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Chris Burden
Cost Effective Micro-Weaponry
and Related Machines
October 15 – November 12, 1983
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Installation view south gallery
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The Ship-O-Corks, 1983
2,700 wine bottle corks, child's 19th century
shotgun,
12 dry batteries, 8 paddle wheels, bamboo,
copper wire, nails and electrical tape
55 x 18 x 10 ½ inches
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The Santa Maria, 1982,
wood, toys, paint, motorcycle engine, and
electronic parts
75 ½ x 15 ¼ x 30 inches
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The Frictionless Sled, 1982
21-foot hollow aluminum bar, plexiglas sled,
and compressor
21 feet x 4 ½ inches x 37 inches
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C.B. Airforce, 1980
37 rubberband planes, balsa wood, paper
and firecrackers,
wing span of each plane: 10 inches; length:
10 inches
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The Flying Kayak, 1982
canvas kayak with wings, rudder suspended six
feet above gallery floor, four industrial fans, and
6mm color film loop
kayak: 9 foot wing span x 12 ½ feet x 4 ½ feet
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Click here for a PDF version of the following Press Release. |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 3, 1983
CHRIS BURDEN
COST EFFECTIVE MICRO-WEAPONRY AND RELATED MACHINES:
SOME LUCKY SUBS, SIX WAR SHIPS, THE FLYING KAYAK
THE SPEED OF LIGHT MACHINE, THE FRICTIONLESS SLED
OPENING OCTOBER 15 – NOVEMBER 12
GALLERY HOURS: TUES-SAT 10-6 PM
Chris Burden will exhibit new works in an installation of cost effective micro-weaponry and related machines including Some Lucky Subs, Six War Ships, The Flying Kayak, The Speed of Light Machine and The Frictionless Sled. The exhibition opens Saturday, October 15th at Ronald Feldman Fine Arts.
Some Lucky Subs
Part of the cost effective micro-weaponry consists of a fleet of miniature cardboard submarines, some of which are capable of traveling under water and exploding like a kamikaze bomb on impact. The black powder bomb contained in the submarine is ignited by a device that uses a common household clothespin, a wooden kitchen match, wire and cardboard.
Six War Ships
One of the Six War Ships, "The Ship-O-Corks," is a construction of 2,700 wine bottle corks skewered on bamboo and bound by copper wires. The ship is driven by 8 paddle wheels each powered by a crude electric motor, made entirely of nails, electrical tape and copper wire. A child's 19th century shotgun lies nestled between the twelve dry cell batteries mounted along the length of the ship. "The Ship-O-Corks" is a one cannon Kon-Tiki-like battleship.
THE FLYING KAYAK
The Flying Kayak is a small kayak equipped with a set of wings and a rudder. It is suspended about 6 feet above the gallery floor. Placed directly behind the Kayak are four industrial fans. Visitors to the gallery can enter the Kayak with the aid of a set of stairs which are then removed by the gallery attendants. The wings and rudder are movable through a set of controls inside the Kayak and when the fans are turned on the Kayak can be "flown" (i.e. moved around the gallery space). In addition, while the Kayak is being "flown," a film loop of a hovering helicopter is projected over the entire wall facing the "pilot," heightening the illusion of flight.
Starting at noon Tuesday through Saturday, The Flying Kayak will make three flights each hour. Reservations will be accepted for one flight per hour.
THE SPEED OF LIGHT MACHINE
The Speed of Light Machine is a working reproduction of the original late 19th century scientific apparatus used to measure the speed of light in the small confines of a laboratory. A beam of light is projected through a series of lenses and bounced off a small mirror spinning 500 times a second. Viewers to the gallery can control the apparatus which enables one to observe physical evidence of light's finite speed.
THE FRICTIONLESS SLED
The Frictionless Sled consists of a 21-foot hollow aluminum bar with minute holes drilled at regular intervals. The hollow bar is pumped full of highly compressed air, allowing a 6-inch plastic sled to glide effortlessly on an invisible cushion of air along the length of the bar. As the sled glides back and forth, it implies endless and frictionless movement to the static fleet of warships suspended from the gallery ceiling.
This exhibition will remain on view through November 12th. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10 to 6 PM. Mondays are by appointment only.
For further information and photographs please contact Lynn Cassaniti at 212-226-3232.
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