Rachel-Looking Outwards-2
http://openprocessing.org/sketch/2920
Interactive Roots by Esteban Hufstedler generates patterns of root structures emanating from a central point, creating beautiful, two dimensional, radial structures in Processing. This work is highly engaging, and I enjoyed the many levels of interaction it provides. From color, speed, size and transparency, the work explores all permutations of the root pattern. This allows each use of Interactive Roots to be unique in experience, process, and result. The applicable changes to the form are simple, almost expected, and that lends the work a sense of simplicity that heightens the importance of each change and each form. The simplicity gives the work its whimsical feeling and each change to the setting gives whimsical form. This simplicity surprised me in visual effectiveness.
http://similardiversity.net/project/
Similar Diversity by Phillipp Steinweber and Andreas Koller visualizes the word traffic of five of the world’s sacred texts. The project uses Processing to connect word frequency and context among the books, showing the common ways humans describe their spirituality. The work is a comment on the absurdity of religious conflicts. I think the forms used in this visualization could take into account the various symbols of the religions. The way the words are connected gets the information across, but lends no content to the work. Color choice too, is important. I feel that color was used organizationally here, but not for content. Choosing colors that resonate with the beliefs of the faith, for example red for Christianity to symbolize the blood of Christ, could help to push the idea. Having these colors bleed into the connection lines and mingle with the colors of the other faiths would reinforce the point.
http://tomgerhardt.com/mudtub/
Tom Gerhardt’s Mud Tub uses Processing to allow the user control a computer with a vat of mud. The work reminds me of my childhood; Computers were these sacred clean objects and it was punishable by death if you even brought a glass of water near one. This work uses a childish material, mud, to fly in the face of that limitation. Mud is opposite of what society sees as an acceptable computer; it is dirty, shapeless, free, and associated with children. The mud gives the user a more organic experience, taking the pain out of the general sit and stare computer interface. I also enjoy the variety of games you can play with the mud, from “Drop the ball in the hole” to Tetris. The fun of this work is the combination of material and game choice, all childhood favorites of mine, creating an unexpected, simple experience that reconnects a user to his childhood.