We’ve been finding tons of cool robot art on the web, recently. Some of the best looking sculptures that you can actually buy come from Mike “m.heisler” Slobot. These robot figures, referred to as Slobots, run the gamut of style and poses. You have your big and foreboding bots, and your whispy automatons, all made from found objects (i.e. trash) and various doo-dads you probably will never recognize under the copious layers of paint. Each Slobot comes with its own back story, which Mike has painstakingly (insanely) crafted to match the personality of the robot. Some are Martian explorers, some like watching Vin Diesel movies, others hold orange trees – together these little guys come from a diverse tribe. So complete is Mike’s obsession with creating these little bots that he’s even made a few music videos about them. We’ve got one below along with an assortment of cool pics to demonstrate what Slobots are all about. If you find yourself really liking one there’s a chance you could buy it: most retail for around $300. Mike may even custom build one for you if you ask him nicely.
Slobots are unique in their appearance, but their production bears a remarkable similarity to Nerdbots. Both are lines of robot sculptures made from found objects with matching personality descriptions. You’d never confuse the two when you see them, but it’s a little eerie how two different artists came up with almost the same concept. Makes me wonder how many other robot sculptors are out their crafting old junk into new robots along with generous and humorous back stories. It could be that robot art is a new trend. If so, it’s just another sign that our culture is ready for mechanical companions. Provided that they look cool, of course.
You can find more photos of Slobots on their Flickr page, and hear about new ones at the Slobot Blog.
[image credits: Mike “m.Heisler” Slobot]
[sources: Slobot, Slobot Blog]
