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!