Art Practice created March 2010 most recent update January 17, 2025

On view 24 hours/day 7 days/week
in the window at
Roadside Attractions
for all of March 2010
911 Davenport Road, at Christie

PINE CONE OSCILLATOR

2006
32" x 30" x 12"
pine cone, tooth pick, Stamp micro-controller, electronic components, lamps, multi-meter, motor, water with bottle and drain, clock, wood

A tooth pick extension arm is fixed to one scale of the cone and presses on a switch when the cone dries completely and is fully open. The switch is monitored by a micro-controller which activates a motor. The motor is mounted above the cone and located behind a plastic bottle filled with water. The cap of the bottle is perforated with very small holes drilled through the cap. The activated motor turns a cam which presses on the bottle, squeezing it, giving the cone a shower. Excess water is funneled away through a drain tube. The cone, now wet, closes up, but dries eventually, with the help of the lamps, to open again and "ask" for another shower. One complete oscillation takes a little under a day.

A flexible resistor is attached to another scale of the cone, which resists electricity at varying amounts depending on the amount of bend. The value of resistance is displayed on an electrical multi-meter providing a changing numeric display for the viewer, monitoring the movements of the cone as it bends the resistor.

The lamps serve to hasten drying as well as provide a constant level of light required for time-lapse photography.

The micro-controller is programmed to give the cone a brief shower when the switch is pushed, and then give the cone a second brief shower 20 minutes later. It was found that the completely open cone sheds water from a brief shower preventing a thorough wetting, although causing the cone to become wet enough to close the cone slightly after 20 minutes. The slightly closed cone then is more able to trap the water of the second shower, making the cone sufficiently wet to close completely.

Occasional leaks from the bottle and manual activations of the switch cause irregularities in oscillations. Also, in the development of this work I remember having it installed in our living room, and I loved running to the Oscillator so I could watch the cone shower whenever I heard the motor start-up. I was also able to force a shower any time I wanted, which I would often do to show visitors who came by. This is likely why the sequence in the 9-day video is so erratic.

Cone Oscillator was made in response to the experience of having another cone-based art work, Cone Clock, not properly attended during exhibition. The automated aspect of Cone Oscillator made it so that the attention of a gallery attendant became unnecessary.

More images and video below

click image to play video

time-lapse video of oscillations over 7 days

View High Resolution on Vimeo

Blurb describing exhibition at Roadside Attractions, on OCAD website:

"Cone Oscillator" by Stan Krzyzanowski

On view in the window at Roadside Attractions 911 Davenport Road at Christie 24 hours/day 7 days/week for the month of March 2010

The cone oscillator is a whimsical contraption that harnesses an every-day pine cone to an array of electronics and mechanics allowing a remarkable examination of properties exhibited by the cone as it opens and closes with changes in wetness. Designed and built partly as a response to being foiled by inattentive gallery attendants, the oscillator independently loops through cycles of monsoon collapse and expansive drought responding to its condition appropriately by activating the device and thereby perpetuating the excruciatingly slow and seemingly endless cycle.

The oscillator also serves as a watching station facilitating the time-lapse photography and video playback needed to observe the action. Video playback of the pine cone dance is surprising to say the least. In the window of Roadside Attractions and throughout this month the cone oscillator will again be captured by continuous time-lapse photography. Also in the window will be video playback revealing a world of motion always available but rarely seen.

Stan Krzyzanowski is a Toronto-based artist with a background in sculpture and photography, with a current focus in time-lapse, online interaction and electronics. Stan teaches at OCAD and is cross-appointed in the Faculties of Art and Design. His web-site “Interval” is an extensive online archive of video-work generated out of his interest in observation and is one of the most comprehensive compilations of time-lapse, stop-motion, interval-based photography authored by a single individual available on the web.

other stuff found in archive backups - maybe not necessary

Blank table row