Technology as a Metaphor

February 14, 2010 4:00 AM

I'm a big fan of Art items that use technology as decoration. I found this wonderful album cover, and I was wondering if anyone knows of anything of that sort. It can be anything that uses Electronics, Technology or Telecommunication as a metaphor, decoration or usable out of context. Thank you!
posted by lipsum to Media & Arts (10 answers total)

Jean Tinguely - mechanical sculptures, sometimes functional, almost always satirical or humorous. (The Wikipedia articles are all week, except for the French one. I just picked the one with most pictures, still not much.) A lot of Dada sculptors did this kind of thing. See Marcel DuChamps and Kinetic Art.
posted by nangar at 5:28 AM on February 14, 2010

All Wikimedia's Tinguely related pictures here. (It actually includes a few that aren't fountains.)
posted by nangar at 6:16 AM on February 14, 2010

The common element you seek seems to be electronic schematic diagrams.

I know I've seen some artworks including schematics before; I'll send you some links via MeFi mail as I come across them.

Also, my wife has done a few pieces incorporating schematics and components. When she shoots her portfolio I'll send you some of those pics too.
posted by ZenMasterThis at 6:31 AM on February 14, 2010

"Love and Robots" is a big puppet-rock-opera thing I just found out about. I'm not sure whether it fits your definition or not, but the poster art is kind of interesting (I don't know whether it's original). I like the second image on that page more than the first one, I think.
posted by amtho at 6:37 AM on February 14, 2010

There's a lot of schematics used as decorative tattoos.
posted by beerbajay at 10:09 AM on February 14, 2010

I'm not sure if this is what you're looking for, but the Etsy category Geekery has a lot of sellers that have taken computer and electronic parts and made lots of fun things: jewelry, clocks, pens, and all kinds of fun stuff.
posted by TooFewShoes at 10:51 AM on February 14, 2010

You might like Peter Halley's Paintings.
posted by halfguard at 11:15 AM on February 14, 2010 [1 favorite]

How about as a medium?: Nick Gentry
posted by inkytea at 5:35 PM on February 14, 2010 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Great links, thanks everybody.
posted by lipsum at 11:00 AM on February 15, 2010

Response by poster: Halley and Gentry are f*ing magnificent.
posted by lipsum at 11:02 AM on February 15, 2010