Art show, drawings, video, art robotics, 2008-2009
My friend Peter Foucault is displaying his recent drawings at a solo show, Attraction/Repulsion, at SFMOMA's Caffe Museo. His work will be up through May 12th. If you are in downtown San Francisco anytime in the next month, you should drop in to SFMOMA's cafe for a cup of coffee and check this out.
Peter uses automated processes to create the initial framework for his drawings. He then finishes each piece by hand. Most of these drawings were started by attaching ink pens to specially-designed robots that respond to the sound of the audience. At many of his exhibitions, the floor layout resembles a factory where robots plug away at their tasks while the finished drawings steadily go up on the walls throughout the run of the show.
I created a short film in response to the art and artistic process behind Attraction/Repulsion. I focused on the movements of Peter's robot (sans pen) and contrast it with close-ups from his finished pieces. I took the footage for this film while Peter was setting up for his solo show, External Influences, at the Richmond Art Center in October of 2008.
In previous shows, Peter has conscripted a lovable robotic dog with sharpie legs to assist with drawings.
In the late 1990s, Peter, Nico C and I worked as valets and doormen at the Mayflower Park Hotel in Seattle. We were amazingly good at it, but we've each moved on to do other things.
I shot the movie in a whacky aspect ratio, but if you click through to YouTube you can watch it in high quality and much larger.
Posted by: John U | April 17, 2009 at 07:41 PM
That looks suspiciously like an animated robot.
Posted by: Carl W | April 17, 2009 at 10:29 PM
If only I was still a valet. I'd totally be king of the other valets right now. You don't just get 12 years of valet experience overnight.
Posted by: Nico C | April 21, 2009 at 10:20 PM