A.R. Brown portfolio
2025 ChronoZen🄬 large size
Leveraging lessons from the 2022 shelf version this is a 12" diameter sealed acrylic cylinder for kinetic art that also functions as a clock. Registered to show the first version publicly in ArtPrize Grand Rapids 2025. Here's the artist statement:
Colored liquid is elevated as the clock turns to spill across three surfaces representing phases of a human life with obstacles and barriers. A single figure is along for the ride to tumble around until dropping back to the bottom. As someone on the autism spectrum I've found life's ups-and-downs to be especially challenging, frustrating, and just not worth it at times. This piece not only represents that continuous struggle but the process of creating it gave me a necessary mental creative outlet. The LifeFlow performance leaves the audience peaceful and calm; I think we need more of this in our lives.
ChronoZenⓇ is a kinetic art platform I developed around a functional clock that can hang on the wall or sit on a shelf. The clock case is a 12" sealed acrylic cylinder that sits on the base and continually turns, once-per-minute. This rotating vessel becomes my canvas for kinetic art where fluid, objects, and lighting are arranged to give the viewer a performance with these three unique themes: "The beauty of motion", "Perpetual", and "Random". With hidden features and functions, every moment is different.
The clock is programmed to cycle through random light sequences and can be configured through 3 hidden touch sensors on the front edge. An ambient light sensor adjusts the brightness for different times of day. At the top of each hour the light performance pauses while a music box chime plays a custom tune I composed just for this piece. Completely different behavior and messages are programmed as random Easter eggs to occur according to a timetable that can only be witnessed at that moment. Some Easter eggs run once every hour, once a day, and some occur every 5 years. ChronoZen isn't so much about the object as a piece of art; it's a unique experience for the audience at that moment in time and it may never occur again.
Just like life.
2024 Robot painting (Tetrabot Ballet series)
Opportunistic side-quest to explore the randomness and creativity of robots painting on canvas. Tetrabot Ballet #0 and #1 are both paintings and performance pieces with videos showing the four floor-cleaning robots dispense paint on a large canvas over a span of 25-minutes. Tetrabot Ballet #1 put up for auction going into 2025.
2024 Gadget Fantastic LLC founded
First products: Laptop organizer system (carry handle, mobile holder, mouse holder, accessory pocket). Self-developed and manufactured at home. Two patents.
2022-2023 ChronoZen🄬 shelf version
This is ChronoZenⓇ (shelf version). It's a kinetic art clock concept that presents an ever-changing performance of color and motion while keeping time. This is a follow-on to my first project ChronoSplash which was a larger wall-mounted tank containing water and an acrylic clockwork. Both pieces have the 3 elements I think are worth pursuing:
1) The beauty of motion
2) Perpetual
3) Random
The moving part of ChronoZen has a Complication and Clockwork section fitted together. These drop onto the base which also contains magnets, sensors, and drive wheels to turn it once-per-minute. The Complication section can contain anything that moves in an interesting way (the video shows an experiment with mineral oil and colored water and also just glitter sand).
The Clockwork keeps time by moving the minute and hour hands with a post moving past a gear once-per-minute. A planetary gear reduction makes it all work out and a magnet/Hall effect sensor controls the turning rate precisely. An RGB-LED matrix array in the base goes through random patterns but also displays messages periodically. The light pattern can be changed with embedded touch sensors in the base.
I learned quite a bit making these prototypes and may produce these for sale someday. I'd want to change the clockwork away from a central spindle support to a perimeter roller because the alignment and clearances were always challenging. Other improvements are needed with the base/roller clearance to the rotating assembly for 3D printing.
Considering ChronoZen as an art piece seems to be limited to just an entertaining gadget, right? I think there's a deeper message here presenting the contrast between the regular nature of a clock and the randomness of the performance. I aspire to present a metaphor for life: long periods of marking time with random events and disruptions. I don't think I achieved that goal with these prototypes but I now have the skills and knowledge to design a piece that does.
medium: acrylic, 3D printed plastic, electronics, sensors, Arduino, RGD LED
2023 tool roll/organizer made from old pants
Legs cut off an old pair of pants to make a rollable tool organizer with elastic and hook-and-loop tape. Shorts made from the leftover pants.
2022 ChronoSplash
https://youtube.com/shorts/RpHoX70GiXE?si=ylqvMYvEimeh2mAB
Water-filled acrylic box used air jets to lift semi-buoyant plastic balls to the top of a gravity maze where they gently settled through the water creating random paths. One air jet provided the energy to fill an inverted shi shi odoshi (Japanese tipping water device) which indexed a clock, keeping time. RGB LED lighting controlled with Arduino. Entered in Artprize 2022 but not displayed due to lack of venues.
2020 RC flying wing, custom designed
Pandemic project. Foamcore and hot glue.
2019 autofocus glasses
Laser distance sensor on the bridge drives motor to slide the focus lens to the correct position. Working proof-of-concept.
2018 floor cleaning robot painting
Consumer floor cleaning robot performs random painting sequence until erroring out. Tempera on canvas.
2017 first versions of laptop handle and holders
Sewn elastic prototype of laptop organizer and carry handle. Began daily use and testing.
2015 electronic self-painting picture
Robotic arm used stylus to draw random images on digital tablet. After painting the robot arm folded back into the frame of the picture. Proof-of-concept.
2008 - 2010 Electric Pinwheels LLC (Windsor, NY)
Self-developed wind turbine with patented semi-rigid blades for the emerging home renewable energy market. The fabric-covered blades and recycled-plastic electric generators were available in a variety of colors. Leftover plastic and fabric pieces were used to make a wind gauge product.
Link to 2010 Inhabitat article about Electric Pinwheels