the world of comics that will most likely never be equalled. Words really can not capture the amount of influence and inspiration his drawings have had on me. Even today I still have the same reaction to his work as when I first saw them as a child. His drawings of technology have a bizarre sense of depth that make them both seem possible and impossible. While these drawings exist throughout his work, my favorites are definitely from the Fantastic Four from Marvel Comics. This panel is from Fantastic Four Annual #5 page 19.

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2009-08-07T03:48:00.000-07:00

American Genius: 19th Century Bank Locks and Time Locks

2009-08-06T04:14:00.000-07:00

A beautiful book collecting over 400 photographs of locks from the Mossman Collection, which is housed at The General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen in NYC. (Who knew?) The book also includes detailed shots of their inner workings. The locks, in a word, are amazing. Each one unique at the time and an improvement upon the previous one as inventors continually outdid on another. Many of these locks are the last of their kind due to locks and safes being melted down for raw materials during WW1. Handcrafted and many include intricate engraving and casting that would put personal watches to shame. This engraving is often continued into the interior even though it would rarely be seen. Admittedly a bit pricey, but I found a copy at the Strand at a nice discount.

Which brings me to the sad fact that the idea of craft (craftmanship) is, for the most part, lost in the modern age. This book is filled with locks that are completely functional but are works of art. This level of care and attention is rare today. Nice things are still made, but they are the exception and typically insanely expensive. I know big words from someone who draws on napkins, but I hope that, in my own way, I show a level of care, attention to detail and craft in my drawings.

http://www.generalsociety.org/exhibits/default.asp

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2009-08-05T05:08:00.000-07:00

Steampunk Paris Metro Station

2009-08-05T04:16:00.000-07:00

This retro-futurist view is the walkway two stories down and directly above the Metro at the Cité station in Paris. Virtually every surface of the station is covered in these riveted panels (more things need riveted panels). The atmosphere is very Jules Verne. I'm not saying that its the Nautilus, but with the very high ceilings it is an amazing space. It is a single open area shaped like a barrel on end (you can see the curvature of the walls). From the stairs you can see the trains under your feet and the stairs continue another story or two above you.

Now onto another point, you might notice how clean it is. I live in NYC and stations aren't this clean when they are new. And they seem to lack that special smell the NYC subway tunnels create which falls somewhere between open sewer and a zoo's reptile house in summer. I could go on. Hey, I love NYC. But it doesn't mean I wish I could change a thing or two. I don't know how they do it, but the French Metro system is fantastic on every level.

Outsider Artist: George Widener at Ricco/Maresca

2009-08-04T03:10:00.000-07:00

And this is why my job is so great, yesterday I had the pleasure of installing some of George Widener's work at Ricco/Maresca Gallery (this exact work in fact). Widener has quickly shot to the top of my favorite artists and someone I need to investigate more. A high functioning autistic savant with a taste for dates. While enjoying this piece, I was struck by how my work has similar traits to his. Kindred spirits? Who knows, but I love his work.
http://www.riccomaresca.com/artists/slideshows/george_widener.htm

Instruments For Natural Philosophy

2009-08-03T03:28:00.000-07:00

I stumbled upon this site quite by accident and a fantastic site it is. Compiled by Thomas B. Greenslade, Jr, this site is composed of images and short descriptions of over 1800 historical physics teaching devices culled from nearly 70 collection. It is like a catalog to the greatest science exhibit that never was. This has been an ongoing project since the mid 70's and it shows. I have found endless inspiration paging through the collection.
http://physics.kenyon.edu/EarlyApparatus/index.html

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2009-08-03T02:55:00.000-07:00

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2009-07-31T02:43:00.000-07:00

Why Napkins? No Really Why?

2009-07-31T02:33:00.000-07:00

The use of my drawing material usually brings one of a couple reactions. Sometimes people are amazed at the detail that can be achieved on such a fragile surface. Sometimes they wonder why I don't use better materials. And sometimes they wonder how in the world I think I can charge money for a doodle on a napkin.

One of the original intentions of using napkins was the idea that all great ideas are born on napkins. Inventions, math solutions, business models have all had their birth on a napkin...often fueled by the alcohol or coffee served along with the napkin. Another reason for using napkins is that I really enjoy the idea that I am repurposing a completely ordinary/disposable material. And the last reason, I will admit, is that I enjoy drawing in bars and this project gives me an excuse to go to different and tony bars that I might normally not go to.

As for charging money for these, one only needs to go to a current art show to see that this is definately not beyond the pale.

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2009-07-30T06:59:00.000-07:00

The Long Now: The Über Orrey

2009-07-30T03:54:00.000-07:00

A planetary clock of unthought of precision. Instead of gears it uses a stack of binary mechanical computers. It is designed to show seconds, minutes, hours, years as well as track the orbits of the inner six planets for 10,000 years. A second scale prototype (shown) has been built that is 6 feet high. The final version ,which will be embeded in a mountain in Nevada or Texas, will be at least 60 feet high. Insane and brillant and beautiful.

http://www.longnow.org/

Musee des Arts et Metiers

2009-07-29T02:40:00.000-07:00

A fantastic museum in the heart of Paris that is often (actually completely) overlooked. Started in 1794 as "a warehouse for new and useful innovation", it is marvel to behold. Three floors organized into 7 catagories, the museum has more than 3000 inventions on display. Including a working Foucault's Pendulum (dated 1855 and used in the Universal Exhibition).

http://www.arts-et-metiers.net/

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2009-07-28T02:59:00.000-07:00

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2009-07-25T06:40:00.000-07:00

Why are there Clockwork Atomics?

2009-07-24T00:18:00.000-07:00

In 2006 there was the second NYC blackout that I experienced. This time only effecting Queens, but it lasted a week. So to charge cellphones and MP3s, my wife and I would go a different area of the city with powerstrip in hand. During one of these ventures, I made a particularly elaborate doodle on a napkin at a coffee house while we waited. Showing my wife I joked that this should be what I produce for art. It was perfect....the materials were free and my studio could become every bar and coffee shop in NYC. The more I thought about it the more I liked it. Why can't art be on napkins? Little snapshots of what I was thinking about as I killed time across the city.(There are way worse and more stupid ideas...trust me I work in the art world.)

The drawings began as geometric designs and mathematical problems inspired by alchemy and my misadventures into the engineering world , but around 100 designs in they began to look more like machines. Always loving Orreys and other clockwork devices, I explored this vein more fully. Each drawing includes detailed notes on the operation and description of the object in question. The designs continue to evolve and change but currently can be divided into 3 veins: mathematical calculations, spacial geometry and clockwork atomics.

Currently, I continue to draw in bars and coffee shops across the city between appointments and after work.

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2009-07-24T00:02:00.000-07:00