inspiration

What is an NFT? /  by kelly heaton

Initialize la valise, 2021.

(sound on) What is an NFT? I've been pondering this question for awhile and decided to make a short film about our strange moment in cultural history. Considering the conceptual nature of NFTs, I consulted the ghost of Marcel Duchamp for his perspective.

Human and machine intelligence are merging, but not without a dollop of stupidity --which may ironically be the lasting signature of humankind, assuming computers cannot fathom how we fleshers can be so delightfully ludicrous.

Exploding Capacitor /  by kelly heaton

Happy Halloween! This year, I am an exploding capacitor paying homage to rapidly expanding human potential / 2021

Human Capacitance /  by kelly heaton

Human, capacitor (2021). I am sewing a series of plush electronic components to create a sculptural circuit garden in the style of Claes Oldenburg. Electronic devices make great metaphors for the human condition. It’s everywhere in our language: you have great energy // human potential // I’m on your wavelength // we are polar opposites // resistance to change vs. capacity for change // our attraction is electric // be positive, have good vibes, etc. Humans are symbiotic with electricity! The universe is a circuit! Resonance, charge, flux, capacity, resistance, frequency, vibration, flow, magnetism, current… We are the human electric.

Circuit Bird /  by kelly heaton

Documentation of “Circuit Bird,” 2021, an adjustable analog electronic circuit for birdsong generation. The art is made with custom electronic hardware, printed circuit boards, foiled chipboard, and screen-printed silk laminated on a wooden frame. Dimensions are 35” tall by 23.5” wide by 1.5” deep. Watch the video to hear the circuit vibrate with birdsong. Notice the modular components of the circuit: I separated the oscillators, the passive coupling filters, and the audio amplifier into separate (but connected) printed circuit boards. This design enables me to assemble different quantities and configurations of oscillators to create new artworks based on the principle of vibration.

happy holidays /  by kelly heaton

Holiday Card 2020. Edition of 25. Screenprint, vinyl, and archival inkjet print on paper. 5” x 7”

Happy holidays, everyone! May your season be merry, bright, and healthy. What a strange and transformative year … multi-layered, to say the least. There are new, alien forms emerging, promising to supplant the familiar. Use your energy to stay agile and move into the future with love.

White Stag /  by kelly heaton

White Stag, 2020. Mixed media screen print on canvas panel, 48” x 36”
According to Arthurian legend, the white stag was legendary at evading capture. To see one signifies the beginning of a great spiritual quest…