Under the sea - automata/peepshow

This is a companion piece to the Forest. It's a peepshow, this time with a small eyehole (not really shown) that the viewer looks through after inserting a coin. The interior lights up and after a short while an Octopus comes into view. There is a mirror at the end that helps the illusion that the inside is much bigger than the outside. Fishes swim, coral glows.
This could be part of a larger sculpture where the box is in a suitable installation. (See Sky here, here, and here).

Sea, work in progress.

From my submission:

Goals and Objectives 

This is one of a series of peepshow/automata. They are based on vintage amusement arcade machines that appeared at the turn of the 20th Century. Into a person’s existance they should encourage delight, surprise and wonder. In the process of thinking about these I have also considered the environment. That figures in two other proposal here later. One is a room that is part of the installation, the other an run-down fairground where these machines deliver the unexpected. All of these are designed to be attractive to a large audience and to draw them in. Finished machines are designed to be coin-operated. This gives the viewer a reason for stopping and fully viewing the work. Works will get darker and introduce play as they are invented and go on. 

Significance:

There is a significant body or artists who are experimenting with the kinetic and with art that includes interactivity. My experiments will tap into that community. My ambition is to grow these into fully realised installations where the audience and the work can interact on many levels. 

Project Plan 

This project should be realised when technical facilities are available, principally a Laser cutter. In the meantime other media are being looked at: carved wood, papier maché, plastics.

Conclusion

The aim of this is to enhance my work in the field of interactive sculpture. Where that leads exactly is unknown. I am hoping for opportunities to scale up the work; however this will require space and finance currently unavailable.