Category Archives: Blog

Kinetic Wave Sculptures by Reuben Margolin

Reuben Margolin, a Bay Area visionary and longtime maker, creates totally singular techno-kinetic wave sculptures. Using everything from wood to cardboard to found and salvaged objects, Reubens artwork is diverse, with sculptures ranging from tiny to looming, motorized to hand-cranked. Focusing on natural elements like a discrete water droplet or a powerful ocean eddy, his work is elegant and hypnotic. Also, learn how ocean waves can power our future. Learn more about Reuben at http://www.reubenmargolin.com/

Learn more about Reuben at http://www.reubenmargolin.com/

Disney’s 12 Principles Of Animation

In the real world, the basic laws of physics were first described by Sir Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein. In the world of animation, however, we owe the laws of physics to Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston. Working for the Walt Disney Company in its heyday of the 1930s, these two animators came up with the 12 basic principles of animation, each of which can be used to produce the illusion of characters moving realistically in a cartoon.

Which is why the 12 Basic Principles of Animation are so important. Thomas’ and Johnston’s 12 principles have now been turned into a wonderful animated primer, thanks to motion artist Cento Lodigiani. Using just a cartoon cube, Lodigiani makes the 12 principles of animation–from squash and stretch to secondary action-immediately understandable, regardless of your training.

Two Rube Goldberg machine variations

A Rube Goldberg machine is a contraption, invention, device or apparatus that is deliberately over-engineered or overdone to perform a very simple task in a very complicated fashion, usually including a chain reaction. The expression is named after American cartoonist and inventor Rube Goldberg (1883–1970). http://www.rubegoldberg.com/

OKGo – This Too Shall Pass -Rube Goldberg Machine version –

Peter Fischli & David Weiss – Der Lauf der Dinge –

LEGO Steampunk Walking Ship (Strandbeest)

This is a custom walking machine built entirely out of LEGO components. It is styled as a steampunk/post apocalyptic trading ship and features several play features, including the functional cargo crane. By Jason Alleman 2013.

The walking mechanism is based on the Strandbeest kinetic sculpture created by Theo Jansen. Be sure to check out his amazing work here: http://www.strandbeest.com/