Technology pervades almost every part of our lives. From ATM machines and auto-flush toilets to factory automation arms and robot dogs, we've witnessed breakthrough after breakthrough, though none will ever really match those we've experienced via sci-fi movies. The Terminator — where a cyborg from the future travels back to the past to destroy mankind — and I, Robot — where machines have evolved to such a degree that they are able to simulate (and possibly experience) human emotions — reveal that our fictional idea of robots has evolved far beyond the reality of their existence. Blackout Creations plays with this idea and others during its Robot Invasion Art Show. More than 20 local, national and international digital illustrators and designers (including Rob Schwager, Julie West, Horse Bites Design, Steve Firchow and Awesome Incorporated) present robot-themed and robot-inspired artworks in this timely, appealing exhibit. Through July 14, noon-8 p.m. Tues.-Fri., noon-6 p.m. Mon. and Sat., Blackout Creations, 19 Martin Luther King Jr. St. S., St. Petersburg, 727-823-6202, blackout-creations.com.
This article appears in Jun 20-26, 2007.