PROPEL consisted of two distinct but complementary performances: BODY ON ROBOT ARM and EAR ON ROBOT ARM. In the former the body’s trajectory, velocity and position/orientation in space was choreographed by a 6 degree-of-freedom industrial robot arm operating within a 3m diameter task envelope. The choreography generated rhythm by repetition by intermittently looping sequences of motion. Resulting sounds of the robot motors registered the motion and speed, acoustically amplifying the choreography. The programming was done off-line then transferred to the robot controller. The performance was done with one of the programmers having his thumb on the kill switch, in case the robot did something unexpectedly. The body and the robot become one interactive and aesthetic operational and performing system. A combination of bodily metabolism and machine musculature. The performance was monitored and documented with cameras mounted on, above and around the robot. When the 30 min performance was completed, the artist was replaced by a body size sculpture of the artist’s scanned ear, which the robot itself had carved in advance.
Credits
Creation and Performance – Stelarc
Robot Programming – Hayden Brown, James Boyle, Autronics
Ear Sculpture – Foam Shapers
Design & Production – Paul Caporn
Producer & Director of Video – Steven Aaron Hughes
Photography – Jeremy Tweddle, Jennette Weber, Steven Alyian
Robots used
A large, orange, industrial arm typically found within assembly factories fastened in place to the ground.
