Artist Statement

I launched the mechanical power series in 1997 and since then it has been the main venue for my artistic expression. I see it as a challenge to combine the usage of precision technology with plastic aesthetics. A work of art may be composed of a single or hundreds to thousands of different components; yet, despite this massive complexity, visually it leaves an impression of simplicity. Through various rhythms in the work based on precise mechanical theories, I try to tell stories from my cultural background with a poetic approach.

I view the absolute precision of mechanical movements as an abstract language. This abstract language may convey a living philosophy which even transcends the visual image of the work.

I use mechanical elements both as a creative media and as a deeper exploration of the meaning of life. Artistic creation makes it possible for machines to be infused with living energy through the rhythm created from the combination of precise components and repetitive mechanical motions.

From the initial concept, the design of media characteristics, making of parts, experimenting of mechanical operation, to the final assembly, each and every work of this series has taken two to three years or more to create. 

For me, the creation of a work is more than just an extension of my personal feelings for life; it is also a vivid representation of the vitality of the individual elements that make up the work.

—Ruey-Shiann Shyu