“In fact, three still do, running every day in their museums. “For a very long time, all my motion-control artworks were controlled by Windows PCs running DOS,” says Bruce. If you can record the positions of your pen as you draw, you can compose for Sisyphus.” Controlling SisbotĪ Raspberry Pi is the perfect computer to control the Sisbot and create the works of art, but it wasn’t always that way. “But anyone can create paths for Sisyphus – just draw something without picking up your pen. “My patterns tend to be algorithmic since I never learned to draw,” Bruce continues. With Sisbot being a polar machine, these moves end up producing spiral arcs, but this still works since small arcs connected together can emulate any path. “It doesn’t use G-code for its file format, but the principle is the same: a toolpath determines where the ball moves and its speed. “Sisyphus is a CNC machine,” reveals Bruce. The heart of the project is the Sisbot, a robot that controls the metal balls which create the artwork in the sand. As different as these creative skills are, both are absolutely integral to the final art.”īruce has been creating Sisyphus sculptures for nearly 20 years, and has permanent installations in Switzerland, Germany, and Australia. I still do! But over the years, I began to see a parallel with the relationship between making musical instruments and writing songs. “Initially, I viewed Sisyphus as a kinetic sculpture. “In my art, Sisyphus is a kinetic sculpture that rolls a ball through sand, forever creating and erasing beautiful patterns.” Bruce says that watching Sisyphus evokes a meditative feeling. In Greek mythology, Sisyphus was condemned to roll a boulder up a mountain for all eternity. Sisyphus is one of the entries in our Top 75 Projects community vote! “On the sand, a steel ball follows the magnet’s changing position, creating dune patterns in its wake.” “Sisyphus is a computer-controlled machine that moves a magnet beneath a field of sand,” Bruce explains. Hot on the heels of a phenomenally successful Kickstarter campaign, Bruce has a lot to talk about. We caught up with Bruce to chat about his latest project, Sisyphus. “My medium is motion control,” he tells us. Unlike Picasso or Rembrandt, Bruce doesn’t paint with oil and brushes.
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