Machine in operation
Franz Kafka’s In The Penal Colony and Edgar Allan Poe’s The Pit and The Pendulum inspired the machine depicted in this video.
The victim starts by being strapped in using leather straps, something both Kafka and Poe describe in their works. The repetitive motion then begins; again this is an area both writers focus on. The contraption moves a copper scribe to scratch a pattern on to the victims back. Although seemingly random, the pattern is inspired by a deep tissue skin cell.
Notice the interior of the machine is mirrored. In addition there are clear acrylic panels on the larger cog. This is to enhance the viewer’s experience. Kafka describes how the whole village would come and see the machine in operation. However in recent years the crowds have dispersed after the realisation of how barbaric the process is.
I hope that my work can also achieve this. The viewer is intrigued by the craft and possible functions of the machine. Then, upon realisation of its use, the feeling of intrigue subsides to reveal a feeling of guilt. This guilt is further enhanced by the subtle sadist sexuality of the work.