[ Melanie.Crean ]
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Golem, 1998 [ To view video documentation,click here ]

The Golem was a mythic figure described in Jewish mysticism as an artificial man, made from dust, and brought to life by magical incantations. As the myth was modified throughout the centuries, there was a recurring tendency for the figure to become simultaneously more mechanical and difficult to discipline. Parallels resonate between this myth, and our relationship to both the artworks and computers we feel impelled to create and control. The sculpture's wood & metal interface was created from an old wine press given to the artist by her grandfather. Inside a viewfinder cut into the interface, one can see the photorealistic figure of an old woman (based on the artist's grandmother) moving in response to turns of the press's hand crank. While undisturbed, the digital puppet sits in a huddle and rocks slowly back and forth. Slower rotation results in movements such as crawling or walking, while turning the crank more quickly changes the movements to running, leaping, handsprings, etc. Velocity beyond a certain speed results in the character losing control, tripping, and returning to a huddle. Parameters affecting the character's movement include direction of rotation, speed of rotation, pauses within turning, and overall time spent operating the piece. The resulting work represents a modern golem, a concomination of analog and digital components functioning as a self regulating system.