I've always liked kinetic art: moving objects, lights, or liquids that interact in surprising ways. Kinetic art demonstrates how simple rules can create endless variation. In that sense it mimics nature without representing it.
Artists who make kinetic art are often "renaissance types". They can be mathematicians or engineers with an artistic inclination. Esa Laurema, a Finnish artist and engineer, comes to mind. I first met him in the 1980s when he made his light sculptures. He used car wiper motors to rotate mirrors that reflected colored light beams. The result was quite fascinating.
The following three videos show recent examples of kinetic art.
ART+COM has made a Kinetic Sculpture for the BMW Museum. It is comprised of of 714 metal spheres hanging from thin steel wires that are individually controlled by stepper motors.
Dutch Theo Jansen makes large moving "animals" that are wind-powered.
American artist Reuben Margolin creates large-scale kinetic sculptures that use pulleys and motors to recreate complex movements and structures. He explains his background and work.
