This work is loosely based on a very common type of automatic knife called an “OTF” or “Out The Front” knife. Sort of like the much more popular switchblade, it is characterized by a spring loaded assembly that extends and retracts the blade through the top of the knife by means of actuating a small lever.
In the case of this kinetic sculpture project, the center object moves both “Out the Front” and “Out the Back”. Surely some crazy knife designer has made a knife like this somewhere at some time, but in any case, I am calling this work the “OTFB”. The B stands for more than one thing, but I have given you the most obvious one.
The edition saw me experimenting with a wide variety of color and material combinations coupled with small tweaks to the original design. Below is the full catalogue of the entire run.
Red anodized aluminum with black powder coat.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxtgkGPFYdc?feature=player_embedded
Purple anodized aluminum with black powder coat
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_zwSNXOWHM?feature=player_embedded
Green anodized aluminum with white powder coat
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHhnRpQKu0o?feature=player_embedded
Blue anodized aluminum, re-machined to expose raw aluminum.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bB6XdpjprM?feature=player_embedded
Brass with red powder coating
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nR6MTU13rLI?feature=player_embedded
Brass with Black powder coating.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzweI-njZS8?feature=player_embedded
Teal anodized aluminum with yellow powder coating
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CgI5znl9_0?feature=player_embedded
black anodized aluminum with green powder coating
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj7Gii4uxCw?feature=player_embedded
Deep copper anodized aluminum with blue powder coating
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjaAOQaWgJo?feature=player_embedded
Purple anodized aluminum with blue powder coating
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFORibkZMm4?feature=player_embedded
And of course, no edition would be complete without at least one All stainless steel version. In this case, I made a pair of them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugk61FbPsOM?feature=player_embedded
It was a long and fascinating ordeal to produce all of these variations, but all good things must come to a close. …So that new good things can begin of course.
Enjoy and see you next project.