This piece is rare autobiographical moment for me.  I have long been plagued by chronic migraines that seem to be of a psychosomatic nature (hence the wordplay in the title).  In this case our unfortunate subject here has devised a machine the he must power himself by way of a hand crank.  This little generator, once it has stored enough power, delivers painful throbbing bolts of electricity to his head.  Brother I know how you feel!

Be sure to watch the video to see the electric arc in action (too difficult to capture with photos).  There are process images here, and here, and an older sculpture that uses the same “Jacob’s Ladder” effect here.

Materials:

Electric drill, glass planter, outdoor light fixture, cigar box, mechanical counter, record player lid, chair legs, auto parts, gear motor, neon sign transformer, ice cream scoops, salad tongs, phenolic, brass hardware, bicycle brake parts, LEDs, switches.

All photos this page: Cameron Platt www.cameronobscura.com