This is an interesting project that I feel demonstrates a great way to get more than just your finger tips interacting with computers. I really like the idea of using these methods to create interactive art. Obviously for interactive works such as these, Processing would be the best program to use.
This interesting project tracks white light across a room, finds the coordinates and drops objects onto a screen in the correct positions whilst simultaniously sending data to a CPS (central processing unit, of course... thanks Google define!) so that noises are played alongside the visuals to create a strange sort of music. It's worth having a look at, although the video is fairly low res and the website is pretty awful. Have a gander here .
This is an idea that myself, and a friend, discussed making together. The premise of this idea is that a motion detecting Processing sketch would capture the movemet of a person standing infront of a white backdrop, then translate that movement into 'hitTests' with a virtual grid over the area. Motion detected in certain area's of this grid would result in 'hits' and thus play a drum beat (or any sound for that matter). The scale of tones/pitches would be varient across the grid so that lighter noises would occure on the left, harder sounds on the right.
This would be a great way to get people to interact more aggresively with the work, rather than having it as a backdrop. However, this approach would be no good for an installation piece in either (as example) a restaurant or hotel foyer. This is something more suited to a childrens play area, in maybe a shopping plaza?
While this would be a great notion, and in the most part I think achievable, this is a project best left for now in favour of less required involvement in the picture. For instance; I would prefer my work to be enjoyed without 'much' required input from the user. A more 'ambient' piece, etc.
Based again on the 'New Hyde Park' idea the idea behind this one is much simpler, requireing a single tape machine.
Theres too many obvious flaws in this idea, the biggest being that people would simply take the machine.
As a side note, the drawings on the right hand side of the page are some idea's I had based around a lecture we had on criminal obedience within prissons using a system developed to give prisoners the feeling they were at all times being watched, thus resulting in less disobedience.
Whilst surfing around, looking for things and bits, I came across 'Tamarin'. This is an open source collaborative effort between Mozilla and Adobe to create a unified scripting language that will aid in the development of rich interactive media on the internet. The aim is the merge the coding languages used by so many that are all based on the ECMAScript into a single more unified language that is both where Mozilla would like to take their efforts and where ActionScript is already heading.here . If you'd like more information about Tamarin in respects to Flash then click here .
This design group, showed first to me by Anna Beth, create high end print, digital, interactive and installation commissioned art, please have a look at their website here . Work that they have created includes:
This is such an amazing project. Please PLEASE click here to see the website and please PLEASE do watch the little video if this is something you've not seen before!Processing to display peoples hand puppets as fully fledged little monsters, birds and critters with a full range of sounds to match.
Just found an article on how to get Processing working with a camera on a PC. It's something to do with the drivers not being compatible with QuickTime 7 and QuickTime 7 not liking particular cameras... or something. Anyway, documentation for Windows Vista and Processing is near none existent and so trial and error ensues.WinVDIG I have finally gotten Processing to acknowledge the existence of my camera. However, I can't for the life of me work out how to set my Logitech camera as the default input device rather than the camera built into my laptop and the camera that my laptop thinks it has, but blaitently doesn't.import processing.video.*; Capture cam; void setup() { size(320, 240); String[] devices = Capture.list(); println(devices); cam = new Capture(this, 320, 240, devices[2] ); } void draw() { if (cam.available() == true) { cam.read(); image(cam, 160, 100); } }
String[] devices = Capture.list();
Generate list of possible capture devices.
Display device list in the console. Which reads as: [0] "ASUS WebCam, 1.3M, USB2.0, FF-WDM" [1] "AVerMedia BDA Analog Capture-WDM" [2] "QuickCam-WDM"
cam = new Capture(this, 320, 240, devices[2] );
Define which device it is I wish to use in the properties of the 'new Capture'. In this case it's device 2, the list starting as it does at 0. Processing that use "Capture video;", instead of "Capture cam;". I have no idea why this is. From my limited knowledge of Processing it would appear that the "Capture cam;" and "Capture video;" are simply variable names, but do seem to be the major defining difference between the code. "Capture video;" gives me an error message when I try to apply the same method of selecting the web cam as I do with "Capture cam;".Processing and simply trying to take control of a camera that is either not working or simply not there. However, it would seem there's quite a lot of fuss about the video capture on Windows using Processing and it would turn out that one of the versions of VDIG works a lot better than the others, version being something I never checked or was even made aware of as an issue when first installing VDIG. So I'll attempt the better version, uninstalling the previous one and reinstalling the new (going on assumption it's the wrong version, despite the poor design not showing ANY version number ANYWHERE within the program).WinVDIG is pretty awful, and I'm not wholly surprised it doesn't display anything. I am hoping however, that it's not the cause of the problems with Processing as it did certainly allow at least one method of capture to work since installing it... even if it's not the method I want to use! Maybe I'll try JMyron...?
JMyron The description:"Myron is the cross-platform, cross-language, open source, video capture and computer vision plugin. One core C++ object gets cross-compiled as a handful of high level language "wrapper" libraries. The wrapper for Java and Processing is called JMyron. The wrapper for Macromedia Director is called WebCamXtra. The aim of the project is to keep computer vision free and easy for the new media education and arts community.
I've come across an interesting site called "SetPixel". This website is literally a WordPress blog of articles, written by artists who love to play with digital interactive arts. Everything on this website is a good example of projects I would love to make. My favorite of the projects they've been involved with is their interactive digital waterfall wall. This installation was commissioned by a childrens hospital ward to be an incentive for children to get up and actively play with something beautiful, calming and therapeutic. Made using Processing, this interactive display allows people to move in front of the color changing wall that shimmers like water while a camera picks up their movement and manipulates the water effect as if to create ripples in the locations relevent to where people are standing and moving.SetPixel page for this project click here .SetPixel have conducted was in eye movement and gaze. The aim was to create an interactive display that contains images manipulated by the users eye movement.SetPixel do it more justice in it's description that I do, so I strongly suggest you visit the project page located here . It's also definitely worth checking out the two video's on the page to get a better idea of how it works.
Now I was thinking to myself; it's easy to detect movement using Flash / Processing and it's even easy to detect specific colors. If I was to have someone look into a darkened box that contained a web cam and a very small red LED, both pointing at the viewers face (eye's to be exact) then processing, or whatever platform I used, could detect the glint of the red LED that would inevitably shine brightly in the pupil of the eye. I could then detect the movement and direction of the eye's allowing me to manipulate an image. Something that springs to mind is one of my favorite digital Flash artists, Paul Neave's, 'imagination' Flash project, which can be seen here (and in the image below, description beneath image).
On of my first ideas was based on the idea of using feedback from a camera on a time lapse capture + projector to give the appearence of people being 'followed'.
After a long time playing with the feedback of a webcamera + monitor, actually getting a steady feedback like I was after here is seemingly near impossible. I'd love to try this again on a large projector + web cam but I think ultimately it's an idea I'd rather not persue too much futher.
I'd love to play with simply projecting messages and adverts onto people as they walk past in the street. Covering shoppers in the logo's of big name brands. My intention was hopfully to draw peoples attention to just how many tags and logo's they carry about on themselves. Logo's that represent idea's, people and company's that bare no relation to the person carrying them about. Many people happily wear the name of Nike on their tops, never considering just what it is they are helping to advertise. It would be nice to work a political theme into my work, but on the whole as soon as you do that you look like a moron. Unless you do it well.
I wanted to have a look at web cam detection. Having spent a good few hours trying my hardest to get processing working on my computer I have decided to give up and work with Flash. Processing is best used in conjunction with a Mac, something I do not have. While Processing itself works, the Quicktime + Java requirements don't seem to work so well. Initially the camera worked fine with Processing straight from my computer. However, a day later and now nothing works. I've tried rolling back my computer to an earlier time, reinstalling the Java platform, reinstalling QuickTime, trying older/newer versions of Processing (including Alpha releases) and even stealing my housemates monitor to try and use with my monitorless other PC to get Processing working with the camera. I give up, I need a Mac.FlashGuru LTD. His tutorial can be found here , on the main Adobe development website.Processing language (which is just called Processing? I suppose) means that once I can find out 'how' I make something I don't think it'd take too much work to recreate that project in another format. Processing is the way forward, I see that. Flash for now though!Processing projects. Projects such as those made by SetPixel , who I'll cover in another post.
A couple things that are annoying me at the moment are; that the wiki editor doesn't seem to work with the very latest beta build of Firefox as it doesn't allow me to scroll properly. And secondly this means I have to stick to IE in order to edit the pages.
So far I've been using Photobucket for the image hosting as it remains my favourite image hosting website with the easiest and best image uploading of them all.All the images used on this page are just inserted using the embed code from photobucket and then using the 'insert HTML' feature on the tool bar.
The idea behind this comes from one of my previous ideas whereby speakers are placed along a path in Hyde Park, the idea can be found a couple posts down and is called "New Hyde Park".
The plan:
I wanted to convey a feeling of confusion. It's an idea that comes from my own poor hearing. I find it very hard to listen to conversations while there are other conversations going on in the background, this causes a severe sense of confusion, and hopefully I could portray that same feeling to others. I would use short clips of speach, both English and otherwise, and then allow them to play for only a handful of seconds each. The idea is that the speach is interesting, but ultimately it cannot be followed. For instance; a clip would play a man talking about an interesting news article, something that would be of interest to art students and lecturers, and hopfully passers by will be interested. As they start to listen though, another sound file will cut in over the top and make it too hard to hear what the previous one was saying. While the previous sound file fades out, and the new one in, I think people will start to listen to the new sound file. This of course would also cut out about half way through the interesting part with another sound coming in over the top of it.
This could be achieved by making a duel channel (or even 5.1/6.1 surround, if I could get my surround working with my laptop. Which I can't) audio file and simply play that on repeat using a standard media player. Another, more preferable choice, would be to drum up the sound files and let Flash randomly chose which ones to play and use some AS to control which channel the sound is played out of along with controling the fading out. However, given that I have little knowledge in how audio through Flash works I think it would be easier for the same effect if I just made the sound files using Audacity.
It's pretty powerful. Just starting to really look at the potential projects that can be conducted with it.
This is just an idea, but I do quite like it. Using a camera to detect movement and dividing the detection area into a grid I think I could create an interesting interactive full body drum, thing. For instance; if a camera was to be pointed at a blank wall and then to have a person stand in front of that wall I could detect his movement and use processing to play out sounds based on where the movement was detected. So if a movement was detected to the far left of the area being monitored it could play a higher pitched drum beat, a lower pitched beat if the movement was on the right hand side and so forth.Weird Fishes: Arpeggi from flight404 on Vimeo .
I wanted to change the way an area is percieved, the way the environment around us is looked at and taken in, using a variety of different sounds that contradict or help others to re-evaluate their situation.
In this idea I would place speakers (in the form of cassette players) along a path in Hyde Park. Placing maybe 3 or 4 devices in different places along the path. The sort of sounds I envisioned playing were that of birds being scared away from the trees, and gunfire. The idea would be to make people look around them for the source of the noise, or better yet; trick people into being unsure as to whether what they heard was a natural (or rather, real) sound.
I've never been much a fan of the "GG's". Although I agree with the notion of equal rights of course and much of what I've read into feminist ideals I agree with also, I just don't think it's all about the activism for them anymore. At the beginning (this is based on my limited knowledge of their movement so please check for yourself) it was a sincere attempt to draw attention to the Feminist cause through a less depressing stance. Since then however it is my feeling that it's lost it's way a bit and they are more concerned with the public hype that they create about themselves, the guerilla girls. Even though they state that they draw attention not to their identities but instead to their ideals through the masking of their faces I still think from what I've read they are more interested in talking about themselves, rather than their activism.
I came across this book written by artist 'Keri Smith ' whilst looking for other material by her. This book has gained some reasonable acclaim and reviews and so I've created a Wiki page so that I can keep it's location handy. The Wiki page can be seen here .
I really like the idea of playing with the notion of art developed within a toilet. To that end I wish to turn the idea into a short project. Because this is somewhat a deviation from the Final Major Project I have decided to turn it into a connecting project, but a separate project in it's own right. You can view the Final Major Project page here .
Primarily I will need to start linking my research more heavily in the direction of using digital images and audio to start planning my final product. LogiTech QuickCam, took bloody 3 attempts to get one that worked with my computer!
Guerilla Arts Journal here . There's also little stories up there, such as:
"at my job, we have these bulletin boards in the elevator where the office staff post bulletins and job related articles and other mind-numbing crap like that. i started tacking little notes up there. i use company paper and sticky stuff. some people started responding.
One of the things I've always admired in an odd way is the drawings on toilets. You'll find these doodles, notes, cursing statements and adverts written all over toilet doors, walls and mirrors right the way through the country and all over the world. This is one of the greatest forms of art in my opinion. These items are some of the most honest and grounded art that can be found, stating exactly what people want to write or draw without the ruthless glare of the public critique. This anonymous art is also in many cases evolving art. I first really started noticing this in the context of art when first starting the second year of this course in the new Blenheim Walk building. In the mens toilets of the ground floor in the building you'll often find many interesting doodles that people have drawn onto the doors of the cubicles. The interesting thing is that other people reply to these doodles and messages. I've seen entire conversations forming between people all written onto the back of a toilet door. Drawings of people are given extra props in the image, text and even entirely new meanings.
I found an excellent Flickr bank of guerilla art. It's worth checking out as there is some really nice stuff up on there to be seen. Although there is a lot of art up on this Flickr link, what is there has been obviously uploaded from personal collections of images that have been snapped as and when these items have been found. The nice thing is it's not the grand images that I find in library books but instead just simple art that's been left by simple enthusiasts.
Guerilla Art here .Keri Smith ":
Guerilla art is a fun and insidious way of sharing your vision with the world. It is a method of art making which entails leaving anonymous art pieces in public places. It can be done for a variety of reasons, to make a statement, to share your ideas, to send out good karma, or just for fun. My current fascination with it stems from a belief in the importance of making art without attachment to the outcome. To do something that has nothing to do with making money, or listening to the ego.
My first experience with being a guerilla artist was in my first year of art school in a class taught by conceptual artist Shirley Yanover. One of our assignments was to create some form of graffiti in a public place (we were allowed to choose the were and how). We went out in groups of four, (two lookouts, and two painters), and proceeded to make our mark on various blank walls across the city. The experience made me terrified and exhilarated at the same time. I wrote quotes from various authors along the bottoms of buildings, on phone booths, and on the sidewalks. I remember the feeling of daring as we sprinted away from unsuspecting police officers.
Now I am not necessarily advocating that you do anything illegal or potentially life threatening. But there is something wonderfully sneaky about leaving some form of art in public places. I like knowing that at some point in time someone might receive a little surprise in the form of a random message from a stranger, or a doodle in an unexpected place. I remember there used to be an artist in Toronto who would bolt text books and old phone books to various things. It became a personal quest of mine to find them all, and I always felt so excited when a new one showed up just under my nose. Experiment with your own ideas.
1. Sidewalk chalkhttp://www.learningtoloveyoumore.com./
Potential Ideas for subject matter
-any form of artwork (drawings, collage, doodles, paintings)
Further reading:guerillart.org
The original guerilla girls
Mysterious figures show up on a campus.
Potato: Guerilla Art
Jeff Claassen
Until now a lot of the projects that I have been creating have had strong routing in a career, business and corporate direction. Having to constantly relate the work your doing back to how it can be used in finding work after college, gaining recognition for your work in order to make money and justifying yourself in a lot of cases solely on how others may view your work in relation to wanting to fund it. I find this focus on finance daunting and uninteresting. Art isn't something that I like to think of in relation to money, however much it is required to create art in many cases I still think the first and foremost aspect to good art is that it is enjoyable to make and enjoyable to view/interact with. Due to this I have decided to base my Final Major Project around less finance-centric art. Areas that I will be concentrating heavily on are; performance art, graffiti, demonstration arts, guerilla arts, interactive arts and in particular those relating to instillation art. However, money isn't something that can be ignored and to that end I will be researching into council arts funding and work relating to the projects that I am doing.
Please refer to the Wiki page entitled "Why Wiki ". The reasons behind using a Wiki to create research for my project needs to be explained. It has special relevance to this project!
Initial Project Summery: While this is the original project summery that I submitted, there are alterations that I have made to it. Alterations are highlighted with square brackets [ ].
BRIEF (be concise)
For this project I wish to research into and create forms of visual and audio performance. Concentrating heavily on alternative and none invasive forms of both public and private protest, graffiti and demonstration art [within my research].
PROCESSES / TECHNOLOGIES INVOLVED (eg. Video Production / Stop Motion Animation / CSS Encoding / Second Life )
Creating visuals for use with digital projectors. Using software such as Premier and Final Cut.
RESOURCES REQUIRED (eg. video projector / digital SLR / webspace)
Video projector / Midi deck / MP3 recorder [/ web camera] as examples.
FINAL EXHIBITION FORMAT (eg. DVD / Website / Time based Installation )
DVD presentation showcase of recordings taken from the public and private performances, also featuring the reactions of those watching/hearing and interacting with it.
This is where I store links, articles, notes, maybe a picture or two and my occasional indecipherable tangent rant that I get the impression I may want to look on at a later date! It's not essential reading, but it might contain a few useful tidbits or interesting odds and sods. :)ShadowMonsters - that's VERY coolProcessing Neave Photobucket Myron WebcamXtra - camera capture for digital artists (sourceforge)SetPixel Troika MVMT - great installation worksFlight404 Radiohead animated video contest - Flight404 made a video for thisFlash 8, scripted camera Motion detection w/o JMyron - could provide useful referenceArticles on VDIG apps and alternatives - on processing forumDetect and locate webcam motion in Flash 8 Processing sudden motion library Lights, camera, ActionScript 3.0! - READ THISVideo tracking working in processing - using JMyron, WinVDIG + QuickTime all togetherReference library for video capture in Processing Flight404 Video's QuickTime WinVDIG - 4 versions (including 1.0.1)Brightness tracking in Processing - like examples bundled with Processing Books - Wiki pageO --> /|\| --> / | / \ / / / / / / / | / / / / /
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