Video of the Day: Kinetic Pneumatic Subway Bear

The Wooster Collective recently featured video of a piece of street scultpure by Joshua Allen Harris. It could be describe as kinetic pneumatic art, and features an inanimate pile of material attached to a subway grate. When a train passes in the tunnel beneath the grate, the upward flow of displaced air fills the material and produces a medium-sized bear. The continued flow of air makes it appear as if the bear is actually animated, like it's shaking off some arctic water. When the train is gone, the bear retreats to its former state of hibernation, waiting for the next train so it can rise again.

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By Dave Hogarty in Miscellaneous on March 30, 2008 11:45 AM

Comments [rss]

robingee

All haters can suck it. This rules. The end.

JosieWOTP

um, great idea, but considerably overhyped explanation. shaking in the draft is not quite what i would call animated, and nothing like shaking off arctic water.

gothamistgal

Definitely a dog... but still pretty cool!

the_other_sjp

i love the air zoo linked to in the comments :) seems like a lot of fun to come up with!

Barbj8

It's cool. Maybe a little scary, kind of like a rapid dog, but I like it.

babyhitler

This is soooo stupid!!! this shit belongs in the New Museum at Bowery with all the other infantile sophomoric art. First of all, This is just like those inflatable clowns that they have at cell phone kiosks advertising T-mobile's low rates. The difference? one is used for marketing cellphones and this is used to market to dumb hipsters who think it's avant garde or something. second of all, that bear/dog looks lame.

ahlen

I hope Colbert has something ridiculously funny to say about the BEAR.

starrygordon

I liked Marilyn's dress better.

Although I agree it is a very cute bear.

eyekantspel

looks like a dog. it's not bad, but that videoclip was about 3 minutes longer than necessary.

VanessaNYC

I like the idea. I'm another person who thinks it looks like a dog.

Blairy Blair

It's so sad.

matty

I like it. It didn't destroy property, it's fun and it's a great concept.

For me that equals good art.

blablanyc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ir0U3VNYg_w

nycat

Very cool. Though, I thought it looks more like a dog than a bear. It "behaves" like a dog too, all shaky and excited.

blablanyc

this one is interesting. More air objects.

blablanyc

Some of the best ideas are very simple.

moocowtoo

super cool

zstone

I agree with the two latter posts. I'd like to see a variety of animals placed throughout the city. I'd also like to see us take ourselves a little less seriously.

jenchungsgrammar

yeah, that was actually really cool

gregroth

why can't anyone say this is super cool and great, its the first thing i've enjoyed all day

slappy

Thats a dog.

Dave Hogarty

I figured "shaking off some arctic water" sounded nicer than "having an ursine seizure."

bklynd

It's OK. He should be puffier, more fanciful. This one looks kind of sickly, like he's struggling to stay erect (rather than "shaking off some arctic water.")