When life hands you scams... make art?

It all started when Ben got a video game stuck in his head.

A coworker was raving about the JRPG Ni No Kuni. It was developed by Level-5 and Studio Ghibli, the latter known as the compay who makes stunning animated movies about a plucky child who loses their parent and go on a magical adventure with cute monsters.  Ben found the game and looked for a good deal on a PS3.

There's yer problem

He found one that looked promising on Craigslist.  He met the seller and his father, deals were made, and he rushed home to set up his new toy.  We discovered pretty quickly that it wasn't working, left a couple of messages, and discovered that that our only option was civil court if we could track down the people.  We looked at reparing it.  Turns out, the kid who broke this tried to fix it as only a kid will, and there's no fixing that sort of damage.  When he realized this, he gutted the thing and sold it. 

We were both angry and I went for a walk.  I stopped cussing around 2.5 miles and by the time I got home, I was clear-headed enough to go over the budget with Ben and we bought a PS3 from a retailer.  

Now we had 2 PS3's and more money spent than I'd like.  I saved the junky PS3 and an Xbox that died in the back of the closet hoping that inspiration would hit.  

Down the Rabbit Hole

I finally hit upon an idea while going to dinner with a friend of mine.  

I'm intrigued by the juxtaposition of reality vs. digital reality.  For some, the tactile feeling is the only thing.  For others, mastering new technology and using it to transcend boundaries is exciting.  We currently walk in between those 2 worlds, but will we always or will our own reality spring forth from a digital world?

I see flowers coming from and around metal and technology somehow.  I'm not quite so clear on how the flowers will fit in the whole scheme of things, or even if they will make it.  As it stands, I've decided to give most of the plastic pieces paint, and it's one of those things that will either be really terrible or really cool.  This piece is not very planned out, but instead is more instinctive.  I'll place things somewhere until I like its placement.  Normally, I like more of a plan when walking into a craft or sculpture, but until I see what I have to work with, it's impossible to get more than a vague idea.

The passion that comes along with making something turns into crippling self-doubt sometimes.  I'm to a point where I can see good stuff happening, but it's not enough yet.  From here on out, it's a lot of tinkering until I get something I like.  

As it stands right now, this is the fan and burned-out hard drive from an Xbox, and parts of the disc drive from the PS3.  I like the composition that's emerging of repetitive circles and rectangles.  Right now, the fan can still move, but that may change.  I may end up painting more but I'm not sure yet.  There's a steampunky vibe that's emerging, but I'm not sure if I'm going to keep it or change it in the end.  

I'm working on the book flowers now before I place more techy detail. I'm thinking at least 2 but I'm not sure where they will fit or how yet.