Rob Bell's Studio...Animation Stages

I visited Rob Bell's Zomadic Studio again last week. It is always so inspiring to see what he is working on. When I arrived his computer die cutter was working on cutting out segments for an architectural game.


















I felt like I was watching a dance performance as I observed the mechanical arm moved about cutting the wooden lace-like discs.


















I was visiting Rob to commission him to create a portable animation stage for the stop motion claymation classes I will be teaching at Cureton Elementary in Alum Rock, San Jose and in Cupertino in the spring and possibly in the Tenderloin of S.F. at some point. I recently completed teaching animation classes (using iMovies) at Montalvo Arts Center and am preparing to teach similar animation classes across the South Bay. The stage I have made are quite worn (made of cardboard) and it would be great to have a sturdy foldable one that I can transport easily. Here are a few sketch ideas Rob created on the fly while we were brainstorming in his studio:



























After we discussed my project I got to look around his studio a bit. I really enjoyed the detail on this piece below. He told me I could provide an Illustrator file and he could translate that into something his machine could reference to create such intricate etch cutting. I've been dreaming about such detailing on my stage ever since!









































Below is an image of a few of his building toy "blocks". We discussed getting together to think of ways to create elementary/junior high projects that would integrate these components into core curriculum projects. More on this later.



















I also met an artist, Chris Palmer at Rob's studio. He gave me the coolest fold up business card, which should not have surprised me as he is an origami artist. I loved the title on his card "Designer Geometer Ornamentalist Folder" His website is www.shadowfolds.com. His work takes my breath away. It really relates to the textile exploration I will be doing as he folds in fabric as well as paper. I'll be exploring his Flickr site more soon!

Clogged Currents Dance at Sub Zero Festival

Last Friday was the Sub Zero Festival in San Jose. I created three large banners that were displayed outside the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles. Visitors added elements to the banners throughout the evening and at 9:00pm and 10:00pm dancer Christina Braun danced to music created by composer Scott Perry. This is the second time that we three have worked together and Christina has named our collaboration efforts "Nectar".

The Sub Zero event was a lot of fun and later I was told that over 1,200 visitors entered the Quilt Museum. We were stationed outside so even more passed by. Below are images at the beginning of the evening. The event ran from 6 to midnight.














































Here are some images of the set up and the visitors beginning to come and participate in the visitor activity which was creating diatoms from recycled plastics and attaching them to the water banners. Rob Bell of Zomadic made these beautiful stands. For the craft activity I had the help of Susan Suriyapa, a grad student at San Jose State. She was really fantastic and full of energy(back to camera in black).























Below:Visitor elements beginning to be added.























I am glad that I got a chance early on to see what else was at the festival. I love this car. I had actually seen it in the Mission District of San Francisco a few weeks prior on Portrero and 26th.


















The ball below was one of two spinning around flashing lights and emitting music. I loved the way it looked with the scattered Jacaranda flowers that happened to have fallen from the trees lining the street. It looked like purple confetti and at first I thought the flowers were intended elements of the display.


















Below: Christina Braun before getting dressed for the performance. She was wonderful helping getting the lights and booth set up and she even made a diatom. I loved how relaxed and happy she was. I would have been totally stressed if I was about to perform!























Below: Scott Perry getting the music set up for the dance performance. He brought all his own equipment and the necessary black tape to hold the cables down. He, too, was super adaptable. He came expecting the performance to be inside (I had mentioned it might be inside if it rained), but was ready to set up outside and I am sure had to lug his equipment from a few blocks away at least as the streets were blocked off in the area of the festival.























I love this jellyfish like creation by a visitor. This is right before the first dance performance started at 9:00 pm. There was a large crowd around for both performances.























Christina showing Anna (Scott's girlfriend) how to use her camera before the performance.























Here is a description of the performance Clogged Currents:
Enveloped in plastic grocery bags and an illuminated diatom hat, San Francisco butoh artist Christina Braun will dance two performances centering on the water themed tapestries of Corinne Okada Takara. Her eerie and playful movements will reflect upon plastic bags clogging waterways and algae blooms flourishing in the stagnation. Contemporary music representing sludge, filth, and pollution in nature created by composer Scott Perry. Costuming will be elements which remove from Takara’s large water tapestries in front of The San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles.
The performance begins!














































Below: A short video snippet of early portion of dance performance.

































































A video snippet of a later portion of the performance:

Cool Studio of Rob Bell

Yesterday my daughter Emily and I visited the millwork, design and fabrication studio of Rob Bell. His studio was so fascinating and the varied projects he works on are really unique. I felt like I was entering an old woodshop in Florence as we stepped down the custom curved steps and into the space..that is until I saw all the high tech computer milling equipment and robotic arm at the back of the shop. http://www.zomadic.com/









































In my exploration for fabricators for the public art project I am working on, my sister, Lisa, recommended I contact Rob Bell as Clif Bar uses his creative design and fabrication services for their displays for trade shows and other events. One great aspect of his work is that he can build things that break down easily and are very elegantly designed and are beautiful to look at. Hanging from the ceiling and up high perched on cases were structures that looked like diatoms. This was a happy surprise as the project I am working on references local creeks and rivers and the rise in diatoms due to trash clogging.
























Below is a preliminary design for a modular green house he created. The final greenhouse (located in Berkeley) looked spectacular in the images he showed me. It seemed like a bit of public art itself as he had a team of volunteers follow his directions and completed the structure in two days. Images of it can be seen here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/zomadic/sets/72157616983353030/



















I have also begun to outreach to dancers, particular Butoh dancers, as I explore set design. In this frame of mind this "scrap" wood below caught my eye. The open triangular areas were for a project and this board is what remained. I think a series of similar forms would cast really interesting shadows with the right lighting and it would be great for dancers to move in front of and behind. I also love the idea of giving a new life to something that was supposedly scrap. It is hard to see here, but the cuts have very nice clean faceted edges that would cast light in interesting ways. This piece is eight feet by four feet. I am hoping to drive up my van soon and pick this piece up!























Below, Mr. Bell gave Emily a wave form to draw on while we talked. The wave was a test piece for a project that my sister, Lisa Whitsitt, designed at Clif Bar and Zomadic created. Emily drew diatoms and amoebas on it. It was an inspiring visit and I hope Emily retains a memory of it.