STEAMPUNK
Art Show at Museo Gallery
Alchemist (2002, 9'x2 'x2')
The Alchemist
The Alchemist has several lighted chambers and a windowed door that accesses a working steam engine. There is a lighted red crystal slowly spinning behind a brass chambered nautilus in the heart area of the piece. In what would be the pubic area of the Being, there is a bronze door with a 3-dimensional skull cast into it.
Inside the door is a gas burner. When a fire is lit in this chamber, a small boiler is heated, which activates a steam engine situated just below the heart area of the Being. Once the steam engine is running, the piece comes alive.
A small Goddess dances in the compartment where the steam engine is housed. The exhaust from the steam engine comes steaming out of the mouth of a carved face in the middle of the art piece. The steam that condenses into water drips into a brass funnel and is recycled into the steam boiler.
In the right hand of the Being is a glass crystal. Turning the crystal opens the upper chamber revealing a carved mask with wild hair. When the door opens the mask comes out of its chamber, looks around and then returns to the box.
There is a hidden control panel on the side of the piece with buttons on it. When a button is pushed, the Being does something that sounds like Tibetan chanting. The sound is made from a series of 12 buzzers placed in sets of 2 that run the full length of the piece. The buzzers go off in sequence up and down the length of the box. Because of the overall “V” shape of the piece the buzzers resonate at a slightly different pitch in the different areas of the box.
Steampunk
Gala Opening ~ Saturday, January 28th, from 5 to 7pm
This January and February MUSEO will feature works primarily by local artists during its “Steampunk” show.
The Art works are both two-dimensional and sculptural, reminiscent of the spirit of adventure, invention, and craftsmanship of the early 19th century.
These themed shows are intended to be inspirational to artists, have a dark and light side, and inspire costumes and performance art during the artist’s reception.
Don your top hat, Victorian clothing and jewelry, and head on down to Museo for this gala opening on Saturday, January 28st from 5 to 7 pm.
The show will run through February 27th.
(360) 221-7737
215 First Street
Langley, WA 98260
museo@whidbey.com
http://www.museo.cc/index.html
Winter hours at the gallery are:
Thursday through Monday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
2012 Steampunk show at Museo Gallery
Videos by Robbie Cribs
Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction, fantasy, alternate history and speculative history. Steampunk involves a setting where steam power is still widely used—usually Victorian era Britain or "Wild West"-era United States—that incorporates elements of either science fiction or fantasy. Works of steampunk often feature anachronistic technology or futuristic based on a Victorian perspective on fashion, culture, architectural style, etc.
Various modern utilitarian objects have been modded by individual artisans into a pseudo-Victorian mechanical "steampunk" style, and a number of visual and musical artists have been described as steampunk.
