BEAST: post crit and makings

On Friday we had reviews with artist Ken Gregory. I did a test of the machine for Ken, and during the "performance" there came to the surface a few issues, read: malfunctions. Leaking water, leaking steam from the unsealed lid, cold tubes condensing the steam before it could exit the wands. We spoke about how to fix these issues. And Ken gave me some good tips on how to avoid making a bomb. He suggested looking at valve solinoids to control the pressure and flow of water into/and steam out of the tank. Also recommended I check out some websites for steam hobbyists.

Since Friday, I have been going back and adjusting the machine's details to make sure the next test works, including:



-Fixing the element connection: cleaner silicon joint
-Insulating the copper tubes
-Adding a valve to the tube carrying water into the pot
-Making the lid secure
-Making different steam wands....

Applying simple plumbing techniques, I can easily incorporate different "steam wands" to the machine's lid, like adding or subtracting limbs to the branches of a tree. I have this feeling that different types of openings along the copper tube might produce different shapes of steam. Like the water shooting from Roman fountains, I would like the steam to take on various tectonic figurations. So, while I am sealing this bomb, I have also picked up some metal bits for my Dremel to puncture the copper tube.




I am also looking at work by Greek installation artist Kounellis. Below is one example with fire, flames, propanes tanks.



Kounellis, Untitled, 1969

Kounellis' simple arrangements of fundamental elements in architecture create spectacle in unlikely spaces: burning, disintegration, weight, compression, elaboration.

There is also this video by Swiss artists Peter Fischli and David Weiss, "The Way Things Go". They must have had so much fun making this one...



To continue developing my machine, and as part of the workshop in Montreal, I want the Beast to become a kinetic performance. What are the possibilities in making a series of fire and water and steam installation, oxidizing different metals with a propane tank, translating invisible elements into sculpted, glowing or burning forms?