Contact
pam@rubert.com
Pamela Kanagawa RuBert
417.864.7073
Kinetic
Man
Eternal
Flame
Echosphere
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K-MAN—KINETIC ART COMES TO THE CAPITAL.
Springfield, MO—May
11, 1994—Artist Russ RuBert has created a 23-foot
tall, kinetic sculpture for the Walt Disney Children's
Arts Festival to be held this Friday, Saturday,
and Sunday (May 13-15) on the gounds of the Missouri
State Capitol building and Governor's Mansion in
Jefferson City, Missouri. The sculpture will be
installed on the lawn of the High Street side of
the Capitol of Thursday afternoon.
The aluminum sculpture resembles a robotic-like
man with swinging arms and legs and a rotating head.
Children attending the event will be able to activate
these moving parts by turning a handle attached
to the base of the sculpture. "Imagine the
incredible sense of power that a five-year-old might
have, looking up and realizing that they are controlling
this huge man who is as tall as a two-story house,"
said the artist Russ RuBert.
The opportunity for even small children to turn
the handle was an important part of the design for
RuBert. He chose aluminum for its lightweight strength
and incorporated nine bearing systems in the joints,
torso, and neck of the man. He consulted with mechanical
engineer Kurt Seyer to design a custom gear system
which RuBert then built in his studio. "I could
have bought some commercially manufactured gears,
but I wanted to design my own. It gives it a kind
of 'erector set' look," says RuBert. These
gears are enclosed in the aluminum base, and large
plexi-glass windows on the top and all sides allow
the children to see how the gears turn and effect
the motion of the other parts of the sculpture.
RuBert calls the sculpture "K-Man," which
originates from the term 'kinetic art,' meaning
art that relies on an external force for the movement
of some of its parts. Festival coordinator Philip
McGuire had originally hoped to have the kinetic
art at the event. He contacted RuBert because of
the artist's reputation of doing large sculptures
with moving or interactive elements. RuBert then
presented McGuire with a small working model of
K-Man constructed from wood. "When I showed
him how the kids could make it work, he got really
excited," said RuBert.
Working closely with his mechanical engineer, metal
and bearing distributors, and an employee trained
in metal and wood craft, RuBert was able to complete
the sculpture in the short five weeks after he received
the commission. Teamwork, long hours, and a common
goal made the sculpture a reality and gave RuBert
the opportunity to apply the final, finishing touch
to K-Man. Standing among the large blocks of aluminum
in his studio. RuBert applied his handheld metal
grinder in long sweeping motions across all the
surfaces—like a painter using a paintbrush
on a metal canvas. These unique 'brush strokes'
are what make the sculpture seem vibrant and alive.
After the Sunday, the sculpture will be dismantled
and stored for future festivals. Since the Lilian
B. Disney Foundation has pledged three years of
partial funding for Walt Disney Children's Festival,
it is hoped that the festival will become an annual
event. If it does, RuBert hopes to be able to build
more kinetic sculptures, "I'd like to build
a woman and maybe a dog. We could call him K-Nine!" |
