Author: ankithav@andrew.cmu.edu

Ankitha Vasudev – Looking Outwards – 02

This project by generative artist Kate Compton is called Flowers. It is an interactive genetic algorithm that was mainly created using JavaScript, as well as other algorithms to draw the flowers. I find this playable interesting because it incorporates a sense of complete randomness but also makes use of similar and repetitive geometrical shapes. 

A quick, non-interactive video depicting Flowers

In this project, the flowers have a 26-dimensional parametric ”genotype”, which generates L-system flowers in a continuous function. This continuity helped in creating a smoothly morphing animation. However, it is not fully continuous since the leaves and petals have been given integer values. This means that when the flowers animate from one form to another, there is some popping as leaves and petals appear.

A special characteristic of this project is that it uses a custom parametric generator, which controls color and shape. Initially, a variety of flowers are shown and the user can click on their favorite one. The selected “”favorite” flower spawns several closely-related and similar-looking plants and the user can continue to evolve their flower.

  • Initial variety of flowers
  • Variety after choosing the right-most flower

A link to the interactive version of Flowers can be found here.

An alternative version can be found here. 

Ankitha Vasudev – Project 01 – Self Portrait

(Press on portrait to change background)

sketch

// Ankitha Vasudev
// Section B 
// ankithav@andrew.cmu.edu
// Project-01-Face
 
function setup() {
    createCanvas(600, 600);
}

function draw() {
    noStroke();

    //background squares 
	background(255, 218, 255);
    fill(255, 180, 255);
    rect(10, 10, 580, 580);
    fill(213, 231, 255);
    rect(20, 20, 560, 560);
    rect(30, 30, 500, 500);

    //background color change 
  if (mouseIsPressed) {
    if (mouseButton === LEFT) {
      fill(172, 220, 255);
      rect(0, 0, 600, 600);
      fill(255, 220, 255);
      rect(10, 10, 580, 580);
      fill(182, 234, 255);
      rect(20, 20, 560, 560);
    }
}

    //hair
    fill(1);
    rect(210, 180, 212, 240, 200, 200, 15, 20);
    fill(60, 0, 0);
    rect(220, 190, 190, 215, 150, 150, 15, 20);

    //shoulders
    fill(255, 180, 255);
    rect(180, 428, 260, 185, 20);
    triangle(160, 600, 180, 450, 180, 600);
    triangle(440, 600, 440, 450, 460, 600);
    fill(189, 190, 255);
    arc(310, 428, 60, 60, 0, PI, OPEN);
    stroke(189, 190, 255);
    strokeWeight(3);
    line(220, 470, 200, 600);
    line(400, 470, 415, 600);

    //neck
    noStroke();
    fill(123, 77, 0);
    rect(290, 370, 40, 75, 100);

    //ears
    ellipse(231, 305, 18, 30);
    fill(96, 68, 0);
    ellipse(232, 305, 14, 18);
    fill(237, 239, 122);
    ellipse(231, 320, 7, 7);

    //face
    fill(123, 77, 0);
    rect(233, 205, 150, 200, 100);

    //eyes
    fill(255);
    arc(270, 290, 30, 30, PI, 0, OPEN);
    arc(343, 290, 30, 30, PI, 0, OPEN);
    fill(0);
    ellipse(270, 284, 15, 15);
    ellipse(343, 284, 15, 15);

    //left eyebrow 
    beginShape();
    vertex(252, 268);
    vertex(264, 265);
    vertex(290, 267);
    vertex(292, 263);
    vertex(262, 262);
    endShape(CLOSE);

    //right eyebrow 
    beginShape();
    vertex(323, 263);
    vertex(351, 262);
    vertex(363, 268);
    vertex(352, 265);
    vertex(325, 267);
    endShape(CLOSE);

    //glasses
    stroke(115, 0, 113);
    strokeWeight(3);
    noFill();
    rect(250, 270, 40, 30, 5, 5, 90, 90);
    rect(323, 270, 40, 30, 5, 5, 90, 90);
    line(290, 280, 323, 280);
    line(234, 272, 251, 272);
    line(361, 272, 382, 272);

    //nose
    stroke(0);
    strokeWeight(2);
    line(310, 310, 300, 335);
    line(300, 339, 310, 338);

    //mouth
    fill(60, 0, 0);
    quad(290, 365, 325, 365, 315, 372, 292, 374);
}

I tried to experiment with multiple shapes and commands using a very animated style of drawing. I wanted to include features that were specific to me; these include my purple-frame glasses and my brown and black hair. Lastly, I used a palette comprising of my favorite colors (pastel shades of blue and pink) for the background and used the mouseIsPressed command to alter the background color. 

Ankitha Vasudev – LookingOutwards – 01

An interactive and computational project that I find inspirational is Subtitled Public by electronic artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, completed in 2005. This installation consists of an empty space equipped with projectors and a computerized surveillance system that detects visitors who enter into this space. The system generates a random verb for each person who enters and projects it onto him/her. If a person touches another, their words get exchanged; hence encouraging people to interact with one another and the art. 

Image of verbs getting exchanged between two visitors in contact

I admire this project because of its purpose/intention. The piece comments on society’s excessive use of surveillance systems for safety and its profiling of the public based on ethnic groups and other characteristics. It also makes a statement on the branding of individuals by assigning them random words.

Many other projects by Lozano-Hemmer also involve words to describe a viewer. The arbitrary placement of text on the viewers allow them to experience the positive and negative connotations of the words places upon them.

Image of verbs projected on visitors
Video of the visitors within the technological installation