Ann Marie (2023)

Found Objects, Wood, Grill Cloth, Microcontroller, Ultrasonic Sensor
12”L x 12”W x 13 1/12”H

I am always on guard. There's something within me that tells me I must not get too comfortable, be alert. It's a hypervigilance that's so much bigger than myself; an ancestral distrust of even stillness.

This kinetic sculpture  responds to the viewer's movement. She appears passive, looking off to the side, until you get too close. If you are within her pasture, she quickly turns to confront you.

Ann Marie utilizes a microcontroller to process inputs and respond with a designated output. I coded the processor to read the information it receives from an ultrasonic sensor, which uses high-frequency sound waves to determine if any objects enter its proximity. When an object is within a certain range, the microcontroller tells the servo motor in the lambs neck to turn a set degree so that it is facing the viewer. She will maintain this position until the offending object is removed. Once she's no longer threatened with its presence, she will return to her original position.