Black Cross “Flying Machines”

Read this on hello.kiosk, sums up the joy of making and surfing paipo's really good:

Mini- Exhibition #5: Black Cross “Flying Machines”
October 24, 2008

Matt McGregor-Mento is next up for our series of exhibitions: Wednesday October 29th until Saturday November 1. Mini-Opening on October 29th from 6 -9 pm - Have some beer,cider and cheese. Read more below! Hope you can make it! /KIOSK

BlackCross “Flying Machines”

What is it about things made with our own hand that makes them more fun to use? Why is a rough handmade aesthetic so appealing right now? How can making an object intentionally less “functional” bring us closer to the pure experience of using that object? And ultimately, what is the human fascination with speed - and why is our exhilaration heightened when coupled with the sense of unpredictable disaster?

BlackCross “Flying Machines” is a re-inventing of three common recreational objects. Built crudely of wood, the plywood bellyboard (or paipo), the shipping palette sled, and the simple lumber skateboard all feel like Middle School shop-class inventions.

Functional objects intended for use, they are all capable of producing immense joy through movement and speed. But, each is flawed by design. The skateboard is too small, closer to riding a moving balance beam. The bellyboard is heavy - barely able to float - and lacks a leash. The sled is unsteerable and has no seat. But despite, or because of, their limitations, all three intensify the pure sensation of speed and bring a fresh appreciation of the recreation itself.

In order to invite people into the creation process, the bellyboard (the most difficult of the items to produce) is also being sold in kit-form. This opening of the project allows others to create their own designs and discover the satisfaction and joy of using something crafted with their own hands.

Matthew McGregor-Mento