The art-o-matic

October 12, 2011 · by Anna Rohleder

In honor of our special releases for Android, we are continuing our fun and entertaining look at robots with what may be the most unusual intelligent machines of all ...robots in art!

Starting in the late 1950s, artists began investigating the expressive possibilities of incorporating robots into their work. Swiss sculptor Jean Tinguely created a drawing machine entitled Cyclograveur in 1959. (To get the full effect, you have to see Tinguely's other mad machines in action Added surreal bonus: watch for the frightened child in lederhosen at the 40-second mark.)

Tinguely followed up in 1960 with an installation entitled Homage to New York which was supposed to self-destruct, but only attracted the attention of the local fire brigade in Midtown Manhattan, which tried to put out the few phoenix-like flames it managed to generate. In the end, the artwork had to be "killed" with an ax.

A decade later, artist Edward Ihnatowicz was commissioned by the Dutch electronics company Philips to make a hydraulic robot which would respond to stimuli in its environment, including the human visitors who came to see it. He called it The Senster. (Note the people banging on the robot's enclosure the same way they tap on the glass in zoos and aquariums.)

As technology has advanced in the decades since, artists have taken the opportunity to expand their work with robots in new directions. Today there are robots in almost every field of the arts, from music and dance to painting and architecture. Examples include:

The gamelatron, a robot gamelan orchestra

A masquerade ball for robots

A robot painter

Novel structures created by robots

Update: check out the photos of some cool constructions from this year's edition of ArtBots, the international robot talent show that just wrapped up in Gent, Belgium!

A stylish robot instrument

The Jurema Action Plant, by Ivan Henriques

Did that robot just wink at me??

Readers' comments 13

Left under the original article, as archived.

CoyoteeWednesday, October 12, 2011 3:35:06 PM
Robots Rock!
Odusola ayoWednesday, October 12, 2011 4:21:09 PM
Makes sense
ezadzuzitsuWednesday, October 12, 2011 5:48:07 PM
can teach me how to create blog post beatiful like u?
KarenWednesday, October 12, 2011 7:49:25 PM
My favorite robot: Rosie from The Jetsons. She ruled.

Sorry...totally off topic again.
bodebrownWednesday, October 12, 2011 8:49:07 PM
The making of robots is fantastic idea, but the challenge is to make them think or reason like humans to reduce the stress we encounter on daily basis.
xpghostedThursday, October 13, 2011 12:20:17 AM
here's a few more robots
http://youtu.be/JcniyQYFU6M
http://youtu.be/5fXN7x7a5So
http://youtu.be/UkgoSOSGrx4
Phillip Robert O'ConnerThursday, October 13, 2011 12:44:42 AM
Now! Only If Robot Act More Like HUMAN!
ezadzuzitsuThursday, October 13, 2011 4:56:36 AM
im like jenny in mylfe as a tenager robot hahax
Sami SerolaFriday, October 14, 2011 8:17:25 AM
You missed Bonk Inc Not exactly robots but very useful machines that does nothing.
trons79Sunday, October 16, 2011 2:18:19 PM
Ami me gustaron todos:D
MouqSunday, October 16, 2011 3:59:12 PM
There is a specific problem I can see with the very concept of robots creating art: that while they can make pretty and interesting and original things and while the art creating robots can be considered art in themselves, what exactly are they expressing? Their apathy?
MadiyarMonday, October 17, 2011 5:56:00 PM
this is modern automatic
JulianThursday, October 20, 2011 4:58:21 AM
I like this kind of articles.