Intermediate Studio - Permanent Flux - Research - Evaluation

In evaluation to my piece, the way it is working is near enough what I needed. My only consideration for the future is to maybe look into generalizing the data from the sensor so that the jumps in number are a bit more progessive. This I think would make the reactions to the sensor more reliable and not as rapid. Also I would have liked to have included sound in my piece and this is an area that I would consider investigating next time. One thing that surprised me about finishing the piece was how the different images I had taken broke down. It came apparent that image choice was crucial, one image could simply make or break the piece. For example the 'conflict' image that I thought fitted the piece perfectly was one of the worst to view. So for my review I have decided to show the strongest experimental piece which I think uses the best image to show off the code and also the code using the images that had taken following my research. My obvious next step would be to collect images that I now know would work with the code to create the greatest impact upon the viewer.

Intermediate Studio - Permanent Flux - Research - Overall Conclusion

In overall conclusion to the research I am happy that I have given the piece a solid foundation to which perform upon. Three images have been chosen to showcase the piece that represent the notions that the sublime and beautiful show grandeur, aesthetics and conflict. The only thing now is to get the piece working in realtime and reacting to its environment.

Intermediate Studio - Permanent Flux - Research - Conflict Image

1, originally uploaded by Jimbo (Alan James Wellock).

Here the image depicts a cloudy moment just before the sun breaks the horizon early in the morning. This sunrise quoting back to Turner represents the birth of life and in conjunction with the single tree shows a strive for peacefulness and the sublime. The clouds then contridict this message and dominate the landscape, depicting danger. The break in the clouds is used the same way it is within Turners work to show the viewer an escape from the inpending darkness. This image I feel is the best one that I have collected as it is the one that has the greatest emotional impact. Also because of the strong shapes in the image the impact of the gradual bluring effect will be emphasised which will strongly showcase the piece.

Intermediate Studio - Permanent Flux - Research - William J Turner - 2nd Image Conclusion

These images I feel are the best at showing conflict between what is seen as beautiful or sublime. It is the conflict which I am playing with in real time within my piece where an abstract art form is created. It is then the viewers perception that states whether it is just as beautiful as the original image. So to represent this notion I feel I need to collect one final image that captures this moment of conflict.

Intermediate Studio - Permanent Flux - Research - William J Turner - Snow Storm

Image courtesy of Turner: The Life and Masterworks by Eric Shanes, originally uploaded by Jimbo (Alan James Wellock).

This unlike the two below again doesn't realistically depict what is happening within the landscape but instead the feeling. The shapes and gradient of colour used focus the viewers eye to the centre of the piece and creates great sense of scale and proportion. This play of perspective and shape creates a sense of power and inturn that of something that is dangerous but also beautiful.

Intermediate Studio - Permanent Flux - Research - William J Turner - Calais Pier

Image courtesy of Turner: The Life and Masterworks by Eric Shanes, originally uploaded by Jimbo (Alan James Wellock).

This very much like the image below depicts every humans strive for peace and the beautiful. Here the sailors wrestle with the waves to simply try and get to the horizon where the cloud is breaking and hopefully the sea is calm.

Intermediate Studio - Permanent Flux - Research - William J Turner - Dutch Boats in Gale

Image courtesy of Turner: The Life and Masterworks by Eric Shanes, originally uploaded by Jimbo (Alan James Wellock).

Here the shapes used in the image displays power and passion. The roughness and darkness of the clouds gives a great sense of inpending danger. They are used as an emotional stimulate the viewer and this in conjunction with the corner of blue sky to the right shows a yurning for the beautiful and sublime.

Intermediate Studio - Permanent Flux - Research - Sunrise/Sunset Image Stock Conclusion

The couple of images I have collected for this stock I feel are the best at depicting the sublime and beautiful. The only problem is that to actually showcase the piece in which the image will blur and desaturate the softness of the sunset doesn't give the greatest of impacts. To solve this problem I am going to look in to Turner's pieces of work that show power and emotion, features that also give an impression of the beautiful.

Intermediate Studio - Permanent Flux - Research - Sunrise/Sunset Image Stock

7, originally uploaded by Jimbo (Alan James Wellock).

This unlike the image below does contain a landscape and this inturn with depicting a sunset gives a great impression of grandness and the sublime. It almost wants the viewer to take care of that specific moment in time and keep it from harm. Because of this, this image will be the next one to be included in my piece.

Intermediate Studio - Permanent Flux - Research - Sunrise/Sunset Image Stock

6 n a half, originally uploaded by Jimbo (Alan James Wellock).

This image was taken after sunrise and I feel depicts the feeling of piecefulness and inturn that of beauty. But the one thing that is missing is the depiction of somekind of landscape. Because of this the image lacks in the notion of it being grand and sublime. This then I feel doesn't give the greatest of impacts upon the viewer.

Intermediate Studio - Permanent Flux - Research - William J Turner - Image Conclusion

In conclusion to Turner's sunset and sunrise pieces of work I feel I need to collect various photographs that depict these times of the day. This is because I feel that it is at these times that we are at our most peaceful. During these times we are over awed by the grandness of our environment and in turn come to respect it more and more. Above then are a couple of images I have taken that try to recreate this feeling and respect.

Intermediate Studio - Permanent Flux - Research - William J Turner - The Clyde

Image courtesy of Turner: The Life and Masterworks by Eric Shanes, originally uploaded by Jimbo (Alan James Wellock).

This actual piece depicts sunset differently to his other work as there is no definate horizon or landscape. Here he is simply depicting the feeling of a sunset and not a photogrpahic perspective of one. This then instead of showing an asthectically beautiful image shows the feeling itself. Its passion, warmth and happiness that we all associate with the beautiful and sublime.

Intermediate Studio - Permanent Flux - Research - William J Turner - The Blue Rigi

Image courtesy of Turner: The Life and Masterworks by Eric Shanes, originally uploaded by Jimbo (Alan James Wellock).

This piece depicts the birth of the sun at sunrise over Lake Lucerne. To me thre is a great sense of grandness to the piece very much in the same sense as the last image collected in my 1st stock. The piece as character and a great sense of freshness and proportion.

Intermediate Studio - Permanent Flux - Research - William J Turner - Petworth Park

Image courtesy of Turner: The Life and Masterworks by Eric Shanes, originally uploaded by Jimbo (Alan James Wellock).

This piece strongly gives the impression of the sublime I was specifically looking for. The scale in conjunction with the colours gives the viewer a sense of warmth and happiness. An interesting point to note though is that Turner himself saw the the activities of the sun during the day as a lifetime. It is born in the morning at sunrise and dies in the night at sunset. From this I can draw parrellels to my project in the sense that if I can capture a sunset it will further emphasise the deteriation and death aspect of my piece.

Intermediate Studio - Permanent Flux - Research - Image Collecting - 1st Stock Conclusion

In conclusion to the images below several could be used in my piece, especially the ones that display scale, proportion and uninterrupted shapes. My only worry though is that even though they show beautiful proportion, I need to add other kinds of images to my library. One artist that has interested me when researching the sublime and beautiful is William J Turner and his landscape oil paintings depicting the sunrise and sunset. It is at these times of the day I feel that the beautiful fully displays its self and because of this, this is what I will look into next.

Intermediate Studio - Permanent Flux - Research - Image Collecting - 1st Stock

1, originally uploaded by Jimbo (Alan James Wellock).

This image like the others investigates size and proportion but also persepctive. It is its perspective and scale that gives it charactor. It displays a feeling of grandness and makes the viewer feel small but respected. I feel it is the closest these set of images have come to the sublime and beautiful, and is one I will then use in my peice.

Intermediate Studio - Permanent Flux - Research - Image Collecting - 1st Stock

0 037#, originally uploaded by Jimbo (Alan James Wellock).

This like the image below toys with the notion of proportion but on a local, small scale. The focus of the cmaera is used to bring the foreground to life and let the viewer focus on the scale of the buds and branches.

Intermediate Studio - Permanent Flux - Research - Image Collecting - 1st Stock

0 035#, originally uploaded by Jimbo (Alan James Wellock).

Here this image focus' on the unbalance of proportion the vast landscape sometimes has. We see the forest below the mound which is nothing special but the fact that there is a clearing and then a couple of trees and shrubs on the top gives a greate sense of uniqueness and perspective

Intermediate Studio - Permanent Flux - Research - Image Collecting - 1st Stock

0 031#, originally uploaded by Jimbo (Alan James Wellock).

This image uses the shape of the snow and perspective to create a proportionate view of the landscape. The upwards curve of the snow builds up the impression of the barraness of the rocky cliff.

Intermediate Studio - Permanent Flux - Research - Image Collecting - 1st Stock

0 023#, originally uploaded by Jimbo (Alan James Wellock).

This image toys with the idea that nature continuing to live in the most deserted locations on the planet, is a beautiful thing. That will to live and live well that animals and plants have is unique and critical attribute.

Intermediate Studio - Permanent Flux - Research - Image Collecting - 1st Stock

0 021#, originally uploaded by Jimbo (Alan James Wellock).

This image simply plays with the feeling of perspective and how the viewer, analyses the same objects within different environments. For example the close up tree donminates the image and displays great power while the little tree shows weakness and vunrability.

Intermediate Studio - Permanent Flux - Research - Image Collecting - 1st Stock

0 020#, originally uploaded by Jimbo (Alan James Wellock).

This image emphasises random pattern and texture. Thanks to the focus and contrast of the image it makes the viewer want to reach out and feel the rock, it tempts the viewer to pollute the rocks space.

Intermediate Studio - Permanent Flux - Research - Image Collecting - 1st Stock

0 018#, originally uploaded by Jimbo (Alan James Wellock).

This image I feel displays harmony and protection within a landscape. Beautiful atttributes that arn't asthetically shown but radiated using feeling.

Intermediate Studio - Permanent Flux - Research - Image Collecting - 1st Stock

0 017#, originally uploaded by Jimbo (Alan James Wellock).

This image displays unbroken lines and shapes, empahsising the unpolluted feeling of the natural environment.

Intermediate Studio - Permanent Flux - Research - Image Collecting - 1st Stock

0 013#, originally uploaded by Jimbo (Alan James Wellock).

Here this image supports the notion of beautiful being the unique perception of proportion and shape. This gives the tree and its surroundings a great character and depth.

Intermediate Studio - Permanent Flux - Research - Image Collecting - 1st Stock

0 012#, originally uploaded by Jimbo (Alan James Wellock).

Shape and perspcetive in this image plays a key part in showing a natural and beautiful shape. The contrast of the white snow and dull grass creates a great sense of impression and sense that the land hasn't been disrupted.

Intermediate Studio - Permanent Flux - Research - Image Collecting - 1st Stock

0 003#, originally uploaded by Jimbo (Alan James Wellock).

Various locations around Malham were visited and one thing that I identified as being unique was the difference of one rock to the other, and how the water over the years has shaped them.

Intermediate Studio - Permanent Flux - Research - Image Collecting - 1st Stock

After reading up on Edmund Burke it came apparent to me that for the images I take to display something that is beautiful, balance and proportion must be taken into account. So I decided to drive to the Yorkshire Dales National Park and collect some images that I thought played well with the notion of how we perceive size and proportion as well as collecting sounds to later on include in the piece if possible. Above are the first set of images I collected.

Intermediate Studio - Permanent Flux - Inhabit Development - Prototype Board

After long deliberation and talking to various final years about what is the best way to talk to any kind of sensor, I have decided after all to build my own circuit board. The best thing about this, is that once built I can adapt and evolve it to cope with not just this idea but many varied ones. So to do this I need to create a standard circuit board that contains a programmed microchip that is programmed to output data in the form of voltage several times a second and a smaller microchip that turns the 5 volts being used on the board into 10 volts so a computers serial port can read the data. The motion sensor door chime will then be connected to the board so that a ever changing number will be shown on the screen using a piece of input code created in Processing. Then when the motion sensor is triggered a signal will be detected coming from the door chime unit which in turn will via the circuit board make the number on the screen drop and it is this drop in numerical value that will trigger the image to blur and desaturate.

Virtual Environments - Networks, Artifice and The Virtual - Presentation - Weekly Report - Week 11

Just blogging to report our presentation and piece are ready to by shown tomorrow. The only problem though is that since the network is playing up we have to show a movie of our program rather than play it live.

Virtual Environments - Networks, Artifice and The Virtual - Presentation - Weekly Report - Week 10

This week our presentation is almost complete along with our notes and final piece. Now all that is needed is a bit of polishing up on all fronts, ready to present on Friday. Fingers crossed it should be ok!!!

Intermediate Studio - Permanent Flux - Research - Sublime and Beauty - Edmund Burke

Throughout my experiments it has become clear that I am trying to effect the viewers perception of something, but what, I couldn't work out. I have now worked out that it is the audiences view of beauty and the sublime that I am questioning. Now first of all it important to state that the sublime and beautiful are not the same, they can be linked but still are no the same. Very much like black and white can make grey but when viewed next to each other are not similar. In this case though I simply need to understand them and don't need to go into the vast detail of what makes them the same and what makes them different, so for this purpose I will simply refer to them as "Beauty."

Edmund Burke states that for something to be beautiful it must cause "love" or somekind of other passion similar for it. Simplicity is seen to be the key and beauty is not just physical, for example a beautiful woman automatically doesn't make men fall in love with her. It is the actual desire for something that makes it beautiful and unique. It demands no assistance from our reasoning and it does this by using proportion. Flowers are beautiful as they have the soul of proportion in their makeup.

The way we perceive beauty and the method to which my piece is questioning is in relation to the fact that we must analyze something first before we can state whether it is beautiful or ugly. It is important to note as well that although crisp, clean, balanced colours and soft, clear, looping sounds may make something perfect is doesn't make it beautiful. Gradual variation is needed very much like in my piece for the audience to analyze and appreciate beauty.

With this research in mind I am going to continue with my experiments and delve deeper into the subject of beauty and how we perceive it by taking photographs and sounds of my own to use in the piece that I think best represent it.

Source: Edmund Burke - A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of our ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful

Virtual Environments - Networks, Artifice and The Virtual - Presentation - Weekly Report - Week 9

We are currently having a problem with the network allowing us to gain access to the internet through Processing for our "Perfect System" idea. We will now have to search Yahoo instead of Google as this seems to have more chance of connecting to when using the university's computers. The simple idea is that a computer style networked map will be drawn in realtime over an actual street map to show the differences between physical and digital networking, one of the main comparisons in our presentation. At this moment in time we have managed to pull off the code for an advanced Yahoo search page and hope by next week to have this code controlling lines and shapes in the Processing window.

Virtual Environments - Networks, Artifice and The Virtual - Presentation - Weekly Report - Week 8

This week we have been deciding what to do for our final peice and are still undecided. One idea is to do a video composition of all the things that link and give us information during a typical working day. The other idea is to visually represent what the result of the "Perfect System?" gives back when searched for in Google. Both ideas will show how data is linked and networked but both have drawbacks in relation to development time. For example for the video peice to look professional we need a style and for the coded peice to work, we need to know how to attain data from the Google website. So the next week will involve choosing the final idea to take forward.

Intermediate Studio - Permanent Flux - Inhabit Development - Motion Censor Door Bells

For my Inhabit idea to work I need some way of detecting simple movement within the room the installation is occupying. The most easy and simple way to do this is to use a motion censored door bell. This will work by cutting the wire that goes from the circuit board to the speaker in the bell and then putting a 3.5mm microphone jack on the end of it so that is can go into a standard PC. All we need processing to do then is once I have done all my experiments for image desaturation and blurring, is bring all the code together and use the Processing Sonia sound library function to detect when a sound signal is being sent from the doorbell, for it then to trigger the on screen action. So below are a few door bells I am looking at:

Helix Motion Detector Alarm/Alert

Virtual Environments - Networks, Artifice and The Virtual - Presentation - Weekly Report - Week 7

Wooops!!! I forgot to blog a report last week, it totally slipped mind! Anyway this week we have looked at some artists from PLAN and also Skype. We now have the sufficient information for our presentation, we now just need to display this information and also think of a final piece to do that properly represents what we have found.

Intermediate Studio - Permanent Flux - Research - Motion Capture - Ultrasonic Sensors

Icube, originally uploaded by Jimbo (Alan James Wellock).

Another way of capturing simply if something is moving or not is to use hardware and software that allows you to plug in a simple ultrasonic motion sensor and process the data it produces. This basically fits the bill for my idea and unlike I-Cube a similar piece of hardware available called Aduino is free to use. The only problem though is that this then limits me development wise as I can't then use actual video data to evolve the idea if needed.

Intermediate Studio - Permanent Flux - Research - Motion Capture - Myron

Image courtesy of http://webcamxtra.sourceforge.net/, originally uploaded by Jimbo (Alan James Wellock).

For my idea to materialise I need a piece of technology that allows me to capture motion and send that data to a computer to trigger a reaction. One way of doing this is to use video tracking, such as Myron. Myron allows the user to capture motion with a camera and then due to its cross platform language with such processing systems as Java, Director and Processing, incorporate this motion into a piece of code. This is one option to take into consideration if I want real time visual representations of movement later in the future. It also will be useful basically for what I need at the moment for a computer to know simply yes or no if something is moving.

Intermediate Studio - Permanent Flux - Design Proposal - Inhabit Idea Identity

With my studio idea this term I have decided to design and installation rather than a product. This means the idea will not be heavily branded and will try and have an minimalist approach to emphasize the experience rather than the asthectics. With this in mind I have actually taken my inspiration for the design style of the piece from a job that was done at a place where I work part time. It was a job for a modern club called "Cube" in Manchester and used a minimalist approach to emphasize its contemporiness and appeal. With this in mind I used stock images from stock at work to create a minimalist abstract representation of the Inhabit idea for my design sheet and hopefully give it a brand style, but one that doesn't take away its meaning.

Virtual Environments - Networks, Artifice and The Virtual - Presentation - Weekly Report - Week 5

This week we have looked at the network of the Internet and Google. We have researched articles and found images to put both into our notes and presentation. Our next job is to look at artists that use networks not to make money like big corporate companies but simply better understand the ways we communicate with each other and the implications these have on our lifes. We will start off by looking at PLAN and hopefully then get leads to other useful reaearch material to support our theory that although big companies still compete on the Internet, the true meaning of it lies in networking and sharing information.

Intermediate Studio - Permanent Flux - Research - Wolfgang Stahle - Empire24/7

Image courtesy of http://www.medienkunstnetz.de/, originally uploaded by Jimbo (Alan James Wellock).

In this piece instant images are fed live for instant viewing. Wolfgang as these webcams all over the world recording various places of interest. This one pays homage to Andy Warhol and is pointed out of the "The Things" New York office window towards the Empire State building. I've just looked at this piece to see what can be doe with live footage. Although I probably won't be using live footage in my piece, it’s interesting to understand what can be done with it.

Intermediate Studio - Permanent Flux - Research - Yellow Arrow

Image courtesy of http://graphics.jsonline.com/, originally uploaded by Jimbo (Alan James Wellock).

I've looked at Yellow Arrow simply for its user interaction technique. This is not so much a piece but a network of people. Members simply paste yellow arrows in places that mean something to them and if another member spots it he or she can send a code to gain information from the member about the place. It links digital content to real locations.

Intermediate Studio - Permanent Flux - Research - Bill Viola - The Stopping Mind

Image courtesy of http://www.artvideo.free.fr/, originally uploaded by Jimbo (Alan James Wellock).

This piece placed sound and image on and equal line. Created in 1991, it was an installation consisting of four screens. As videos of meadows and trees were shown a murmuring voice would play in the background every so often interrupted by loud burst of noise. These loud noises were timed with the videos so that they stopped at the same time. This was to jolt the viewer and open their minds to a new way of perceiving the present.

Virtual Environments - Networks, Artifice and The Virtual - Presentation - Weekly Report - Week 4

This week we have started our presentation and started looking at Skype and other networking mediums. Next week we will be looking at Google as a dominant network in relation to Braudrillards "perfect system" theory and PLAN as a means to visualize networks in relation to his "swap competition for network and monopoly" theory. These two statements are going to be the basis for the presentation, arguing whether we, the West, chose to give up competition or were forced to.

Intermediate Studio - Permanent Flux - Research - Frank Gillette - Wipe Cycle

Image courtesy of http://www.n3krozoft.com/, originally uploaded by Jimbo (Alan James Wellock).

This piece created in 1969 in conjunction with Ira Schneider, resulted from a various experiments with image feed-back and time-delay. Gillette challenged the passive experience of the viewer by integrating pre-recorded information with live feeds of the subject. It allowed the viewer to see him or herself not just in a certain time or space but eight or sixteen seconds before. He stated "It was an attempt to demonstrate that you're as much a piece of information as tomorrow morning's headlines."

Intermediate Studio - Permanent Flux - Research - Dieter Froese - Not a Model for Big Brother's Spy Cycle

Image courtesy of http://www.medienkunstnetz.de/, originally uploaded by Jimbo (Alan James Wellock).

Created in 1987 this installation used close-circuit television with a two-channel pre-taped video. Viewers are taped as they enter the room then projected onto monitors as they watch political interviews. Here by showing the viewers themselves the artist engaged them in a direct way to the point of making them angry of shocked. In a way the privacy of the viewing experience is invaded and the viewer becomes the viewed.

Virtual Environments - Networks, Artifice and The Virtual - Presentation - Weekly Report - Week 3

This week we have read Jean Braullards book and made notes on it. Also we have started typing up these notes and designed a template for the presentation slides. Our next job is to transfer these notes into something visual in the presentation while also researching into locative art which use such mediums as Skype. This will be started by looking at the Pervasive Locative Arts Network or PLAN and will be interpreted in the confidence of the knowledge we have a acquired from Jean Braullard's work. Also we will investigate into recent events involving the Internet, such as Google censorship for the Chinese government fiasco.

Intermediate Studio - Permanent Flux - Research - Nam June Paik - The More The Better

Image courtesy of http://english.chosun.com/, originally uploaded by Jimbo (Alan James Wellock).

Created for the Olympic Games in Seoul in 1988 this installation consisted of 1003 monitors and was simply known as "the media tower." Here is an example of abstract digital art pushing the envelope not just in size but beauty. In relation to my own work there is no way I could create anything like this, but with looking at Paik’s work it has started me thinking. For example abstractness is a way of making people look at iconic, patriotic images in a different way even if they don't realise it. In some cases it can take a meaning of an image and turn it on its head. It is this I then need to look at and understand how digital abstract art conveys feeling and meanings through still and moving images.

Intermediate Studio - Permanent Flux - Research - Nam June Paik - V-yramid

Image courtesy of http://stephan.barron.free.fr/, originally uploaded by Jimbo (Alan James Wellock).

Here Paik as created something that intimidates the viewer. The monitors as you can see are arranged in a 90 degree angle so that they create a corner. Here Paik is tackling the notion; is technology something to be sacred and worried of. Are all of its 45 monitors ganging up on you, planning and scheming our downfall. Even the name associates the technology with power and fear, are we ruled and enslaved by it like the citizens of anciant Egypt all thoughs years ago.

Intermediate Studio - Permanent Flux - Research - Nam June Paik - Egg Grow

Image courtesy of http://www.thegallerychannel.com/, originally uploaded by Jimbo (Alan James Wellock).

One of his smaller installations here, Paik shows the evolution of the digital. Parading the common biological diagram fro evolution where man evolves from an ape that walks on four limbs to a straight walking human using only two. This piece asks the audience whether it is correct to analyse the digital like we analyse the biological, are they two different things in principle or the same?

Intermediate Studio - Permanent Flux - Research - Nam June Paik - Megatron/Matrix

Image courtesy of http://www.paikstudios.com/, originally uploaded by Jimbo (Alan James Wellock).

This piece consists on is split onto two parts, the left called "Matrix" with 215 monitors and the right called "Megatron" with 150 monitors. All images that are shown on both are iconic images from both the East and West ranging from Korean rituals to David Bowie concerts. These images change all the time at random in beat with a sound recording and every so often the flag of Canada, Finland or Japan appears. Here Paik has created a piece that allows us to analyse and understand the difference between different cultures from around the world. The flags in the piece emphasise this need of understanding one another as geographically they refer to three points right, middle and left.

Intermediate Studio - Permanent Flux - Research - Nam June Paik - Video Flag

Image courtesy of http://hirshhorn.si.edu/, originally uploaded by Jimbo (Alan James Wellock).

Produced in 1985 Video Flag composed of 70 video monitors and stood nearly two and half metres tall. As you can see the monitors are coloured to look like the USA flag but within the colours faces appear; various US presidents disappear and appear along with simply random images. Here Paik is trying to convey his interpretation of the USA's power verses the new youth culture of today.

Intermediate Studio - Permanent Flux - Research - Nam June Paik

Image courtesy of http://www.albrightknox.org/, originally uploaded by Jimbo (Alan James Wellock).

As stated in my brief I am going to look into how images refresh, compress and change as we deal with them. One person I’m looking at is the video artist Nam June Paik who sadly passed away three days ago at the age of 73.

Paik was an artist that was known around the world, he used the television and video to create vast installations and abstract screen pieces. I am looking and Paik to understand how images are broken up and displayed in a totally new style, thus making you look at them from a totally different angle be it on one television set or 200 television sets. I want to understand how he portrays his meanings in his work so that I can use what I have researched to produce a piece of my own that has the same impact be it digital or physical.

BLOG RENAME!!!

Da Daaahhh!!! Yes, my blog has been renamed to give a more personal, professional look to it. Ha, ha, ha, who my kidding I got the idea off some graffiti I saw in Manchester, talking about these sneaky little rodents. So this got me thinking; that is who we can blame it on when things in life don't quite go to plan be it for the better or worse. For example my blog; sometimes ideas that are posted don't simply work, sometimes they do and sometimes its a bit of both that gets me to the final result. Anyway hope you enjoy my blog and please come back soon for regular posts on all things arty and designy!

Virtual Environments - Networks, Artifice and The Virtual - Presentation - Weekly Report - Week 2

This week we have obtained a copy of Jean Baudrillard's "The Spirit of Terrorism" as well as looked at the Skype website. Over the next week we will read the book, making notes on any bits relating to networking, systems ot technology be them digital or physical. This should hopefully help us deepen and increase the quality of the arguements we can then put forward in our presenation, as well as helping us create an angle to attack the information we collect from.

Intermediate Studio - Perminant Flux - Initial Creative Brief

My Aim
The aim of the project is to research, understand and respond in the form of a piece of artwork or various experiments based on the subject of “Permanent Flux” or “Forever Changing.”

I must decide upon an area to focus my attentions on
I must then research that area
I must start sketching ideas
I must have a fully developed idea on a A2 presentation sheet for the mid term review
I must then take on board the criticism and produce a storyboard
I then must produce a final piece or series of experiments relating to my research, understanding and ideas


My Area
The area I am going to look into in relation to the subject of permanent flux is the ways in which images renew and diteriate both digitally and physically when unprovoked and provoked. I then hope to gain an understanding of time in relation to how we perceive and view these images.

Areas of technology I will look into are:
Television/Monitors
Camera Film
CD’s
DVD’s
Hard Disks
Floppy Disks
VHS


Stage 1
I now must start looking into artists which have investigated this area and try to understand the meanings and understandings their work presents. I hope from this to have an idea of a style I then want to evolve and make my own, be it in a final piece of series of experiments.

Virtual Environments - Networks, Artifice and The Virtual - Presentation - Weekly Report - Week 1

Just been given breif for our second term presentations, we must produce, in pairs, a presentation, supporting peice of work, printed copy of spoken text, a weekly report and written bibleography.

Our subject is "Skype" and our quote is "This architectural graphism is the embodiment of a system that is no longer competitive, but digital and countable, and form which competition has disappeared in favour of networks and monopoly." (Jean Caudrillad, The Spirit of Terrorism (...on the destruction of the Twin Towers) 2002.

To properly and fully research this area we need to break the quote up into individual areas:

1. Skype
2. Architectural Graphism
3. Competitive and Uncompetitive Digital Countable Systems
4. The Disappearence of Competition
5. The favour for Newtorks and Monoploy instead

The above areas will be where we will start and hopefully this should give us a good basis to create a presentation and peice of artwork from.