Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Stanley The Robot’s Debut

A few months ago I put out an invitation for a sculptor to bring to life a robot named Stanley.


I designed Stanley nearly 30 years ago, but thought that maybe this was his moment to be born in 3D.
 The occasion was a robot event called "Robot Nation" coming up this Saturday at the Norman Rockwell Museum.

 
Sculptor Lawrence Elig from Rhode Island rose to the challenge. Here is the rough sculpt leading to the final sculpt.

 
And here’s the sculptor at work. Stanley is a pot-bellied steamerbot constructed from spare junk thrown behind an intergalactic restaurant. He has worked odd jobs at spaceport fast food joints. He’s brave and loyal, but he has a tendency to drink all the frier oil and sing off-key.


Larry took the rough sculpt apart so that he could do a layup in the moldboard.


Then he poured in the rubber mold material.


Here’s what the cold cast bronze process looks like for Stanley’s arms.


Stanley rises from the workbench. You can practically hear his clanking gears.


And the finished sculpture. Awesome job, Larry! Stanley has just been installed at the Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, ready for his debut at the reception this Saturday at 4:00.


He’s just one installation in a whole robot sculpture exhibition, part of the fun that’s happening with the Blue Sky animation (the folks who made the film Robots) exhibition.

Larry Elig and I will also be there on Saturday, so please come to meet Stanley, me, or Larry.

LINKS
Previously: Stanley the Robot
Lawrence Elig Website
Lawrence Elig Blog
Ice Age to the Digital Age: The 3D Art of Blue Sky Animation Studios Video
Official Museum website exhibition page
"Robot Nation" Family event July 16th

7 comments:

  1. this sculpture is so awesome! i wonder if larry would be willing to post some of his materials and process or if he has a tutorial online?

    this is a really really top notch sculpt! you guys are going to win for sure!

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  2. Wonderful! I love the pot-belly feature! The quality is amazing.

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  3. Stanley looks great and it's fun to peek into Larry's working process. It must be nice for you to see one of your creations come to 'life' after so many years!

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  4. Oi! "Intergalactic" means somewhere in the quiet spaces between here and Andromeda. Or beyond. I think the word you want is "interstellar", which can be anywhere within the Milky Way outside our solar system.

    I do love Stanley.

    Jay, pedant

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  5. Truly Amazing to see this come to life. I wondered if you found anyone for the task. Great job Larry!

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  6. Awesome robot! Love the egg-beater "antenna". I like Larry's use of sheet metal for the mold-making box...should try that if I ever get back into that kind of stuff instead of wasting cardboard or wood.

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  7. Great design, great execution!
    In an oversubscribed genre he's got a unique quality.

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