Jenni Lee – Looking Outwards – 02

Video demo of flight patterns

Colorized flight patterns

The project I chose is “Flight Patterns” by Aaron Blink, created in 2006. In this project, Aaron Blink visualizes paths of air traffic through color and form. This project is a graphic display of the patterns of generated airplane paths. Flight patterns was made to be a planetarium-based artwork installation that visualizes the data and algorithms of manmade aerial technologies. I was drawn to not only the nuanced, intricate visuals of the project but also the way in which it blends together data visualization, science, and art through the presentation of these mechanical algorithms. I find it most intriguing how the flight paths ultimately combine to create the shape of the United States, demonstrating the interconnectedness within the various flight paths. Additionally, I admire how Blink executed this project with artistic sensitivity, as the the pacing and texture of the white motion lines within the video demonstrate an expertise in motion graphics. Ultimately, I highly admire this project for its effective usage of generative art.

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