BOB BICKNELL-KNIGHT

Rigged, 2024
PLA, epoxy resin, concrete mix, PVA, water, dust, rubber matting, wall filler, clock mechanism, steel bolts, steel nuts, steel hook, steel chain
122 x 130 x 125 cm

Initially inspired by the underlying rigging and bone structure of virtual beings in video game worlds, Rigged explores ideas surrounding control, time and degradation.

The work is a human-scale sculpture, made to be slightly larger than Bob Bicknell-Knight, resting on the floor whilst being suspended from a single chain attached to the ceiling. The figure is a marionette or crash dummy of sorts, tethered to a single spot whilst being only controlled by its head, reflecting human life and the lack of control one has over their own destiny.

Instead of having a face, the figure’s head is hollowed out, replaced with a clock mechanism resembling a lily flower, referencing ideas surrounding purity and fertility. The parts subtly move and keep time; a visible nod to the artists anxieties and worries surrounding the lack of time one has in this world. The inner bone structure of the figure is also exposed, with its chest opened, showing empty innards and several ribs, their construction inspired by the form of a tree near the artist’s childhood home in the UK.

The seated posture invites quiet contemplation, seemingly too exhausted and overwhelmed to oppose those who seek to control and manipulate. The pose is inspired by a recently deceased family member, who passed away peacefully whilst sitting in their favourite armchair, with an afternoon tea slowly cooling on the side table.

The form of the sculpture was also inspired by action figures and toys played with by the artist when they were a young child, recently come upon when undergoing a clear out at his childhood home. Digitally sculpted to resemble objects that have been chewed upon and slowly degraded by time, the pieces of the sculpture were then 3D printed and covered with multiple layers of a concrete mix, translating the digital into the physical whilst speaking about how the world is quickly running out of sand due to climate-change-induced sea level rises.

Ideas of play and control are referenced in subtle and not-so-subtle ways, some examples being the hands of the sculpture resembling the hands of a Lego figure, alongside buttons from a video game controller seemingly coming out from the figures back, like the key of a traditional wind-up toy.

Rigged has been included in the following exhibitions:

– The Path. At ArtVilnius, Vilnius, LT, 3rd – 5th October 2025.
– Young Sculptor Award. At the Estonian Museum of Contemporary Art, Tallinn, EE, 28th February – 9th March 2025.

The first edition of Rigged is part of the Zuzāns Collection in Latvia.