The concept for my project is to explore the idea of unintended performance art where a participant is used as the input but is unable to experience the output.
My project will consist of a user controlled helmet with an LED display over the eyes. Essentially functioning like an inverse VR headset, the helmet will display images/patterns on the outside of the headset, rather than the inside. The wearer will not be seeing the images but be enclosed in the helmet and left to wonder about the display and trust the artist to lead them.
Input options are open, depending on what I want to use to augment the experience to the wearer.
Accelerometer: If head tilt right ā> then run Pattern A; If head tilt left ā> then run Pattern B
BPM Coding in JAVA: http://www.streamhead.com/easy-bpm-calculation-in-java/
Tech
16x16 LED Matrix, $35: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HGJRBWW/ref=asc_df_B01HGJRBWW5389253/?tag=hyprod-20&creative=395033&creativeASIN=B01HGJRBWW&linkCode=df0&hvadid=198058458227&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=3169353540351361839&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9016849&hvtargid=pla-319892063664
What are these machines doing for the artists that that humans canāt do? In other words, would these artists have to make machines to make their artwork?
The machines and augmentations these artists utilize allow them to express extensions of themselves within their work in some way. That is, while they would be able to make their art without the machines, they would not be nearly as successful in conveying their subject matter in the way they need. These artists rely on their machines to push the boundaries of human limitations, and extend them further for amazing results. Itās this extension of human limitations that I believe is the key factor in using machines.
If the art wasnāt machines, how would it be different? Reference at least three artists specifically.
As I said before, if the art was not created with the machines, the impact would not be nearly as strong. For Wodiczkoās projection series āPower,ā the projections are necessary in order to reach a wider audience. If he were to simply display the video in a gallery setting, it just becomes another documentary style piece. By projecting intimate closeups of the face/body onto historical monuments, he is forcing both the viewer and the storyteller to come face to face with the trauma being exposed. Additionally, the sense of scale brings the element of hierarchy and importance into play - the larger than life projections demand your attention.
In Kelly Dobsonās work, the machine is integral to the functionality of the pieces. Her work focuses on the machine/human interaction and how they can be used as a sort of psychological experiment. Without the machine, her work would merely be conceptual theatrical performances, but the added technology takes it that step further to become both performative and functional.
Alan Rathās work requires the machine to create these pseudo-android creatures that incorporate the idea of humanness but do not use it directly. If there was no machine, I imagine these pieces would become static pieces...maybe simply video works using the animated body parts? Itās hard to say how his body of work would look because the machine is right there for the viewer to see.
What do these artists desire from their machines? Again, reference three artists specifically. They donāt have to be the same three. Answer these questions in detail and add any other thoughts you have about this work.
I think a common thread between these artists is the desire to use their technology to evoke a sense of wonderment in the āunknown.ā All of these artists use their respective machines to
1. What part or parts of the body particularly interest you as sites for augmentation? These can be anything either inside or outside the body, eyes, elbows, spleen, heart, toes, ovaries, etc. Describe the essential features of these body parts. Attempt to verbalize your special attraction to these body parts. Is it sexual, scientific or spiritual? If possible, cite artists who have highlighted these parts in their work.
Any parts above the waist fascinate me, specifically the skeletal structure: arms/hands/fingers, skull, spine/spinal cord, ribcage, shoulder blades/wings. The augmentation of limbs like arms and fingers are points of interest - I like the aesthetics of sci-fi and fantasy re-imaginings of humanoid forms such as mechanical limb replacements (prosthesis), clawed hands, webbing between fingers, bumps/spikes, or even unconventional additions like objects for hands or extensions.
Iām also interested in the skull/spine as a form, and especially the point of connection along the spinal cord and atlas vertebra. I also like the shoulder blades, or āwingsā as they are also known. I think these parts are important as they represent points on the body that are very vulnerable, yet are vital to our functioning self. Contrasting strength and vulnerability in form/function is something I always enjoy seeing in art.
Much of my own work is inspired by fantasy/sci-fi/superheroes.
2. In a perfect world where money and technology are without limit, what kinds of augmentation (super powers) would you pursue? These can be either practical (lasik surgery) or impractical (the ability to fly). Choose two or three and explain your interest in this kind of augmentation.
Teleportation is an ability I would love to have, or wings. The ability to transport oneself more practically and beyond human capabilities is something I think we all dream of; efficiency is the goal for most innovations. If we are ever able to figure out the puzzle of transferring matter from one point to another without traversing physical space, I want to be the first in line to beta test.
The idea of self-alteration (shapeshifting) is also interesting. This goes along with my fascination with body augmentation from a structural sense - being able to change oneās physical morphology either partially or completely to convey an aesthetic. The character Mystique from Marvelās X-Men is a fictional example of this, but shapeshifting in folklore has often been used in mythos to either denote punishment or removal of agency. There is a certain stigma with this concept of āotheringā through physical manipulation, and Iād like to explore it further.
Finally, Iām intrigued by the concept of psychic empathy (Empaths, like Mantis from Marvelās Guardians of the Galaxy) - being able to sense emotions and thoughts and being able to influence them in turn. This is a moral grey area since this sort of influence can easily become manipulative rather than helpful, but it brings me to ideas about hiveminds and how behavior is affected by outside input.
3. What kinds of fabrics or looks are you attracted to in your idealized fashion statement? Do you like shiny, punk, colorful, geeky, sleek, androgynous, etc. Find three or four images that epitomize this ideal.
[Link to my Wearables board on Pinterest]
Everything in the aforementioned Pinterest board are aesthetics that I am attracted to in some way. I love materials that are protective, shiny/metallic, geometric, asymmetric/symmetric alike, things that resemble exoskeletons, grotesque, repetitive, mimic natural forms with unconventional material.
Hu Sheguang
Paper Spine Dress by students of the Pratt Institute
Gestural sculptures by Jennifer Crupi
Andrej Pejic for Dazed
Ensemble, Alexander McQueen
4. Look at the Adafruit website at the following tutorials. Which technologies intrigues you the most and why?
I really like the use of LEDs to emphasize/put focus on certain aspects of the body or clothing. The firewalker shoes were fun and a bit nostalgic :) The EL wire is neat, and Iām interested in learning more about how to use motion tracking with the Kinect to make interactive and immersive experiences.
Project film of things/people in motion on to still bodies: create movements that are contrary to what they are being projected on. Fish/water, clouds, people walking
Projecting typically big things at a small scale, hidden away in discrete places (or vice versa). Elephants in small corners, buses/construction vehicles on tabletops.
Projecting on to smoke/fog: alternating patterns and colors, abstract.
Some preliminary ideas for the types of shots I want to incorporate in my static shot film; a combination of natural/urban settings, with mostly Closeups and Medium to Wide shots. The sound editing will be key in making these interesting, and I want to have the audio from each scene overlap with the next scene to eventually create a cacophony of sounds.
Landscapes/Environments: Finding remote locations with minimal human interaction (e.g. parks, lakes, abandoned homes/neighborhoods), and creating serene shots that seem bubbled in time, almost like infinitely looping gifs. Non-narrative, but could progress from night to day.
Time Lapse: Speeding up/slowing down shots at certain points - use to visualize the passage of time/nature of progress. A mixture of wide shots and closeups, making sure to frame each shot in parallel to the previous one. Light trails?
Soundscape: Focusing on the sounds in a location, overlaying and boosting elements to draw attention to specific parts in or out of frame. Editing unrelated sounds into the shot to create a whole new environment/story.
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