Tired Eyes


2021
Electronics, false eyelashes,
plastic pupils, servo motor,
wire, wood
4.3 x 31.7 x 8 cm

Tired Eyes is a pair of cartoonish animatronic eyes decked out with lids, lashes and pupils. Incorporating concepts from mechanical engineering, robotics, and puppetry, the bodiless eyes are programmed to blink at various speeds and intervals.

The wooden eyes remain obsessively fixed on while dark plastic lids slowly droop shut and open constantly, appearing tired, drowsy and struggling to stay awake which is likened to the extreme fatigue and burnout apparent in our increasingly busy lives.

Presented at Gajah Gallery as part of New Now V: Towards Unlearning (2021).