Filmmaker Natasha Maidoff approached me needing a way to display synced video for a multi screen piece at the Google Art Walk. Having multiple view ports embedded into a single piece creates tension between the individual screens and adds a dynamic layer on top of what happens within the boundaries of each. I built an aluminum frame to hold the LCD screens, power supplies and networked raspberry pi computers playing back the video in sync. The whole was then mounted to the wooden frame. more…
What is the right way to display generative art? After having developed a fairly substantial collection of algorithmic art pieces, running them in a browser or cluttered computer desktop left me wanting. In 2014, I set out to build this display device to showcase the work in a more direct way, without the distracting UI clutter and gear that accompanies the typical interaction with technology.
Building a binary clock is a rite of passage for artists interested in exploring electronics. There is a subversive edge in over-designing it to the extent that its alleged primary purpose becomes obfuscated until all that is left is the contemplation of mysterious patterns. My version of this endeavor involves contrasting the immateriality of light with the weight and cold smoothness of polished cement. But it DOES tell time, although by the time you’ve decoded the bits, the time will be different.
Learning the process of wetplate photography opens up the door to the magic of light. I worked with Sari and Jason Madsen at Tintypebooth doing tintype portraits at street fairs. This process, which was commonly used at the end of the 19th century, remains both surprisingly simple and wondrous at the same time. I never got over the excitement of seeing the cloudy swirl of the chemicals float off the plate to magically reveal the traces of captured light.
Along with providing necessary data for VFX production, panoramas provide visual great datasets to explore creative uses of composition, sharpness, perspective and mood.
