Sculpture Studio Spring 2012

Project 2: Kinetics and Interactivity

To be an interactive sculpture, a works needs to involve the viewer, whether it is through the viewer’s participation in the construction of the piece itself, or how the viewer interacts with the final product. When faced with the challenge to create a work that incorporated interactivity, I wasn’t sure about what I could do. My first idea was to construct a mobile similar to that of Alexander Calder, but instead of metal, I would use deer bones. However, during the proposal, it was voiced that a mobile would not have enough of an interactive component, so I had to redesign the original idea, though I still wanted to incorporate the deer bones into the project.

To add more interactivity, I chose instead to construct a lidded box which would house the bones inside. Comprised of ten inches tall by twenty-one inches long solid wood with no decoration or opening, there is no indication of what lies inside. A section of rope comprising the handle of the lid allows the viewer to lift the lid and peer inside, revealing the line of deer vertebrae strung on knotted rope, resting on a pile of netted burlap. These bones inside the box also act as a way to psychologically interacting with the viewer. The sight of the bones would leave people to experience various interpretations about what the bones resting in the box may represent.

My main two goals of this project were 1) to create a sculpture that encouraged the viewer to interact with it, and 2) to incorporate a psychological component that would leave an impression that would linger with the viewer even after they had left the work. I think I achieved these two goals, but not as strongly as I had originally hoped.

Looking now at the finished product, I know the interactivity aspect was still limited. There may not be enough incentive for the viewer to open the box. The psychological motive of wanting to know what lies inside the closed box is always present in simple human curiosity, but there is still a part of the sculpture that makes it appear that it is just to be looked at and not touched. The psychological impact of the bones would only be as strong as the viewer’s individual experience. The sculpture is an interactive piece, both physically and psychologically.