Robotic dancer dishes up heebies and jeebies
An animatronic dancer created by artist Jordan Wolfson turns sexy into terrifying.
(Credit: David Zwirner Gallery)
An animatronic dancer created by artist Jordan Wolfson turns sexy into terrifying.
The robotic pole dancers on display at CeBIT in Germany were an interesting idea, but they were a little lacking in the "dance" department.
Not so with Jordan Wolfson's (website NSFW) animatronic sculpture, currently on display at the David Zwirner Gallery in New York. Created in collaboration with Hollywood animatronics and special effects studio Spectral Motion, the work uses cutting edge technology for an extraordinarily lifelike effect.
"Wolfson's animatronic sculpture combines film, installation, and performance in the figure of a curvaceous, scantily clad woman covered in dirt marks and wearing a witch mask," the gallery wrote. "The woman can be encountered on a one-on-one basis in a mirrored room in the gallery, creating a different kind of viewing experience that intensifies the importance of the gaze found throughout Wolfson's work."
The sculpture faces a mirror in a room, which creates an effect of voyeurism — the feeling of being at a safe remove. However, built into her face is facial recognition technology that homes in on the faces of individual viewers in the mirror, pinning them in her gaze as they move around the room — creating an uncanny connection made all the more creepy because of the Green Goblin-esque witch mask.
It's as creepy as all heck — and impressive in equal measure. Watch it for yourself below.