Herman Makkink “Rocking Machine” kinetic sculpture 1969 Lacquered fiberglass. 16 1/4 x 29 1/2 x 17 1/2 in. (41.3 x 74.9 x 44.5 cm). Number two from the edition of six. Together with certificate of authenticity.
Catalogue Essay The present lot is one from an edition of six produced in 1969, one of which was featured in the 1971 film A Clockwork Orange, directed by Stanley Kubrick "The Rocking Machine and the Christ Unlimited figures were not designed especially for A Clockwork Orange. They formed part of my studio work at the time, and, after seeing them there, Kubrick wanted to use them for the film because they probably had the futuristic look he and his wife wanted. In the late sixties and early seventies, we, London based artists, felt terribly hip. We didn't want to fight the establishment so much as shock them. Pop Art was in full swing and so was the sexual revolution, so I combined a penis with a beautifully shaped female rear in fibre glass. I thought this would be really shocking. I thought I could make the object move by constructing a heavy pendulum swing inside. To my surprise I found that it made an irregular movement, so I exaggerated that by adding extra weights in various places. That resulted in Rocking Machine's specific, jerky motion." - Herman Makkink (© 2000 Drencrom V.O.F.) Read More
Herman Makkink “Rocking Machine” kinetic sculpture 1969 Lacquered fiberglass. 16 1/4 x 29 1/2 x 17 1/2 in. (41.3 x 74.9 x 44.5 cm). Number two from the edition of six. Together with certificate of authenticity.
Catalogue Essay The present lot is one from an edition of six produced in 1969, one of which was featured in the 1971 film A Clockwork Orange, directed by Stanley Kubrick "The Rocking Machine and the Christ Unlimited figures were not designed especially for A Clockwork Orange. They formed part of my studio work at the time, and, after seeing them there, Kubrick wanted to use them for the film because they probably had the futuristic look he and his wife wanted. In the late sixties and early seventies, we, London based artists, felt terribly hip. We didn't want to fight the establishment so much as shock them. Pop Art was in full swing and so was the sexual revolution, so I combined a penis with a beautifully shaped female rear in fibre glass. I thought this would be really shocking. I thought I could make the object move by constructing a heavy pendulum swing inside. To my surprise I found that it made an irregular movement, so I exaggerated that by adding extra weights in various places. That resulted in Rocking Machine's specific, jerky motion." - Herman Makkink (© 2000 Drencrom V.O.F.) Read More
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.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
