An exploration of the uncanny in autonomous artworks. An exegesis submitted to the School of Communication Arts, University of Western Sydney In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctorate of Creative Arts. Wade Marynowsky 2009 Supervision Panel: Dr Garth Paine Ian Stevenson Wade Marynowsky; An exploration of the uncanny in autonomous artworks. i. Dedications I would like to dedicate this exegesis to my family who have continued to be supportive of my art practice: Peter, Susan and Tara Marynowsky. 2 Wade Marynowsky; An exploration of the uncanny in autonomous artworks. ii. Acknowledgements I would like to thank the following individuals and organisations for their invaluable support and encouragement for the development of this exegesis, and the associated artworks: the curators of Artspace, Blair French and Reuben Keehan, for their support of the works Autonomous Improvisation v1 (2007) and Olympia, the sneezing automaton (2008). Artspace has supported my work through its artists’ residency program, exhibition and critical review. Angelo Fraietta who designed and developed custom hardware for Autonomous Improvisation v1, and the many contributing artists (detailed in Chapter 3). Autonomous Improvisation v1 was shown for the second time in Primavera 2009, at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney. I would like to thank Primavera curator Jeff Khan, the MCA curators Anna Davis and Joel Mu, and the Computer Systems Unit of COFA for lending me computers. I thank Professor Bill Vorn for his generous support during the residency exchange program at Hexagram, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada. Aki Hoashi of the Japan Foundation, Tokyo for supporting my residency at the Inter Cross Creative Arts Centre, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan, as well as all the staff of S-AIR. Greg Shapley of Don’t Look Gallery for his support of the work Rococo Vortex. Mari Velonaki, Dr David Rye, and Kate Richards who accepted my invitation to present at Dorkbot Sydney. The director of Dorkbot Sydney: Pia Van Gelder. The directors of the Insititute of Contemporary Art Newtown: Alex Gawronski, Scott Donovan and Carla Cescon for supporting the work The Discreet Charm Of The Bourgeoisie Robot; the professionals who collaborated on the Bourgeoisie Robot project, Aras Vaichas, Mr Snow, Susan Marynwowsky and Craig Bender. Samuel Bruce, who performed on the opening night. The Performance Space associate director Bec Dean for her support and commission of the work, The Hosts, A Masquerade of Improvising Automatons; the professionals who collaborated on The Hosts project, Aras Vaichas, Jeremy Apthorp, Sally Jackson, Mirabelle Wouters. The Australia Council for the Arts. My supervisors, Dr Garth Paine and Ian Stevenson. 3 Wade Marynowsky; An exploration of the uncanny in autonomous artworks. iii. Statement of Authentication The work presented in this thesis is, to my best knowledge and belief, original except as acknowledged in the text. I hereby declare that I have not submitted this material, either in full or in part, for a degree at this or any other institution. Wade Marynowsky © Copyright by Wade Marynowsky 2009. 4 Wade Marynowsky; An exploration of the uncanny in autonomous artworks. iv. List of Tables and figures Figure 1 Graeme Sullivan’s Framework for Visual Arts Practice (Sullivan 2005, p.153). Figure 2 The R.U.R robot which appeared in an adaption of Czech author Karel Capek’s Rossum’s Universal Robots (1921), viewed 26 April 2008, <http://davidszondy.com/future/robot/rur3.htm> Figure 3 Sony’s robot dog Aibo, discontinued in 2004, viewed 10 June 2007, <http://www.sony.com> Figure 4 The Uncanny Valley (Mori, 1970) viewed 10 June 2007, <http://www.androidscience.com> Figure 5 Sony’s Qrio, viewed 10 June 2007, <http://www.sony.net> Figure 6 Bill Vorn, Hysterical machines, 2006 viewed 10 August 2006, <http://ww.billvorn.com> Figure 7 David Hanson’s robotic version of P. K. Dick, viewed 12 August 2007, <http://www.hansonrobotics.com> Figure 8 Symbotica is a research laboratory dedicated to the artistic exploration of scientific knowledge through bio- technologies, viewed 25 July 2006, <http:www.symbiotica.uwa.edu.au> Figure 9 GuitarBot (Singer, 2003), viewed 13 April 2007, <http://www.lemurbots.org> Figure 10 The re-created exhibition of Antheil’s Ballet mécanique at the National Art Gallery of Washington (Singer & Lehrman, 2006), viewed 10 July 2007, <http://www.nga.gov> Figure 11 Tim Hawkinson’s Uberorgan 2000, viewed 9 July 2007, <http://www.oddmusic.com> Figure 12 Jacquet Droz, The musician (1768 and 1774), viewed 19 August 2009, <http://drnorth.wordpress.com/2009/07/14/the-invention-of-hugo-cabret/ Museum of Art and History, Switzerland> Figure 13 Autonomous Improvisation v1, Installation view, Artspace, Sydney, 2007. Figure 14 Autonomous Improvisation v1, Installation view, Artspace, Sydney, 2007. Figure15 Autonomous Improvisation v1, production still, Adrian Bertram, Pizzo (George Tillianakis), Brian Fuata. Figure 16 Autonomous Improvisation v1, production still, Lucas Abela, Jim Denley, Matt Steggs. Figure 17 Autonomous Improvisation v1, production still, Singing Sadie, Robbie Avenaim, Jon Wah. Figure 18 Autonomous Improvisation v1, production still, The_Geek_From_Swampy_Creek, REV. KRISS HADES, Jim Denley. Figure 19 Autonomous Improvisation v1, production still, Dave Slave, Trash Vaudeville, Mark Selway. Figure 20 Autonomous Improvisation v1, production still, Dallas Dellaforce, Shannon O’Neill, Peter Blamey. Figure 21 Autonomous Improvisation v1, production still, Dale Gorfinkel, Matthew Stegh, Milica Stefanovic. Figure 22 Autonomous Improvisation v1, production still, Kristina Harrison, Marty Jay, Ian Pieterse. Figure 23 Autonomous Improvisation v1, production still, Robin Fox, Hirofumi Uchino, John Wah. Figure 23 The Pianola strings prepared with paper clips, bells, screws, keys and thumbtacks on the hammers. Figure 24 The MIDI to 88 digital switch interface built by Dr Angelo Fraietta, extra RCA matrix and solenoid to RCA connections and soldering, testing and installation completed by myself. Figure 25 Basic working prototype, Sputnik Number 3, Overview, Figure 26 Basic working prototype, Sputnik Number 3, Detail, 25 February 2008. Figure 27 Tea automata and mechanism, nineteenth-century Japan, Tokyo National Science Museum. Figure 28 Naughty Robot, 2008. Figure 29 Mating Season, 2008 Figure 30 Forest Room installation view, 2008. Figure 31 Self-Destruct Machine, 2008 Figure 42 Rococo Vortex, installation view, 2008. Figure 33 Rococo Vortex, installation view, 2008. Figure 34 Olympia, the sneezing automaton, Artspace 24/25, Sydney, 2008. Figure 35 Olympia, the sneezing automaton, Artspace 24/25, Sydney, 2008. Figure 35 Olympia, the sneezing automaton, Artspace 24/25, Sydney, 2008. Figure 37 Olympia, the sneezing automaton, Artspace 24/25, Sydney, 2008. Figure 38 The Discreet Charm Of The Bourgeoisie Robot, installation view, I.C.A.N 2008. Figure 40 The Discreet Charm Of The Bourgeoisie Robot, installation view, I.C.A.N 2008. Figure 40 The Discreet Charm Of The Bourgeoisie Robot, installation view, I.C.A.N 2008. Figure 41 The Discreet Charm Of The Bourgeoisie Robot, Opening night, I.C.A.N 2008. Figure 42 The Discreet Charm Of The Bourgeoisie Robot, installation view, I.C.A.N 2008. Figure 43 Custom Micro controller built by Aras Vaichas. Figure 44 Custom software that allows the remote operation of the robot by Mr Snow. Figure 45 The Discreet Charm Of The Bourgeoisie Robot, installation view, I.C.A.N 2008. Figure 47 The Hosts: A Masquerade of Improvising Automatons, 2009. Figure 48 The Hosts: A Masquerade of Improvising Automatons, 2009. Figure 49 The Hosts: A Masquerade of Improvising Automatons, 2009. 5 Wade Marynowsky; An exploration of the uncanny in autonomous artworks. Figure 50 The Hosts: A Masquerade of Improvising Automatons, Princess detail, 2009. Figure 51 The Hosts: A Masquerade of Improvising Automatons, undressed, 2009. Figure 52 The Hosts: A Masquerade of Improvising Automatons, undressed, 2009. Figure 53 The Hosts: A Masquerade of Improvising Automatons, 2009. Figure 54 The Hosts: A Masquerade of Improvising Automatons, 2009. 6 Wade Marynowsky; An exploration of the uncanny in autonomous artworks. Table of Contents i. Dedications ..........................................................................................2 ii. Acknowledgements.............................................................................3 iii. Statement of Authentication...............................................................4 iv. List of Tables and figures ...................................................................5 v. Abstract ................................................................................................9 Chapter 1 Introduction.............................................................................10 1.1 Methodology: Art practice as research ...........................................11 1.2 Structural overview ...........................................................................12 Chapter 2 Context and Precedents.........................................................14 2.1 The popular uncanny ........................................................................14 2.2 The Uncanny Valley...........................................................................17 2.3 An uncanny history of sound-based automata ..............................24 2.4 Contextual summary: Context and precedents..............................31 Chapter 3 Autonomous Improvisation v1 ..............................................34