SOLAR AIRSTREAM FAB LAB: A1A The Scenic Route

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

A1A The Scenic Route

Leaving Jacksonville we continued to head south. Closely following the Atlantic coastline we took the slow road and winded our way between Historic Route 1 and Scenic Route A1A which are the most eastern and among the oldest routes in the United States.

We set up camp at Tomoka State Park just north of Ormond and Daytona Beach.

The beach between Ormond and Daytona is the original site of the world land speed breaking records starting in the 20’s onwards and you can still drive on the beach today. Plenty of hotrods and custom gaslamp cars to see.

This 1968 Roadrunner R/T Car reminded Paul of a series of collages he made in 1976 based on catastrophe histograms that went with a series of his game theoretic sculptures.

Tomoka State Park is home of the spirit of great chief Tomoka, we were informed that if we saw anything strange in the woods to not be surprised, unfortunately we did not see any but his statue.

We investigated another Indian burial mound in Ormond this one was much better preserved than the Santee Mound/Fort Watson in South Carolina which made it difficult to take in the round photographs : pictured below

These are two of many mounds to visit in the south east. The Ormond mound contains as many as 125 bodies and is sited in someones back yard.

Using photogrammetry we scanned the earthwork as a way of documenting our experience of it, these photographs will enable us to later create a 3D model of it to possibly use in my future work.

Ormond Beach was also the winter home of J D Rockefeller where he hosted his friends notably the comedian and 'Populist Cowboy' Will Rogers 1879-35. Paul believes that the 1957 movie ‘A Face in the Crowd’ is based upon this location and the real life friendship between Will Rogers and Rockefeller as Rockefeller saw the advantage in exploiting the common man by passing political memes through popular entertainers and figures. 'political satire can be as dangerous as an unguided missile when it is unsound' James Thurber 1968.

Winding down Route 1 we came across many sites of 50’s and 60’s Americana as this was the old route taken by vacationers from New York, tiny motels too many to mention including a steamboat car wash, and we just had to stop at the moonlight drive in diner for a bite.

Before arriving at our next visiting artist engagement we treated ourselves and the Airstream to an overnight stop at the famous Land Yacht Harbor, an Airstream only park where the fab lab was able to reunite with many old friends.

Next Stop is Florida Atlantic University in Boca Rotan, Florida : Public Lecture at Noon on Monday 24th November.

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About

Utilizing the mobility of the solar fab lab ; The Airstream houses Paul Higham’s custom built rapid prototype machine where he manifests objects from data, whilst Coral Lambert is enabled to work at each site developing environmental foundry processes.

Both artists are internationally recognized in their chosen fields that span the spectrum of current sculptural practice. Paul Higham comes from a highly conceptual background having studied at Goldsmiths College in the early 70's London and Coral Lambert comes from the formal steel sculpture tradition of Sir Anthony Caro in the mid 80"s. From these roots they continue to pioneer their own path.

Never wanting to be without a studio again the couple bought the Airstream after Hurricane Katrina flooded and destroyed their 33,000 sq ft home studio in New Orleans. It is not only an American icon of a utopian dream, it is also the symbol of freedom, innovation and independence that comes to life.

Please contact us if you are interested in the Solar Airstream Fab Lab visiting your institution for a lecture, demo or Airstream Exposition.

Making it Happen

This is primarily a self funded project, partially financed by giving lectures, demos and expositions if you are interested in providing additional support please note that all donations will go towards making the Solar Airstream Fab Lab more progressive and productive. As a donor you will receive a special postcard report from the road or even a visit from the Airstream itself! We will let you know how we spend the donation, it could be anything from gas to a new solar inverter or other equipment. Any amount is greatly appreciated. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT

Artists Bios

PAUL HIGHAM

Is internationally recognized as a pioneer of digital sculpture and progenitor of ‘DataSculpture’ working with Virtual Sculpture and Prototyping technologies in the fine arts for over 30 years.

Born in Scotland in 1954, Whilst at Liverpool Art School in the early 70’s he was taught by Arthur Ballard. He went on to study Video and Painting at Goldsmiths, alongside Sculpture tutors Michael Craig Martin. Rather than study Art History Higham studied John Von Neumann and Wittgenstein under August Weideman, a direct pupil of the philosopher. During Higham’s time at Goldsmiths Carl Placman referred to Higham’s work as “Schematic entropy machines“. These conceptual works specifying autonomous domain states became sculptural schemas in the late 70’s. By the 80’s he was able to make these domain states truly ‘Operational’ through computation, his endeavor has remained consistent to propagate a new form of art based on self-organizing theories of artificial life.

In 1985 – 87 he became a resident at the Madhyamaka Tibetan Buddhist Monastery where he studied for the Geshe Degree {Lo-Rig} in “Mind & Cognition”, this was the first time it was offered in the west. This research has directly influenced the current work in the ‘Thought Forms’ exhibition.

Higham came to the USA in 95 to carry out advanced research residencies at the University of Minnesota in rapid prototyping and V.R. medical visualization labs: he harnessed these emergent technologies to produce digital art. During this period he was a resident artist at MVS Mayo Clinic Immersive Haptic Laparoscopy (remote surgery) utilizing haptic force feedback technologies as well as spending 3 yrs at the “Human Machine Design Lab” as resident artist building neural interfaces and data gloves. This is when he developed ‘DATA SCULPTURE’: using information theory, heuristics and real-time data mining to create emergent forms.

Also at this time he developed a relationship with Stratasys Rapid Prototype Corporation, Sensable and Geometrix using scanners to digitize objects volume by volume at a distance which Higham termed ‘Space Sampling’. The abducted coordinates of that object were then turned into a digital mesh or virtual 3D representation of conditional states. Thus following up on the inquiries he began at Goldsmiths College of Art, London.

Higham continues to use new media, sound, A.I./ virtual reality, haptic force feedback, cnc, rapid prototype and 3d printing technologies to directly engage the possibilities of algorithmic generation to make physical ‘Data Sculpture’ as well as drawings, maps, performance and interactive works for real-time, web and installations.

Higham has lived in London, Manchester, New York City, Minneapolis, Chicago, New Orleans, The Netherlands and currently resides in Upstate New York where he has an extensive digital sculpture studio. His works are in private collections and Museums.

CORAL PENELOPE LAMBERT

Is internationally known for working in cast metal as well as producing large scale outdoor pieces. Over the past 24 years she has utilized the foundry as a laboratory to explore the process of ‘speeding up the work of nature’. Responding to metals history, its weight , permanence and impermanence. In its transience liquid state, she treats it is a material with life as it breathes, oxidizes, and grows, replicating nature, emerging raw and elemental as if raised from the earth’s depths by volcanoes or formed like billion year old meteorites.

Currently Professor of Sculpture at Alfred University, New York where she directs the National Casting Center’s Foundry. She studied Sculpture in England receiving her MFA in 1990. Her work can be seen around the world at the Barbican Center, London, Franconia Sculpture Park, MN, Grounds For Sculpture, NJ, Salem Art Works, NY, Pirrkala Sculpture Park in Finland, HuiAn, China, Museum of Steel Sculpture in Ironbridge, Museum without Walls, NY, The National Metals Museum in Memphis, Governors Island, Manhattan, Salem Castle, Germany and Kidwelly Caste in Wales. She just completed her most ambitious Fire + Iron Earth Work ‘Volcano Furnace’ which is permanently sited at Pedvale Sculpture Park in Lativa.

Coral Lambert is the recipient of awards including the Gottlieb Foundation Award, Jerome Fellowship, and the Joan Mitchell Grant.