Zutorie

Project Description

Zutorie is a kinetic sculpture, a hybrid between a grandfather clock and a guitar. The piece perceives, attracts, or ignores its audience by activating its gears. As this happens, the guitar strings tighten or loosen, to the point of sometimes breaking.

By repurposing and reorganizing components of a guitar, I am transforming a musical instrument into a visual art instrument. I am pushing further my practice of post-rock (in which rock instruments are used to create non-rock music) to the point where instruments are used to create non-music: visual arts.

Current Status

The kinetic cabinet is in a crate in storage in Montréal, CA, and is ready to be shipped and showcased.

Materials

• Hardware: Wood, steel, velvet, lasercut wooden gears, electronics (Raspberry Pi, Arduino, stepper motors), guitar strings, guitar tuning keys
• Software: Arduino, Processing

Credits

• Photos: Marie-Hélène Brault, Anna Grigorian

Thanks

I would like to thank the following people and organizations for their financial contribution:

• Mario Janson
• Concordia Fine Arts Student Alliance

Also, thanks to the many people who provided guidance and technical assistance during production:

• Amanda Dawn Christie
• Brian Cooper and André Lavoie @ Concordia Metal Shop
• Tom Simpkins, Bogdan Stoic, and James Walke @ Concordia Wood Shop
• Theo Chauvirey, Francis Goodship, Jules B.D., Richard Kennedy, and Breanna Shanahan @ Concordia DigiFab Lab
• Elio Bidinost @ Concordia Sensor Lab
• Naoto Hiéda, Thierry Dumont, Nima Navab, and Michael Montanaro @ Topological Media Lab
• Mathieu Laporte @ ÉchoFab
• Catherine Brodeur