For those residing in Humboldt County local artist Duane Flatmo is no stranger. Well known his Lost Coast Brewery label art, Flatmo’s interesting caricatures gave these locally brewed beers personalities of their own. His murals adorn various walls throughout the Redwood Coast region and his incredibly creative kinetic art sculptures can be seen annually at the Kinetic Grand Championship Race which takes place throughout Humboldt every Memorial Day Weekend. But this Spring Flatmo took his unique style to the stage, with the creation of Animatronica, a giant steam blasting, mechanical mushroom that some say will change stage design and production forever.
In February 2015 Israeli born /Los Angeles based psy-trance duo known as Infected Mushroom kicked off their new tour which features this 10-foot tall installation designed and built by Flatmo himself. Much more than just an art installation, Animatronica is an innovative display of audiovisual mastery. Since the late 90’s Infected Mushroom have been captivating audiences around the globe with their unique blend of heavy metal and psychedelic trance music that infuses other EDM genres such as drum and base, dubstep, and electo as well. Ranked 2 of the world’s 10 Best DJs this group never ceases to amaze with their inventive sounds and you better believe their latest stage design will be blowing minds too. For a sneak peak of the making of this incredibly innovative production check out The Animatronica Live Tour 2015 Teaser.
Flatmo’s unique mechanical artistry first caught the eyes of the electronic dance duo at the Burning Festival in Black Rock city. El Pulpo Mecanico, a 26 foot tall Steampunk style flame throwing mechanical cephalopod, was crafted from scrap collected off of the beaches in Mexico and since unveiled in 2012 has become an infamous character of the “playa”. Duane possesses an artistic vision that literally breathes life into these mechanical beings. Such a blend of art and technology is really what the Burning Man gathering is all about. Infected Mushroom just knew they needed to team up with twisted minds behind this kinetic creation.
This new stage design is now bringing the Infected Mushroom vision to life and is the perfect visual complement to the audio experience that this group creates. This is not a show to be missed if you are looking for a completely new experience. Humboldt County was of course the first stop on the Animatronica Tour but don’t worry if you missed the debut because the tour goes on through the middle of May as the fungi criss crosses their way across North America. See Tour Dates and Locations
To see more of Fatmo’s work visit his official website at DuaneFlatmo.com or come to the Kinetic Grand Championship Memorial Day Weekend on the Arcata Plaza. For lodging right off of the plaza where all the kinetic contraptions are displayed prior to the start of the race see Redwood Coast Vacation Rentals for listings of the best vacation rentals in Humboldt County. The artistry of the Redwood Coast Region is phenomenal and the Kinetic Sculpture Race is a perfect example of this. It is really great to see these works stepping out from behind the Redwood Curtain and getting showcased across the county.
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