"Amelia: Heart and Soul"

This is a solo work that was submited into The Ohio State Senior Exhibiton in the Autumn 2024 semester. It is a moving robotic sculpture that relates back to the personal experience of Lauren Gessel, presented in an abstract way. The head and hand move on a cycle and the mannequin body stands tall against its audience. It challenges its viewers to stare and experience both its beauty and uncomfortablility. This work is purposefully created to be a balance between beautiful and unnerving. The form invokes feelings of a new deity formed of the new age of technology and its clash with the continuous natural power of the planet. The figure beckons to and relates to that of the human body, only with stretched proportions and a segmented body. The irregular movements show a suffocation and a rigidity of its form. The work was made with assistance from Greg Gessel, Lauren's father and Engineer.

The work put into creating this robot took course over a few months leading up to the exhibition. Construction took place in the garage of Lauren Gessel's childhood home alongside her dad. It started with a single mannequin, and taking it apart then putting it together again.