Functionality - at least when it comes to artwork - will always have a special place in my heart. I often look to Giacometti's work for inspiration as it approaches content and abstracts it to it's most necessary form.
So, in response to this week's assignment (choose an impressive machine that you consider art as well as one that you consider practical/functional), I absolutely must choose a toy from my childhood: the Ghostbusters Trap.
I took my toys very seriously and, looking back, involuntarily blurred the lines between art and life. Needless to say, the plastic toy (shown right) is based on the 1984 movie (shown left). I desired the toy not only for it's link to the fantasy that was "Ghostbusters", but also because it worked. I stomped on the pedal and compressed air shot the doors open, allowing a brief suspension of reality and a glimpse into my idea-driven future.