Everyone who lays eyes on "Rolling Through the Bay," a sculpture made of more than 100,000 toothpicks and glue, is fascinated. How was it made? And what's the technology behind the intricate details of this sculpture depicting San Francisco? CNET's Sumi Das finds out from artist Scott Weaver. October 14, 2013 6:30 AM PDT One man, a calculator, and more than 100,000 toothpicks. When Scott Weaver started making his colossal toothpick sculpture, Rolling Through the Bay, it was the 1970s and Nixon was in office. Weaver is no architect. His construction tools consist of ordinary household items. A coffee mug helps him measure the perfect angle for ping-pong balls to roll through his depiction of the Bay Area. His cell phone props up parts of his sculpture as they dry. Sure, it may be loaded with sensors and have more computing power than space probes launched by NASA in the 1970s, but Weaver's smartphone is best used to help stabilize his toothpick marvel, not help design it. Although Rolling Through the Bay has been around for more than 35 years, the sculpture is creating buzz now, thanks to the Web. Scott says: "The Internet has really opened up so many things, and it's the reason that my sculpture has been out there." Once a video of the kinetic sculpture hit YouTube, it spread like wildfire. Thousands of people have viewed the now-viral video. His creation became so popular it started touring different museums across the country. Weaver's heart and soul are in this sculpture. During our interview with the artist, the entire CNET team teared up as he spoke of the one person he wished could see his completed work. "I just wish my Mom could have seen all this happen. She put up with a lot," said Weaver. "But at least she saw it coming to life over time." To see Rolling Through the Bay in action, watch the video below. Artist's low-tech art form gets high-tech attention At the Exploratorium museum, where the sculpture is on display, visitors ooh and aah. One onlooker says, "Ooh, there's the ballpark!" Another remarks, "I see rainbow toothpicks of the Castro!" Weaver arrives on site with a new mission: to add the Exploratorium, which recently moved to the San Francisco waterfront. He explains: "I am taking out this part here of the old silhouette of these piers and adding the new Exploratorium." People start gathering with excitement. He snips and clips with his toe clippers and sets the new addition with glue and one of his wife's hair clips. Weaver tells the audience, "I hope my wife doesn't find out that I use her hair clips, but it helps hold the new additions for drying." As he waits for the new piece to dry, he starts rolling his ping-pong balls through his sculpture and sharing his story. Watch one of his unique San Francisco tours here. You can see Rolling Through the Bay in action at the Exploratorium in San Francisco at the Tinkering Studio, and you just might catch Weaver telling the tale of his creation, 35 years in the making.
Everyone who lays eyes on "Rolling Through the Bay," a sculpture made of more than 100,000 toothpicks and glue, is fascinated. How was it made? And what's the technology behind the intricate details of this sculpture depicting San Francisco? CNET's Sumi Das finds out from artist Scott Weaver.
Weaver is no architect. His construction tools consist of ordinary household items. A coffee mug helps him measure the perfect angle for ping-pong balls to roll through his depiction of the Bay Area. His cell phone props up parts of his sculpture as they dry. Sure, it may be loaded with sensors and have more computing power than space probes launched by NASA in the 1970s, but Weaver's smartphone is best used to help stabilize his toothpick marvel, not help design it.
Although Rolling Through the Bay has been around for more than 35 years, the sculpture is creating buzz now, thanks to the Web. Scott says: "The Internet has really opened up so many things, and it's the reason that my sculpture has been out there."
Once a video of the kinetic sculpture hit YouTube, it spread like wildfire. Thousands of people have viewed the now-viral video. His creation became so popular it started touring different museums across the country. Weaver's heart and soul are in this sculpture. During our interview with the artist, the entire CNET team teared up as he spoke of the one person he wished could see his completed work.
"I just wish my Mom could have seen all this happen. She put up with a lot," said Weaver. "But at least she saw it coming to life over time."
To see Rolling Through the Bay in action, watch the video below.
Artist's low-tech art form gets high-tech attention
At the Exploratorium museum, where the sculpture is on display, visitors ooh and aah. One onlooker says, "Ooh, there's the ballpark!" Another remarks, "I see rainbow toothpicks of the Castro!" Weaver arrives on site with a new mission: to add the Exploratorium, which recently moved to the San Francisco waterfront. He explains: "I am taking out this part here of the old silhouette of these piers and adding the new Exploratorium."
People start gathering with excitement. He snips and clips with his toe clippers and sets the new addition with glue and one of his wife's hair clips. Weaver tells the audience, "I hope my wife doesn't find out that I use her hair clips, but it helps hold the new additions for drying." As he waits for the new piece to dry, he starts rolling his ping-pong balls through his sculpture and sharing his story. Watch one of his unique San Francisco tours here.
You can see Rolling Through the Bay in action at the Exploratorium in San Francisco at the Tinkering Studio, and you just might catch Weaver telling the tale of his creation, 35 years in the making.
