From the Exhibit, Wheres My Jetpack!? Photographs and Drawings

Tree root spins via foot switch spraying green paint on wall, floor and all over. VIDEO

From the Exhibit Comicism and Contemporary Forestry from Northern California. An actual 20 foot Monterey Pine tree robot covered with naturally occurring traditional healing herbs. A technologically mutated organic hybrid to, of and for trees. machines. robots. photographs. 1. A bio-engineered permutation. (a.) a deliberate attempt to cross two parents with desirable characteristics and incorporate said characters in next generations. (b.) a synthesis of nature and technology (c.) to produce an anomaly. 2. Deviant transmogrification. (a.) post nature. (b.) new species struggling for life. (c.) an unholy marriage. 3. The Paradox of Technology. (a.) It could save us. Can it save us? (b.) It is killing us. Our culture has an excruciatingly dangerous claim to have such complete understanding and command over nature that we can radically manipulate and re-engineer it with minimal risk to the natural systems that sustain us. How little control even the most ingenious among us have over the awesome, intricately interconnected natural forces with which we so casually meddle. I want to save the world, or at least slow down its demise. I want to get back to what really matters. So, I thought, why not start in my own back yard? VIDEO1 VIDEO2 VIDEO3

1. Place Your Hand Inside Robot Hand And Grip It. 2. Shake Hands With Robot. 3. Open your hand to try and get robot to let go. Robotic Hand Senses A Human And Extends An Open Hand. Upon contact, It Decides According To Your Heartbeat And Touch Which Of Three Grip Strengths To Use. It Decides When And How Often To Shake Hands And When To Let Go. VIDEO