SHI SHI ODOSHI KINETIC ART

Today I went for a walk, during this walk I came across a forest of Bamboo. There were stalks of Bamboo over 15 feet high. I made my way into thick of it. I had never seen living growing Bamboo that was not on television or the dollar store. I was completely surrounded and transported to another place. Bamboo is so alien to this area and must have been planted here many years ago and untamed. I harvested some stalks each about 8 feet in length. I have been reading about Japanese Gardens. The gardens that are maintained by the Japanese are unmatched, in their simplicity and beauty. The Japanese have many methods of pest control. The term for this is the "SHI SHI ODOSHI" or "Deer Scarer".

Sōzu is a type of water fountain used in Japanese gardens. Usually made of bamboo, it consists of a hollow pivoting arm attached to upright supports and a hard surface or object that the arm may come in contact with. Water pours from a tube or pipe into the arm. When the arm gets full, the weight of the water causes it to tip over and empty, making a sharp sound when it hits the hard surface below it. This noise is intended to startle any deer which may be grazing on the plants in the garden. The empty arm is then free to swing back up into position and refill. The rhythmic clacking sound punctuating the silence reminds visitors to the garden of the passage of time. Although simple in design, it is highly effective, and safer than most modern deer repellers. Some people collect them as antiques.

After harvesting these lengths of Bamboo I wanted to create my own SOZU. The idea I arrived at was to attach a Bamboo Brush on one side with ink below. After pouring the water the weight becomes more and gravity comes into action. This raises the side leaving a brushstroke where the brush had been. A large scale model is in production.

LOGGING on the INTERNET

I filmed Desktop as I entered the Internet and Left the Internet.

Sat Feb 20

These is a time lapse video of sprouts I currently have growing. The experiment is just to see their movement following the sun. I am currently attempting to determine if fully watered and without adding any soil, will the plants gain weight?

The only way they receive nutrients is from the soil. So if they were to gain weight it would be from the Sun and containing water within itself. This experiment is to capture Sunlight by using the plants similar to how Solar Panels capture sunlight. My goal is not to achieve electricity but weight. I have been researching the Japanese methods of pest control called "SHI SHI ODOSHI" This means "Deer Scarer". In the diagram shown there is the blueprint of the device which is very simple. There is a water source that fills one side of a bamboo length see-saw and after the weight becomes too much on one side, gravity pulls the side filled with water down creating a loud noise in turn this scares wildlife away. Most of the time better then any "Scare Crow". These are to keep wildlife away without injuring them or poisoning them. My concept is to instead of water for creating the action, use a plant on one side and as it grows it will gain weight by capturing the sun, and lower to the ground in a similar manor but much slower.

PLEXI PRIME

Elephant 6

Elephant 5

Elephant 2/2

Elephant 2

Elephant Time Lapse

America Stop Motion