By Ollie Goss
Overview
Tunnel of Love originally started as a project looking at queerness, secrecy and the process of seeing and being seen in the form of an amusement-park dark ride. As time led up to my residency, the project became more focused on access to water and water-use. The topic of water use was a starting point to examine how we shape our lived environment in a wider context. That brought me to the 17th century folk poem Goose and the Commons that states the following:
The law locks up the man or woman
Who steals the goose off the common
But leaves the greater villain loose
Who steals the common from the goose.
The law demands that we atone
When we take things we do not own
But leaves the lords and ladies fine
Who takes things that are yours and mine.
The poor and wretched don’t escape
If they conspire the law to break;
This must be so but they endure
Those who conspire to make the law.
The law locks up the man or woman
Who steals the goose from off the common
And geese will still a common lack
Till they go and steal it back.
It was with this in mind that I headed over to the Makerspace to work on the first step of my ride, the track and the ride mechanism.
Time in the Makerspace:
My time in the makerspace truly pushed me to work with motors and electrics in a new and exciting way. I was able to re-tool existing technology in order to find new and fantastical uses. Although at first I thought I would be using a kid’s car motor, instead I used a Mobility Scooter which allowed me to more confidently ensure I could accommodate as many people at varying weights as possible.
When I first arrived at the Makerspace I focused on taking apart the scooter which was a new experience for me. I did not feel confident whatsoever in taking apart existing technology. This is ironic as I do believe that we have to be able to dismantle previous systems that do not serve us in order to move forward together collectively. With years of conditioning to stay away from wires, I was convinced that I would somehow electrocute myself touching the copper wire. However, with a screwdriver, wire clippers and a newfound confidence I got to work.
From there I was able to identify the parts of the scooter that would aid me in my ride and which parts I had to completely rework in order to serve the use that I needed it for. At first I thought I would be able to use the entire metal frame. However, I could not get the proper turning radius with the frame (and created a hole in one of my panels) so I brought it over to Tyler and with help from Paolo the tech chopped off the front end just leaving me with the back wheels and motor.
With the back wheels and electronics liberated, I was able to build a frame around them and start testing how the motor was able to operate going around the track. I also welded a bracket with some wheels on the bottom attached to a chair swivel to serve as the tracking to keep the ride following the PVC track. At this point we also introduced an RF switch, which I originally had thought I was going to use to turn the ride on and off. However, as it happens the proprietary software in the scooter would not let us use the RF switch as an on-off button but it was good practice in learning how to program it!
What I ended with was a car that was able to go around a track and accommodate up to 400 pounds!
Thesis Exhibition:
When presented in March, Goose Song consisted of a film, a pamphlet of writing and the ride in which riders were invited one by one to ride along a PVC track in a goose-car. Signs prompted those on line to think about the nature of rules and their relationship to rule-following in the space. Much of the exhibition used found and recycled material, for example the PVC was sourced partially from Rabbit Recycling.
I maintained the hardware and used the scooter’s handle for riders to use to accelerate and decelerate the car. This did lead to some potentiometer issues as the ride would emit the dreaded 6-beep error code from time to time signaling that there was pressure on the pedal when there was not. I was able to rewire a new potentiometer but this still was not 100 percent effective and we would need to periodically turn the car on and off throughout the exhibition. A pleasant surprise is that the ride was able to exist in the space without extensive instructions; participants were able to figure it out together.
A New Life:
Since its initial showing at Tyler, Goose Song has taken on a life of its own as it continues to develop in different contexts. First and foremost, I switched out the proprietary hardware from the scooter to a simple potentiometer foot pedal which was a great addition to the rider experience. It also was able to avoid the error code issue I was having with the proprietary potentiometer.
From May 9-12, the piece was shown in Icebox Project Space with the addition of a 2 channel video as well as a projected path of water on the ground leading up to the ride. In this iteration, participants were encouraged to view the video before going through a curtain where the ride was revealed resulting in a more immersive experience.
It is my hope as time goes on to expand on the piece, making more track and building out the scenic elements of the ride. I also hope to integrate a charging system that does not involve removing the batteries so the piece can travel without me or extensive install directions. Without the help of the Makerspace I would not have gotten nearly this far and am so grateful to have been the inaugural fellow in the space!
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