in search of (a title)

untouchable
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

the past month, and particularly, the past few weeks, i have been frantically working (is there any other way?) on this one piece consisting of a stack of plain white drawers, some with red interiors and other objects, like fingers, nipples and light. i'm quite proud that when i started, i only had a vague idea of how this thing was going to turn out, as i have a tendency to overly think and plan my projects.

knowing the deadline, i really tried not to overextend myself on making something that was too far beyond my technical knowledge as i have done in the past. of course, it wasn't without challenges, and there were a few. first, i wanted the top part of the piece to turn away when someone approaches and gets too close.

initially, i bought a cheap PIR sensor from radio shack to use for sensing motion which would trigger the motor that would turn the top portion of the sculpture. a few pieces of plastic material between the boxes provided a smooth surface between the box for the turning. mike found some programming code to translate the sensor activation to the motor turning using a simple arduino board.

by itself, the turning mechanism worked, but once i put it together, it did not work smoothly. the weight of the boxes was creating too much friction for the motor to turn. there were issues with the sensor which i had some reservations to begin with due to some idiosyncratic properties of the sensor. i forked out some bucks to change that one out for a sensor activated using ultrasound, and replaced the plastic material for a lazy susan which would better support the weight.

those two changes seem to have made the turning mechanism work, although not perfectly. the sensor has two pieces, one that sends out the ultrasound signal, and one that receives it. since there's only one hole for the drawer, i had to make a second one underneath. this hole is not very big because i didn't want to make it obvious, but limits the range. someone has to get pretty close to activate the turning. not sure how i feel about it yet.

one of the boxes consists of nine small drawers, and all but four are screwed shut. the four are partially open, and you can see cast wax fingers inside. if a person moves one of these drawers, a sound is emitted. the electronics in this was pretty straightforward, although in my addled state, i really had to work through the logic to make sure i was properly soldering the right connections.

in the second box from the top, one of the drawers is upside down, and has a lightbox image of my vagina. simple leds in parallel were used to light this. i may revisit and add more leds to increase the span of the light. because of the height it is set at, to see the image you have to kneel or bend and contort yourself.

i am so glad that i made this thing modular because i have to take it apart in order to get it into my car and transport it anywhere, which i've already had to do five times. i'm also glad i worked wheels into the design.

after some initial critique and feedback from friends, peers and instructors/mentors, i realize that there are two big things i need to work through still. the top box has drawers with clear plexi fronts. i wasn't sure if i should put something in them. i wanted to have drawers that you can see into, but not feel like you're seeing anything. i think i'm going to put something in there that has familiar qualities, but you can't tell what it is.

the biggest problem that i have to deal with though is that the piece is designed to be somewhat interactive and to a certain extent rests on that premise. sound is activated when you open some of the drawers. in the context of a museum or gallery, it's expected that you don't touch the work, so how do i convey that you can touch the work? at the same time, the piece is a bit fragile, and i don't want people to go overboard. in addition, some of the drawers are screwed shut. how will viewers discover this if they don't try?

not that i thought that this project was going to be easy, but i was moving at such a good momentum towards some finality, i figured it would be wrapped up considerably quickly. most of it is done, but this last thing is going to require me to put it aside and think some more about it. for now, it will have to exist imperfect. overall, i marvel at how well it turned out. i must have more faith in myself. as to what it's about...well, you'll have to experience it for yourself. it's a self-portrait.