The Arc-Angel is a kinetic sculpture that represents my perception of the delicate balance between machine and human. Angels are enforcers of regulation; perfectly constructed, and divinely created to uphold the laws of humanity. They are depicted as beautiful, symmetrical, and proportional. I see many similarities between Angels and machines. Machines follow and maintain predetermined rules, are often perfectly proportional, and in my eyes, can be just as existentially provoking as Angels. Since I myself have not had a lot of experience with machinery or its engineering I feel very disconnected and bewildered by its existence and function. At the beginning of my dive into digital interactivity I was tormented by the idea of building a moving articulated sculpture however, for this final project I forced myself to challenge this mental block. The Arc-Angel is a representation of my own struggle to gain an understanding of the seemingly ethereal.

Using my limited understanding of simple kinetic movement and a motor to animate one Angelic wing, my final project was supposed to implement four wings moving simultaneously upon an etched wooden facade. However, I failed to consider the physical strain the weight of the wooden pieces would cause on my sculpture. The pulley systems were not strong enough, the wings were too stressed, and my perseverance did not prevail. In the end the Arc-Angel is visual striking, but my biggest failure.

The final prototype used two DC motors and a series of pulley systems. The wooden facade is engraved with my own illustration of a Seraphin. A light sensor is embedded in the center of the Angel’s eye. When light (from a remote-controlled lamp) is cast directly upon the structure, wooden elements on the front of the facade move. This is possible through the use of an Arduino, a breadboard, electrical wiring, and the coding software Processing. On top of the structure are wings that can be physically manipulated. With the right positioning the lamp casts a haunting silhouette, further playing with the idea of light/ dark, good/ evil, and machine/human. 

Though I refer to this project as the most difficult and frustrating piece of artwork I have ever made, I am proud of my failures. I learned the importance of consulting experts beyond myself (in this case an engineer’s knowledge would have been very appreciated) and how crucial ideation and testing is for successful prototyping. The plan can be immaculate and still fail, adaptability is vital for creating art, especially when implementing interactivity.