Archive Dive: Eccentric Machines

 

In 1987, the Arts Center organized Eccentric Machines, a group exhibition including twenty-six large-scale sculptural works created by twenty artists, including internationally renowned artists Alice Aycock, Dennis Oppenheim, and Jonathan Borofsky. The show presented a range of contemporary mechanical and kinetic artworks highlighting the complex, ever-evolving relationship between machines and humans.

The interconnections of mechanics and daily life were further explored through the Great Cardboard Boat Regatta and in-gallery performances by Kanopy Dance Company. In addition three artists collaborated with area residents in the creation of Mechanical Marvels, a large assemblage of mechanical waste and objects on the Art Center’s east lawn.

Archive Dive: Eccentric Machines revisits the 1987 exhibition through a selection of archival materials, including photographs of the Mechanical Marvels installation, public programs, and events; artist correspondence; and curatorial writing.

This dive into the archive reflects on the continuing conversation about technology. How do these moments of movement, tinkering, and discovery between human and object from more than three decades ago connect with our current engagement with technology? How do these kinetic artworks change our perspective of contemporary devices? How do artists encourage us to examine technology’s role in our lives?

Image: Lewis Alquist, States of Matter Undergoing Habitual Rotation, 1983; welded steel bed frames, glass, electric motors, and milk substitute.