Author: luyaox@andrew.cmu.edu

Crystal Xue-LookingOutwards-02

Art That Makes Itself Symposium 2015 | Frieder Nake

Frieder Nake is a mathematician and computer artist. He is also the founding father of digital computer art. He raised a question of “Do calculating machines like drawing?” and he tried to solve it by experimenting with digital artwork. A computer is a tool equally as useful as a brush and paints which turn the open infinite process into a determined finite process.

http://dada.compart-bremen.de/item/artwork/1208

This is one of his famous artwork “Walk-Through Raster” done in 1972 was particularly interesting to me. He color-plotted squares in yellow, orange and blue with different grid dimensions. The variations of depth and density are shown through the layering of the grids. It is a full series of art compositions. To me, it is similar to how computer screen works. Zooming in to the resolution of the display, all we can see are color squares. A lot his work was also based on political points which takes the merely aesthetic compositions to the next level.

Crystal-Xue-Project-02

sketch-105.js

//Crystal Xue
//15104-section B
//luyaox@andrew.cmu.edu
//Project_02

var nosePointX = 380;
var nosePointY = 340;
var chinPointX = 372;
var chinPointY = 442;
var jawPointX = 240;
var jawPointY = 430;
var earPointX = 180;
var earPointY = 310;
var lighteningR1 = 255;
var lighteningG1 = 0;
var lighteningB1 = 0;
var lighteningR2 = 0;
var lighteningG2 = 0;
var lighteningB2 = 255;
var backgroundR = 113;
var backgroundG = 114;
var backgroundB = 208;
var count = 0;

function setup() {
    createCanvas(480, 640);
}

function draw() {
	background(backgroundR, backgroundG, backgroundB);

    //hair
    fill(255);
    noStroke();
    ellipse(230,320,220,250);
    quad(120, 320, 190, 500, 300, 500, 310, 300);
    triangle(200, 500, 160, 500, 190, 470);

    //face
    stroke(255);
    strokeWeight(3);
    fill(20);
    beginShape();

    //forehead
    curveVertex(220, 335);       
    curveVertex(220, 330);       
    curveVertex(220, 300);      
    curveVertex(220, 270);        
    curveVertex(220, 245);       
	curveVertex(250, 240);
	curveVertex(300, 235);

    //browbone
	curveVertex(335, 262);

	//nose
	curveVertex(347, 278);
	curveVertex(348, 305);
	curveVertex(nosePointX, nosePointY);
	curveVertex(nosePointX - 15, nosePointY + 21);

    //mouth
	curveVertex(365, 373);
	curveVertex(372, 381);
    curveVertex(368, 391);
    curveVertex(372, 400);

    //chin
    curveVertex(368, 422);
    curveVertex(chinPointX, chinPointY);   
    curveVertex(chinPointX - 7, chinPointY + 16);
    curveVertex(345, 462);
    curveVertex(305, 458);

    //jaw
    curveVertex(jawPointX, jawPointY);       
    curveVertex(220, 370);

    //ear
    curveVertex(205, 375);
    curveVertex(earPointX, earPointY + 45);   
    curveVertex(170, 325);
    curveVertex(earPointX, earPointY);     
    curveVertex(199, 315); 
    curveVertex(earPointX + 35, earPointY + 25);            
    endShape(CLOSE);

    //lightening bolt
    stroke(lighteningR2, lighteningG2, lighteningB2);
    strokeWeight(5)
    line(302, 235, 286, 384);
    line(289, 448, 318, 318);
    push();
    noStroke();
    fill(lighteningR1, lighteningG1, lighteningB1);
    triangle(304, 235, 288, 384, 343, 270);
    quad(323, 308, 291, 448, 352, 310, 346, 273);
    pop();
}

function mousePressed() {
    nosePointX = random(375, 385);
    nosePointY = random(335, 345);
    chinPointX = random(368, 376);
    chinPointY = random(433, 450);
    jawPointX = random(235, 245);
    jawPointY = random(425, 450);
    earPointX = random(175, 185);
    earPointy = random(300, 320);
    backgroundR = random(100, 200);
    backgroundG = random(100, 200);
    backgroundB = random(100, 200);

    count+=1;
    if (count%3==0){
        lighteningR1 = 255;
        lighteningG1 = 0;
        lighteningB1 = 0;  
        lighteningR2 = 0;
        lighteningG2 = 0;
        lighteningB2 = 255;
    }
    
    if (count%3==1){
    	lighteningR1 = 217;
    	lighteningG1 = 190;
    	lighteningB1 = 77;
        lighteningR2 = 104;
        lighteningG2 = 52;
        lighteningB2 = 30;    	
    }

    if (count%3==2){
    	lighteningR1 = 146;
    	lighteningG1 = 206;
    	lighteningB1 = 234;
        lighteningR2 = 214;
        lighteningG2 = 149;
        lighteningB2 = 183;     	
    }
}

I am inspired by David Bowie figure and pop art color palette. I also approached this project with a slightly different way. Experimenting with the side profile of David Bowie was a lot of fun.

Crystal Xue- Project-01

sketch-125.js

//Crystal Xue
//15104-section B
//luyaox@andrew.cmu.edu
//Assignment-01

function setup() {
    createCanvas(600,600);
    background(221,210,59);
    angleMode(DEGREES);
}

function draw() {
    noStroke();
	fill(220,184,121);
    ellipse(300,270,233,280);
    //face

    fill(155,145,194);
    rect(205,430,190,140);
    triangle(205,430,205,530,160,510);
    triangle(395,430,395,530,440,510);
    //shirt

    fill(220,184,121);
    rect(270,380,60,60);
    rect(235,430,130,80);
    //neck

    fill(255,255,255);
    circle(300,490,10);
    circle(290,488,6);
    circle(280,485,6);
    circle(270,478,6);
    circle(260,468,6);
    circle(251,454,6);
    circle(245,435,6);
    circle(355,435,6);
    circle(349,454,6);
    circle(340,468,6);
    circle(330,478,6);
    circle(320,485,6);
    circle(310,488,6);
    //necklace

    fill(255,255,255);
    ellipse(250,273,33,20);
    ellipse(350,273,33,20);
    fill(0);
    circle(250,270,25);
    circle(350,270,25);
    stroke(20);
    strokeWeight(4);
    line(265,263,200,260);
    line(260,263,217,266);
    line(333,263,394,260);
    line(337,263,382,266);
    //eyes

    fill(0);
    beginShape();
    curveVertex(350, 140);
    curveVertex(300, 220);
    curveVertex(220, 250);
    curveVertex(200, 320);
    curveVertex(200, 380);
    curveVertex(190, 420);
    curveVertex(160, 420);
    curveVertex(160, 330);
    curveVertex(160, 220);
    curveVertex(260, 130);
    curveVertex(350, 140);
    curveVertex(300, 220);
    curveVertex(220, 250);
    endShape();
    fill(0);
    beginShape();
    curveVertex(320, 80);
    curveVertex(350, 140);
    curveVertex(380, 190);
    curveVertex(420, 250);
    curveVertex(420, 270);
    curveVertex(415, 250);
    curveVertex(370, 200);
    curveVertex(350, 150);
    curveVertex(320, 80);
    endShape();
    fill(0);
    beginShape();
    curveVertex(160, 400);
    curveVertex(140, 450);
    curveVertex(160, 490);
    curveVertex(180, 440);
    curveVertex(190, 410);
    curveVertex(150, 400);
    endShape();
 
    push();
    rotate(50);
    fill(0);
    ellipse(400,-175,140,30); 
    pop();
    //hair   

    noStroke();
    fill(119,66,141);
    circle(169,430,20);
    triangle(160,430,120,410,120,440);
    triangle(180,430,210,410,210,440);
    //hairtie

	fill(220,184,121);
    ellipse(426,265,27,45);
    //ears

    fill(152,109,178);
    ellipse(210,310,100,20);
    ellipse(390,310,100,20);
    //blush

    fill(168,73,122);
    circle(300,370,30);
    fill(98,41,84);
    circle(300,375,20);
    //mouth
}

This was my very first time trying to generate images by coding. It was quite a fun and self-reflecting experience. Especially when I was generating curves, it reminds me of the blind drawing exercise(Drawing only looking at the subjects but not the canvas) I’ve done in high school.

Crystal Xue- LookingOutwards-01

The Art of Feeling-turning brainwaves into paintings

This is an amazing project done by Random Quark for Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness showing an amazing form of art that reflects one’s feelings with the help of technology. Different colors represent different emotions, for example, the color red represents love, etc. Then the brainwaves are recorded by GEE headsets and processed to generate complex patterns.

I personally found this project very inspiring because it is a very creative approach to visualize something intangible and hard to depict like emotions. Even though this project was based on the need for promoting mental health wellbeings, there are definitely opportunities to draw the inspiration and turn something else into a creative art form. This is also a multi-disciplinary way to build bridges between scientists, programmers, and artists to work collectively and produce something that general public are able to understand.