Kinda Interesting Things
#155: The Zoetropes in Culver City If you’re walking around Downtown Culver City, you’ll come across these metallic drums known as zoetropes. If you peep through the slots and spin the drum, you’ll be able to witness the illusion of motion. This is Moving Pictures — a public art installation by Wick Alexander and Robin Brailsford. Invented in 1834 by William George Horner, the zoetrope is a device that uses the “persistence of vision” principle to create the illusion of motion. The device consists of a drum containing a sequence of images inside, visible through the slots. As the drum spins, the viewer perceives the progressive flow of motion. “Moving Pictures” is an art installation created in 2001 that consists of seven unique zoetropes scattered throughout Downtown Culver City. Each zoetrope has a unique look and style, with different images inside the drum. They include a golfer practicing his drive, a person doing backflips, a lady going for a run, a skater doing an ollie, a cheetah sprinting and a bird flapping its wings, a man doing a little dance, and a car driving over a foxhole. There’s no information readily available about why these specific images were chosen, but the illusion is impressive nevertheless.The purpose of the artwork is to celebrate the origin of cinema and Culver City’s extensive film studio history — which dates back to the city’s incorporation and the silent film era. Sources: “Art in Public Places” (CulverCity.org, 2023) “Moving Pictures” (City of Culver City, 2001) “Free music and parking? Sweet!” (LA Times, 2006) “Zoetrope Animation Explained” (Adobe)
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