John Espey

I am exploring the principles of biology using electronics and mechanics as a palette for open source video and robotic crafts. I choose to harness the techniques of animatronics and draw inspiration from insects because these organisms are mechanically elegant and utilize "simple" neural networks to accomplish complex tasks. The ultimate goal is to create a biomimetic insectoid robot that inspires a new perspective on the role of insects and robots in our world.

Selected Exhibitions

2024 Group Exhibition, Bees, Butterflies, and Blooms, The Terre Haute Children’s Museum, Terre Haute, Indiana

2019 Group Exhibition, Bees, Butterflies, and Blooms, The Kidzeum of Health and Science, Springfield, Illinois

2017 Group Exhibition, Set Sail, Merchants of Reality Gallery, San Francisco, California

2015 Solo Exhibition, Lobby Display for “Truck Stop,” Crowded Fire Theater, San Francisco, California

2015 Solo Exhibition, Insect Homeworld, Window display, Little Roxie Theater, San Francisco, California

2013 Group Exhibition, Eclosion, Art.Science.Gallery, Austin, Texas Sponsored by the E.O. Wilson Foundation.

2013 Group Exhibition, What is Real?, Cesar Chaves Student Center, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California

2012 Solo Exhibition, Organic Electrics, Merchants of Reality Gallery, San Francisco, California

2012 Group Exhibition, Music in Light, Merchants of Reality Gallery, San Francisco, California

Presentations and Workshops

2019 Solo Presentation, Biomimetic Insectoid Mechatronics, Combining Open Source Technology With Entomology, Kittredge Gallery, Tacoma, Washington

2019 Workshop, Modeling And Animating a Butterfly in Blender, University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, Washington

Website Publications as Author

2015 John Espey, “Organic Electrics: Roboterkunst inspired by nature,” Roboterwelt, http://www.roboterwelt.de/magazin/organic-electrics-roboterkunst-inspired-by-nature/

2014 John Espey, “Building Biomimetic Insect Robots,” innoecho, 

http://innoecho.com/building-biomimetic-insect-robots-a-guest-blog-by-john-espey/

Selected Screenings

2015 “Smoke on Drugs,” Earth Day Film Festival, Artist Television Access, San Francisco, California

2013 “Poprocks,” Poprocks Screening, Merchants of Reality Gallery, San Francisco, California

2011 “Symphony of Man,” Grand Opening, Merchants of Reality Gallery, San Francisco, California

2008 “Radioactive Redbull,” Foolish Pleasures, Student Union Building, University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, Washington

Awards

2014 First Place Tech Contest Award from Instructables.com for Electromechanical Insect

2008 Sky Cup Leadership Award for Praxis Imago Student Film Organization

Education

2008 BS Biology, University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, Washington

2004 Associates, Acalanes High School, Lafayette, California