accumulation by dispossession, 2023
Robot arm, PVC vinyl, and steel
Dimensions variable
A “black box” as a technological metaphor means that there are observable
inputs and outputs, but unseen inner workings: how it works is mysterious
to the user.
“Accumulation” comes from Latin ad- (to/towards) and PIE *keue- (to swell
(also vault/hole)). “Dispossession” is from Latin dis- (apart/away), PIE
*poti- (powerful/lord) and *sed- (to sit). More and more, I feel the
enclosure. There is an absence of a shared world marked by extreme
subjectivity of experience.
I am stretching a plane, using
tension via the borders of the space. The de-accelerated steppers echo and
hum, creating a meditative composition as a result of the looping and
un-variable choreography. The robot arm doesn’t have a hand. Mutilation of
one’s hand usually is a punishment for theft. This began as a formal study
to bridge my natural work with my machinic work, by using the method of
covering the robot like I might cover organic materials (meat, bones,
seeds).