Futuristic Toy
Futuristic Toy, 11.5 inches by 3 inches by 13 inches, fabricated aluminum, plywood, found rattle drum, bronze, motor
To demonstrate the idea of “dehumanized parenting” due to the current highly mechanized and industrialized society. In the Futuristic Toy, Lana utilizes the linkages and a found handmade rattle drum in traditional form to build a mechanized circular reciprocating motion device. Rattle drum is an old folk instrument and toy that appeared in the Warring States Period of China. The original rattle requires manual operation. However, in this sculpture, the manpower operation element has been removed from the toy. The rattle drum is altered into an electric, motor-driven machine to critically reflect the current phenomenon that media and technology have become a necessary part of parenting in the increasingly automated world.