​a mechanism of balance has a physical attribute akin to kindness
the point of equilibrium is shared

the heavy makes space for the light

the interaction of one material to another can seem unkind

is a sustainable system kind?

soft and hard become one through their meeting
if steel did without brass it would move less smoothly

gears mesh kindly
gifting movement to each other

if gears do not mesh then is this less kind?

is kindness able to be a mechanical principle?

kindness is a deep acknowledgement through actions of the position and presence of others

without self awareness can kindness be?

kindness is how this human can engage with and understand the world observed

is kindness the action of respect?

kindness is a working methodology
kindness is an efficiency
kindness is an acknowledgement
rather than the denial
of the perceived actual

of a kind
sharing my kind
the other is as I am
of the same kind

Imagine
​a mechanism
held together
of its own

resting in equilibrium
moving with
dynamic shifting balance

each piece an individual
all parts inseparable
indistinguishable
from the whole

here

Dance as exploration of mechanism experientially

To move is to feel and to be movement

By dancing am I doing a "useful" thing?
Why must the way I move be "functional"?

Surely to be focused on the "useful" and "functional" is limiting to any notions of (body) mechanics

The useful and the useless are together in the same room

I make a fire to keep warm
then

I dance
I sing

all night long

The poetic and fantastic is my preferred method of devising mechanical systems.

A niggling doubt
can be a starting point,
a place to depart from.

Here I become accustomed to the frustration of not knowing.

I dodge working rationally and functionally in favour of
digging in the dirt.

More like archeology than engineering.

A continued exploration of puppetry in design and performance feeds into my sculptural practise, providing a method for playful and experiential experimentation with objects and character.


Performance is intrinsically time-based, character is expressed through often subtle changes of movements through to stillness and back to movement.


Relationships are suggested through variations in the proximity between protagonists, in puppetry these are physically represented imaginary characters. 


The physical techniques of puppet performance allow a viewer (and the puppeteer) to be convinced of an object character’s realness to such an extent that we feel an empathy towards them and the situation they are in.


Character and narrative have been devices for the preservation and communication of knowledge and wisdom throughout human history.


The puppet aspect of my creative practise can be found at www.foldedfeather.com

​

Cam