M16-23. 2023

M16-23 is a freestanding mechanical zoetrope with integrated lighting. A faceted black drum is displayed atop a solid walnut stand. It has 12 narrow slots and contains a sequence of sculptures. A matching black lamp hangs above, illuminating the interior of the drum. Activated via touch button, an electric motor spins the drum. As it accelerates the slots appear to widen, then disappear. Viewed through the slots the sequential sculptures have the illusion of motion. The spinning slots function as a film projector. Each slot provides a glimpse of a single sculpture in the sequence - a frame. The viewer sees each frame in rapid succession, 24 frames a second. The result is animation. M16-23 was conceived during a residency at the artist-run space What-It-Is (Chicago, USA) in 2011. The project then went into hibernation. Reimagined and rebuilt, it was completed in 2023.

When I attended the What-It-Is residency I had planned to build a zoetrope, but did not have a subject. Upon arrival I immediately noticed the prevalence of the national flag. They were present on commercial and residential properties alike. Often quite large, their motion could be captivating. Reflecting upon their presence, I wondered what those displaying them felt. What message did they hope to convey? And what was the response of those that experienced them? A symbol of the country I was visiting, the Stars and Stripes transcends its simple graphic. It was an ideal subject for my residency.

The current design of the American flag is its 27th. It has 13 horizontal stripes. They alternate red then white from top to bottom. The canton is a blue field with 50 white stars. The stripes represent the thirteen colonies that declared independence from Great Britain. There is a star for each U.S. state. M16-23 references all these elements.

The working title of this artwork was M16.2. This was a version index of the mechanism. Prior to completion, it came to my attention that an M16 is an automatic rifle used by the American military. I considered that some viewers may find the working title provocative. This was not my intention.  But, the possible miss-interpretation seemed relevant to the transcendent nature of the subject. As a consequence, the working title became permanent. It was updated to M16-23 to reflect the changes and final completion of the artwork in 2023.