ROBOTS!

It's always been entertaining for me to watch someone verbally and physically abuse a copy machine, a T.V., or any other electronic device. Obviously they don't have feelings so there is no way they'll ever yield to threats or sympathize with frustration. Moreover, they are made by us and can only do what we program them to do. Since humans aren't perfect, robots will never be perfect either. We can program them to perform tasks perfectly but once a hurdle is presented unexpectedly, like a wall placed in their path, everything comes to a halt. This problem of how they can be so smart and yet so stupid is what interests me, as well as our efforts to empower them with Artificial Intelligence (or AI) so that they may figure out how to leap over these hurdles by themselves.

AI must be a frustrating program to bestow upon a robot. Every aspect of free motion has to be programmed, every form of potential danger must be introduced... At least humans instinctively know they have hands but robots have to be taught that they have hands (or clamps). They may be capable of great feats of strength or be able to compute calculus in microseconds but they still have the mind of a new born baby. I suppose that robots with AI will eventually show glorious moments of humanity, especially when they make mistakes. These moments, depicted in the the 'Robots!' series, are truly the purist display of the mimicry of humanity, revealing the curiosity, love and humor that we as humans hold so dear. The images reflect the robots' utter stupidity and their wonderfully endearing attributes as they attempt to become human in their own way.

About the artist: Peter Oravetz is an emerging artist living in the Fairmount section of Philadelphia. He is a 2004 graduate from Montserrat College of art in Beverly Massachusetts with BA in Fine Art. His concentration in sculpture centered on miniature abstract architecture using concrete and found steel. The 'Robots!' were born in 2005 and have been slowly developed ever since. He currently devotes half of his time to working at a local rock and roll bar and the rest to his art and his family; his aspirations include earning a graduate degree and ultimately teaching.