film stills - WNO

I was looking for some images on an old external hard drive and came across some stills from a film I made for the Welsh National Opera during a collaboration a couple of years ago  with my brother Michael and Jessica Curry. A performance of Michael and Jessica's sound was played in front of a 22 minute film/animation. These 4 stills are from that film.

3d animated zoetropes, Burnley

The figures for the animated zoetropes are in process. There will be 25 figures for each zoetrope approx 66mm tall, each one in a slightly different position creating the animation when people hand crank the zoetropes.

The figures have been scanned, a digital figure made and amended and then 3d printed. Massive thanks once again to Seb Boyesen. An amazing man.



Original figures in appropriate outfits ready for scanning.

 Man pushing trolley scanned and model tweaked ready for 3d printing.

The test figure 3d printed.

Female weaver digital model tweaked into position with a Butterworth and Dickinson loom (locally made and used). Currently being 3d printed.

Orangery, Beam, Wakefield

An updated flythrough by Tim Anderson (DLA Architects) for the collaborative project redeveloping Beam's headquarters in Wakefield. Lighting in the form of a circuit that changes colour with the electrical variations of an orange tree. Other orange trees sited within the cavity of the variable transparent / translucent / opaque exterior glass wall.

Massive thanks to Tim Anderson, John Orrell, Rob Powell and Kate Watson.

Orangery, Beam, Wakefield

Collaborating with Tim Anderson and John Orrell from DLA architects, Leeds on the new development of Beam's base, the Orangery (an old orangery). The site is next to the redeveloped railway station in Wakefield.

These ideas are still in progress. We are looking to reconfigure the building and have artistic lighting that is activated by the variable electrical current of an orange tree. The image of circuits on the exterior light up, change colour and are connected to the orange tree roots. This becomes an Orange Circuitree.

The semi transparent exterior creates views into the new upper garden.

Many thanks to Tim Anderson (also created the animation), John Orrell, Rob Powell and Kate Watson.

Weaver's Triangle, Burnley

The interactive film to be projected onto Slater Terrace at the Weaver's Triangle is in full flow. There are two projectors, each with its own PIR to detect movement of people in the new public square. As people trigger the sensor a new 40 second film clip will start. The images always start and end on this image. There will be all kinds of animation of the image taking place in response to people walking by.

The left hand and right hand image operate independently.

Very many thanks to Duncan Turner, Cecilia Whittaker, Helen Jones, Adam Lockett, Burnley Borough Council and James Moran Zietek

Weaver's Triangle Burnley

I have been designing two hand cranked 3d animated zoetropes to be sited in the new public square in Burnley. The first is a figure pushing a trolley with cotton bales accompanied by a cat. He'll walk up a slight incline and down again, looking at the viewer once on his circuit.

The poem is taking from John Trafford Clegg's 'A Weighver's Song'. The three red stripes reference the
red stripes of the tea towels made in the Weaver's Triangle and repeated in the projections. The text is within the broad red stripes and made from a series of dots - like a punch card which is also echoed on the Slater Terrace Chimney projection.

Seb Boyesen is currently making these figures using zbrush and then they'll be 3d printed.

Many thanks to Seb Boyesen, Cecilia Whittaker, Helen Jones, Burnley Borough Council and James Moran-Zeitik.

Burnley Weavers Triangle

Three new designs for the different sides of the chimneys in the Weavers Triangle, Burnley. The images are all inspired by the amazingly rich cotton producing history of Burnley and the Weavers Triangle in particular.

As it was in its cotton producing heyday.

Burnley Weavers Triangle

Burnley chimney lighting

I am illuminating two chimneys as part of the Weavers Triangle development in Burnley. One chimney will be lit by 3 lights and create the word WOOF. Each section will slowly come on and finally create the word whole word. WOOF also means weft - fitting for this powerful weaving location. The stripes at the top and bottom of the chimney reference the red stripes at the ends of the tea towels produced in the weaving shed 100 metres away.

Due to be installed in November with the Slater Terrace chimney also being illuminated - with the word WEARP (so that we can project the central word EAR), an interactive film and two 3 dimensional animated zoetropes for the new public square.

A big thank you to Duncan Turner, Nayan (NK Projects), Cecilia Whitaker, Helen Jones, James Moran-Zietek and Burnley Borough Council.

Golden Spine. Derby city centre

Some new photographs taken by Andrew Hilton of the Golden Spine lighting in Derby.

There is a small water turbine that uses the gentle flow of the River Derwent to create a supply which is fed in to the national grid. This fund pays for running the LED lighting and also creates an annual fund for Derby young people who are interested in working on projects around art/architecture and sustainability.

Massive thanks to Andrew Hilton, Seb Boyesen, Paula Moss, Mike Preston, The TV team, Helen Oakes and Derby City Council.

Derby gold

Lights for the 'Golden Spine' in Derby city centre were connected this week. A set of LED lights are hidden along the length of the gold cladding and an additional set of down lighters are directed onto the rivers surface. The combination causes a golden arc of flickering light in the river.

A small sculptural water turbine uses the River Derwent as a power source which creates a supply to run the LED lights. It also creates surplus energy which is sold to the National Grid. This creates an annual fund which will be allocated to local schools or the Silk Mill to undertake projects for young people in Derby interested in art, architecture and sustainability.

Massive thanks to Seb Boyesen for fabrication and installation and also to Paula Moss for her photographs.

Many thanks too to Mike Preston, the TV team, Helen Oakes and Derby City Council.

Burnley light test

Last night we undertook our first projection test on the Weavers Triangle site for Burnley Borough Council.

We are looking at a series of still projections for the two chimneys that slowly change and also an interactive film for Slaters Terrace to be activated by the public walking across the new public Sq.

Thank you very much indeed to Duncan Turner and Nyan. Thanks too to Cecilia Whitaker, Helen Jones, Kate Ingram, Adam Lockett, James Moran-Zietec and Gareth Smith.

Tea driven automata

I have recently completed my third tea driven automata. I am interested in how energy used in the home can be harnessed and these automata are a way of using the energy from my cuppa.

I have long wanted to make some automata that was fuelled by my tea but it was only after a conversation with my friend Kevin Badni that it became possible as he showed me a good way to harness the energy. Very big thanks to him.

I have just uploaded three films of the tea driven automata onto Vimeo. The links are here:

https://vimeo.com/92459413

https://vimeo.com/92496685

https://vimeo.com/92459412

Here are some photos of the three pieces. 

1. Mystic Monk who delivers a mysterious message after reading your tea bag.

2. Tea Time horse race gambling with biscuits.

3. Tea time exercise

Derby gold

Gold cladding the recess of Holmes Bridge is complete and the LED lights are going in. These photo's were taken from last nights installation.

Huge thanks to Seb Boyesen and Simon Wilkins.