by Hank Brockett
11/17/04
NIU art instructor Matt Stone created the robot for use in his September nuptials to wife Amy Jordan. The robotic voice replaced the human form, eliminating the hassles of choosing a living, breathing priest/rabbi/minister/etc., Stone said.
Earlier this month, Nuptron 4000 stood on display at the Big Dog Gallery, 808 E. Garden St., after moving into a new career as a work of art.
“Actually, I have never been sure how I feel about the Nuptron 4000 as a work of art displayed separately from the original context for which it was conceived and built,” Stone said. “I spent as much or more time on it than any other piece. I made the same type of decisions and aesthetic judgments as I would when working on “art,” so I guess it counts as art.”
MW: Once taken away from the gallery, what lies in store for a retired presiding robot? Is this something that will be prominently featured in your residence?
BS: Yes, whenever we actually own a house it will be permanently installed, like a grandfather clock or something. It takes up too much space for my apartment so it will probably retire to my studio for a while. Some friends keep trying to get me to rent a storefront and set up shop in Las Vegas. Not a terrible idea, but I’d have to build another robot because we don’t want to share this one.
MW: Are you worried at all about a slippery slope, in that when faced with conflicting viewpoints we will reach more and more for the peace pact of a robot?
BS: Not at all. Robots are the ultimate non-partisan, unbiased pundits of logical and sound thought. When robots eventually make every difficult decision for us the world will be transformed into a blissful, utopian state.