Sunday 22 September 2013

LEVEL 8 - The Chocolate Bar Kid

After my last post Disco Kid managed to escape when we were out. He was last seen in the Lawrence Hill area of Bristol. * 



We found Disco Kid hanging out in a seedy bar and and managed to get him home in one piece.



His head was spinning!


I was contacted by Louise who was in my year at junior school we were friends then and had recently met at a school re-union. Its nice how so many of us are in touch via facebook and a few of my childhood pals have been following the blog.

Louise and her husband Colin run a bar in Watford called Chocolate. They showed an interest in Level 7 for the bar but were too late so I suggested that they could have first dibs on the next Level and that I had an idea for Level 8 called Disco Kid. 

They said yes as soon as they saw the blog and we arranged that I bring it down on Saturday.
Meanwhile they got a flyer together to promote Disco Kids first night.

I arrive saturday and we have a little difficulty at first where to put him so he can be seen but not touched. We realise the best place is between the cool semicircular booths they have. aparently there used to be a fishtank there so Disco Kid was filling a gap. He needed a plynth or something. So I asked if they had anything out back that we could use to put him on. They didnt think I would find anything but...


... a barrel is perfect. I shoot down to Wilkinsons and buy some silver spray paint and some long bolts to secure the whole lot down.

I sprayed up one of the barrels and it looked great like it was brand new when it was done. 

We finally got it all working and they love it.


I went back later that evening to raise a glass for him and take some photos, 
The place was packed and had a great vibe, 


Disco Kid looks wicked in his new home,
He will party forever!

Heres a vine clip...https://vine.co/v/hvllEOIY6QV

Louise says she would like to have the story on the same long wall and it will add each level. I suggest having a 'You are here' where disco kid is at level 8.  I wonder how far this crazy idea is actually going to go???

Ive got an idea for level 9 and the £256,  I will have to get it made in America, you will have to check the next Blog Post to find out. But It will be something to celebrate the launch of my new 3D project Holotronica. Im pleased to announce that it will be released on 18th November 2013 as a 3D Blu-Ray, CD/DVD and Vinyl.
you can pre-order it through the new holotronica shop at www.holotronica.com 

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* Thanks to Nathan for sending me this picture it made me laugh, I have no idea who this is or where he is going. If anyone can shed some light on this photograph then please get in touch.)

Sunday 15 September 2013

LEVEL 8 - 'Disco Kid'



LEVEL 8 - Budget £128

After the last sale 'level 6 Pete' mentioned that its snowballing, I liked this analogy as its positive to think of the project like a snowball rolling down a hill and growing steadily rather than trying to climb a mountain. He sent me a graph to demonstrate this idea...
...he said its like falling off a cliff.             Peter Goddard's photo.

When I bought the level 7 box from the closing down Bishopston Trading Company, I also bought some cheap slightly creepy mannequins they were selling off. The child size one was just £10 and the male torso was £30. I think these are expensive new and bent the rules slightly buying these for future levels.

 

 I thought it would be cool to give the small one a mirrorball head and holding its own light. I love mirrorballs but they are not that easy to rig up and I thought it would be great to have a sculpture that is all in one... mirrorball, motor and light.

I sourced a mirrorball and motor from Maplins for £33

I went away for a weekend break in Pembrokeshire to visit my friend Ivan who is a brilliant kinetic sculptor I met at Kinetica. check out his website www.ivanblack.co.uk he makes amazing spiralling sculptures. 




Ivan has a studio/workshop and gave me a hand fitting the mirrorball motor to the kids neck.



We used the top of the existing motor casing as a plate to connect the motor to the neck. Ivan cut the top off the motor casing on the lathe. It flew off just as I took the picture you can see it fly away to the right.


Then he drilled out the mirrorball spindle so we were able to connect it to the upturned motor.


He then made a perfect base for it even creating a pin that goes up one of the feet. Thanks to Ivan for his help, I help him out on one of his projects creating an CGI animation, Its a good way to work with other artists like this.


I visited many fancy dress shops in Pembrokeshire and Bristol in search of a disco costume. In the end I found a silver space suit at Costumes R US wholesale in North Bristol. The suit was too big so I got it fitted at a tailors in Gloucester Rd called Brunel Tailoring.


A few days later I picked up the mannequin with a perfectly fitted silver suit which looked great. The suit cost £12 and the tailoring was £20 I put the kid in the boot of the car and wondered if there was anywhere that I could get some shoes from.
I turned round and by chance I was parked outside Oddsox a childrens shoe shop.



The girls were very helpful and I bought a pair of grey shoes for £11 in the Sale and I took the home and sprayed them silver.



I went to B&Q and found a remote control LED light for £15 and Lamp holder for £4.



I put it all together and everything worked perfectly. the Mirrorball motor and the Light fitting both have the same power requirements so it was easy to wire up. I ran a cable from the lamp up the sleeve and through a hidden drilled hole in his left shoulder blade.

After leaving the 'Disco Kid' running I notice the motor getting very hot and eventually the Mirrorball started to droop and almost fell off completely in the end due to its size and weight and not designed to be mounted upright. 


I found an 8 inch mirrorball for £2 in the Marie Curie charity shop where I bought the vases which was a result and I fitted this one instead. I drilled some ventilation holes into the top plate to help with the overheating problem. Everything seems to be working ok now. Im really pleased with 'Disco Kid' he looks great and sprays light all over the room. The light covers the whole mirror ball and projects a cool Halo effect on the wall behind.


I ordered some mirrored 3cm acrylic letters from the internet. this cost about £12.
I glue the mirrored letters around the base spelling 'Disco Kid' and a badge spelling 'OOM' I add a switch in the mains cable that comes out of his ankle.



I added some velcro to his right hand so he can hold the remote control when not in use.




I sign the back of the base... 

Orders Of Magnitude, Level 8 15th September 2013 Stuart Warren-Hill


Heres a vine clip... https://vine.co/v/hnjzXxBBre9



DISCO KID 
"Wherever there's Disco Kid, there's a party!"
For Sale £256

Contact: Stuart@hexstatic.tv