mjanco – Looking Outwards 12 – Section B

In this week’s Looking Outwards I looked at Camille Utterback’s piece Untitled 5, an installation from 2004, and Adrien M and Claire B’s piece XYZT from 2015.

I was very interested in how Utterback’s piece is so fluid and organic while still being based in algorithms. Her installation sets up animated mark making that is influenced by the movements of the viewer. A viewer can move and have the visuals respond but not in an extremely direct way, there is a slight mystery to the connection between the viewer’s movements and the resulting marks. I think it’s interesting to try to create a visual that contrasts with the aesthetic associated with computers. I like the thought process of how to program a visual that appears as if it came from the human hand, or a physical event of the natural world. Utterback’s piece accomplishes this exceptionally well, and it inspires me to create a similar aesthetic result.

XYZT is a similar installation, as it is an interactive piece that allows viewers to interact within a space to produce visuals around them. The concept is this piece is that digital light landscapes are produced across 4 different dimensions: horizontal(X), vertical(Y), depth(Z), and time(T). I thought this was a great concept, as Adrien and Claire take the immersive qualities of their piece and stretch it farther than most, creating a next-level immersive experience. Again, I love the organic quality of the white light aesthetic in this piece, and the human interaction adds a level of fluidity that contrasts with the algorithmic nature of programmed art.

http://camilleutterback.com/projects/untitled-5/

https://creators.vice.com/en_au/article/3d5e39/xyzt-axis-interactive-light-art-installation