“Generative Portraits” by Diana Lange. 2014
This project shows a visualization using delaunay meshing on a 3-dimensional scan of people’s faces. There isn’t much explanation beyond that, as the artist wants the viewer to have their own interpretations of the situation. The work is simple but paints a picture that is tells specific details about a person’s features that I found intriguing.
Since I accidentally made my looking out 3 post about generative work. This post will be about projects using OF addons.
L.A.S.E.R. Tag, a collaborative project between several artists at the Graffiti Research Lab (GRL), is an open source broadcasting platform for activist and hackers. It uses an openFrameworks application with several addons including, computer vision, graphics, sound and, serial communication. Computer vision is used to track strokes made with a laser pointer. These strokes are interpreted by the program and projected back by a high powered projector as light graffiti onto the surface of your choice.
I like the way this project overrides typical methods of communication which tend to favor people with financial or political power. Making the code opensource and providing detailed instructions on how to create your own L.A.S.E.R. tag system makes it accessible to a larger audience.
I wonder if it would be possible to make this project entirely remote. The projector could either be hidden prior to installation or be mobile by mounting it on a drone. Users could also draw images remotely on a computer to be sent to the projector. There could be a collaborative aspect where multiple users could contribute drawings through a web interface. It could be interesting to add a deeper level of anonymity.
Malwarez from alex dragulescu on Vimeo.
MALWAREZ // ALEX DRAGULESCU
Malwarez by Aalex Dragulescu is a software based application that takes data input from documented malware instances and generates a visual form from each file. The software algorithm seeks out patterns within each piece of code and then uses those patterns to create three dimensional structure. Each structure is also given animate behavior based on it’s functioning characteristics. The visuals give each pice of malware a type of physicality that reveals their biomimetic core structure. This piece is so strong in that it bridges the gap between the digital and the biologically present. Each virus gets a unique “persona” through one all encompassing visual. It is genuinely difficult to find any critique with this project, but one big opportunity that still remains unexplored, or at least undocumented is the ability for these forms to become physical objects. The deployment of rapid prototyping technology or other similar means could provide a deeper alternative to a video file or printed image. the idea of visualizing low level computer operations is not new or unique, however the tie to biology and “unique character” given to each exploration is what sets this project apart from others.
image courtesy of http://bluecarpetcollective.blogspot.com
PHARE TOWER // MORPHOSIS
Phare Tower by Morphosis Architects is an example of generative form at a monumental scale. The Phare Tower is a commercial/office high rise located in Paris, France. The project is located on an irregular site with close proximity to the La Defense rail hub. The unique physical and programmatic nature of the site made the use of a parametric design process key for efficiency and execution. The form of the tower was developed through an iterative modeling process driven by scripting. A set of governing parameters was established, and as more information about the site/ program was input into the program, the form and structure of the building would change in an informed manner. The end result was an extremely efficient and informed structure for the building. The process was text book parametric design, however the end form was aggressively shaped by the process. The only real missed opportunity with this work is that all of the parametric design only engaged the performance aspect of the building (structure, views, etc.). Parametric considerations don’t always have to be environmental, they could have engaged social and programmatic aspects as well. The use of parametric tools for performance and optimization has been pervasive amongst the current architectural industry. However, there is a vast amount of opportunity for this type of parametric modeling to engage social data as well.
http://www.liaworks.com/theprojects/filament-sculptures/
I have chosen this generative art piece because of the different starting point then usually. The artist started from the possibilities of the filament. In some way the “blobs” are random, but also generative. The combination of this differences is what makes this artworks unique.
http://www.3ders.org/articles/20130315-expressing-mathematics-in-3d-printed-sculpture-art.html
I always have been wondered by the beauty of mathematics and that is why I have chosen for this particular piece. More generative that this it cannot get. Most of them are based on mathematical problems and inspiration. Plus some research with regard of typography.
“It’s You” by Karolina Sobecka. 2012
This eerie installation engages the passing by pedestrian by simulating an audience looking at something the passer-by cannot see. The crowd acknowledges the pedestrian’s existence by turning briefly to glance, and then open up a view after a few seconds to what they are looking at. After a couple minutes the crowd turns to the real person and at this point the person has the opportunity to perform for this digital crowd and get the audience to applaud.
So what’s exciting to me about this project is the eerie level of engagement it provides with life-sized people who acknowledge your existence. It’s in an area where you wouldn’t quite expect an audience, let alone a digital audience, to be. I like that term: “digital audience”. It seems this one is a little too easy to impress, and is very limited in its responses. It makes me think of rock band a little, too, where you can very easily un-impress the crowd, but the measurement there is so blatant with a scoring system based on how many notes you get right. Either way, the technology use in this project is pretty clever, using Unity, Blender, and open frameworks all together. A clever mixture of tools perfectly suited for this project scope.
“United Snakes” by Massive Attack + Dave Ferner and Tak Fung
This project is simple in concept but I’m sure it was at least mildly complex in execution. Or maybe not. I can never really tell. Regardless, a very enticing final result was produced for a music video for Massive Attack which is some band I never heard of before. The program written purely in open frameworks has the user drawing shapes, setting a fidelity, and then click-dragging to move the mesh around and recording in real-time. Various other features are implemented it seems such as copy/paste and having one click-drag affect copies. It results in one of those mesmerizing types of melt-y flow-y visualizations that are fun to stare at and not have to think about anything else.
I like this kind of thing because it’s simple and functional. I also like artsy and meaningful things, projects with loaded metaphors or meaningful representations, those are great and thought-provoking, but I find myself more attracted to purity, where things simply are what they are. The project then focuses on how to make it re-usable and allows for many different yet similar outputs. I like vagueness, I like when it just is what it is. This project really is what it is, a tool for creating a mesh to then drag around and record, and create a cool effect. Maybe that’s the architect in me, enjoying function and form.
The first project I looked at was slightly more poetic or attempting to be it feels, simply because of the eerie effect and what seemed to me like a comment on social behavior regarding focus on subject. Also enticing, but has so many questions left unanswered, never feels complete, it’s really a wicked problem project. For that reason I am probably just going to focus on the pragmatic side of things, or simply for the sake of my personal interest and what ‘feels cool’ to me. I dunno. Maybe I’ll try loading one of these two projects with some meaning. Maybe.