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The IRON GENIE is a handcrafted metal HARMONOGRAPH sculpture - an interactive kinetic mechanism that makes fascinating drawings. It took nearly two years to complete from conception to completion (2012 - 2013); the next stage is to promote and further develop its capabilities for public engagement.
The drawings are expressions of the frequencies at which the pendulums move. The frequencies can be altered by raising or lowering the weights on the pendulums, and they can be equated to sound frequencies - hence the name 'harmonograph. The original idea was invented in the 1840s, and became a popular parlour game as the century progressed.
The IRON GENIE is a contemporary celebration of the material culture and mechanical ingenuity of Victorian industrialization. Entirely handcrafted from mild steel and solid brass at Central Saint Martin's metal workshops at King's Cross, London, the design reflects the regeneration of the local industrial area, with particular reference to the iron structures of St. Pancras Station.
THE VIDEO was created by artist Josh Jones, recorded in the Crypt at St. Pancras Parish Church, which was designed and built in the early 19th century, and situated very close to the Kings Cross area where the Iron Genie was conceived and built.
Click on the links below to see blog posts about how this project was developed and built: