

eske rex: drawing machine
‘drawing machine’ by eske rex
two towers weighted with pendulums create elaborate ink spirograph images in ‘drawing machine’, by swedish-born, copenhagen-based designer eske rex, on display at the mindcraft 11 exhibit of danish craft during milan design week 2011.
a departure from the renaissance interest in pendulums and the harmonographs of the mid-19th century, the device is composed of two nine-foot (2.7m) tall pyramidal structures, from the center of each of which is suspended a weighted pendulum. the weight of the pendulums can be adjusted to up to 165 pounds (75kg), by adding and removing slotted concrete disks that are otherwise stored along the base of the towers. more weight produces smaller circles on the paper, while less weight enables a greater swing of the pendulum and thus larger circles.
once set into motion by hand, the pendulums, linked together at the site of the pen, continue in motion from the transfer one another’s kinetic energy. the images produced can range up to nine feet by nine feet in size, and can be produced with any ink pen, in either monochrome or multicolour by switching pens in and out during the production process.
for milan design week, rex planned to let the machine run continuously to produce a single image each day, stopping it only to swap pens in and out. he confessed to having thousands of pens on hand for potential use over the six days of the exhibition.
video of ‘drawing machine’ at work
‘drawing machine’ on exhibition during milan design week 2011 image © designboom
four of the finished images
detail view on a produced image image © designboom
the machine at work image © designboom
closer view of the pen and writing arms image © designboom
the pieces can be produced in one or many colours, by switching out the pen image at right © designboom
view of the pendulum and writing arm image © designboom
the weighted disks can be swapped in and out to affect the size of the circles drawn; when not in use they hang on the base of the tower image © designboom
detail view of the weights and pendulum
drawing machines (23 articles)
james nolan gandy's drawing machines produce intricate geometric artworks
mechanical artwork by jo fairfax generates japanese zen gardens
hamster-powered drawing machine by neil mendoza & joji
milan design week 2011 (214 articles)
design news
TOP 10 reader submissions of 2019 - social impact
#design
from a migrant community center in thailand to earthquake resistant design in mexico, this year we have been inundated with submissions from our readers.
from a migrant community center in thailand to earthquake resistant design in mexico, this year we have been inundated with submissions from our readers.
enzo mari - a worker among workers - in unreleased video footage from 2008
#design
in our unreleased video footage, enzo mari defines the moral position of our profession to show its limits and dangers as only a great could do, with sublime »
in our unreleased video footage, enzo mari defines the moral position of our profession to show its limits and dangers as only a great could do, with sublime humility.
'puff' the rubber chicken bong squeaks when you smoke it
#design
designed by studio MSCHF, 'puff the squeaky chicken' features a perpetually open mouth and lazily bloodshot eyes.
designed by studio MSCHF, 'puff the squeaky chicken' features a perpetually open mouth and lazily bloodshot eyes.
fondation louis vuitton presents 'charlotte perriand: inventing a new world' in paris
#design
the exhibition pays tribute to the work of the visionary french architect and designer upon the twentieth anniversary of her passing.
the exhibition pays tribute to the work of the visionary french architect and designer upon the twentieth anniversary of her passing.
incredible!!!
beautiful idea! beautiful execution!
they’re all drawings of earth’s gravitational pull; ingenious!
LOVE IT!!!
Wow! very interesting, esp. when the moment of two pendulums collided.. it creates different pen pressure..
beautiful!