SRL lecture

I believe looking at the work of the Survival Research Laboratories as fantasy is a pretty easy task. I feel that it fulfills the fantasy of the future. It is common for man to ponder about the future and what it will bring us. Most people I asked about what the future looked like, all replied with the same answer, Robots. Survival Research Laboratories creates these robotic machines to carry out certain functions for each performance they display to the public. Most people enjoy watching these performances, probably because of the fantasy of the future being brought to life before their eyes. Their performances are not pleasing just to the fantasy of the future and what it may bring, but for the fantasy of destruction as well. These machines during the performances destroy things such as building like structures, cars, etc. Some may not consider destruction as a fantasy, but to some it is. It is a fantasy as what it would be like to see especially from a robotic like machine.
The Jetsons, created in the very early 1960’s by the Hanna Barbera Company, a cartoon depicting how the world will look in the future. Everyone has their own opinions though about how the future will look like. If you compare the nice subtle futuristic idea the Jetsons showed us to the destructive nature of the terminator, you will see a big difference. I feel that the Survival Research Laboratories is giving us a realization of what the future could actually bring in a more believable manner. Whenever a person depicted the future, they use animation of some sort to make the idea function, but the Survival Research Laboratories actually makes the pieces move or carry out the functions they were designed for. There are some similarities though between the “mainstream” idea of robots and the Survival Research Laboratories robots. The main similarity would probably be the movement of the figure. The way a machine moves is often used as an expression of movement, for example the dance “The Robot”, the expression “walking like a robot”, and even “robotic movements”. Of course not all robots though can walk, some of Survival Research Laboratories machines actually move by wheels, somewhat like the Jetsons “Rosie”.
I believe the robots of Survival Research Laboratories are actually a warning. Maybe they are trying to warn us of the destructive nature of the future. How we keep advancing in technology and these simple machines cause so much damage, imagine how much more damage a more advanced robot could do. I can see how protesters would label the Survival Research Laboratories as “Yanks with Tanks”, because their creations are destructive, and tanks are used for destruction, and are often referred to as a machine instead of a vehicle.
Humans are the audience because of the fact that we love destruction. It is human nature to be fascinated with at least one form of destruction rather it be emotional, physical, self, psychological, etc. So we go and watch this display of destruction, but it’s the fact that its not man we are watching, but its creations. I feel they Chose Amsterdam because of the fact that we still went to war with Afghanistan. That is all we need is to do an art performance, people assume its new military weaponry, and then another war breaks loose because of a mistake.