Category: LookingOutwards-09

Danny Cho – LookingOutwards 9

For this week’s LookingOutwards, I was inspired by Refik Anadol’s work, Melting Memories, previously reviewed by Kristine Kim, my classmate. Initially, the display that replicates the characteristics of solid and liquid caught my attention, assuming that it is actually a material, not a 2D display. However, it turned out that it was a visualization on a screen.

This made me curious to see how can real physical materials could become ephemeral. It certainly is magical to imagine a tangible form constantly morphing or growing into something else. I also was intrigued by New Balance’s 3D printed midsole, seeing how generative design is affecting a 3D form that will later become tangible and be used in actual products.

This project was reviewed by another classmate Ilona Altman. With Melting Memories project, this led me wondering and eager to see a physical form shifting in realtime as a reaction to generative design algorithm.

SooA Kim: Looking Outwards-09


I’m citing on the week 5 of Looking Outwards and the topic was on 3D Computer Graphics. As a person who follows this artist’s work on instagram, I thought Sydney Salamy’s topic on Tyson Ibele’s work would be enthusiastic.

I agree on the peer’s assessment with the psychological play of the imagery in the work. The artist approached the viewer, using realistic texture and simulations to create the animation. Nowadays, most of the 3D animation software programs provide these simulations with scripts encoded. So, it gives more flexibility and options for 3D artist to just apply their objects/polygons to soft body or cloth simulation tag. Some of these software programs, such as Maya, provide a script content window for VFX artist to write their own Python code and generate it. Every time I watch this video post, it gives me chills as if my limbs were getting cut off; pretty similar to the reaction when you see someone getting a paper cut. However, there is this weird, visual pleasure of watching his 3D generative animation post in loop.

Peer’s link: https://courses.ideate.cmu.edu/15-104/f2019/2019/09/21/sydney-salamy-looking-outwards-05/

Stefanie Suk – Looking Outwards – 09

Video of Digital Grotesque

I looked at Sammie’s assessment on the “Digital Grotesque,” which is a large architectural artwork that was 3D printed out of sandstone. I agree with Sammie that the massive scale of this piece blows my mind because in the past 3D technology was used for small objects/projects, but the “Digital Grotesque” is a huge architectural piece. The extremely complex details and geometry (260 million individual facets) amazes me as well. She mentions how she was admired by the fact that “the base algorithms produce results that are not entirely predictable, though not random,” which I couldn’t agree more with. I feel like Sammie really looked deeply into the project and research a lot about how the artwork was structured. In her Looking Outwards, I can see she deeply understands how the piece was created in detail. I feel like she explained well about how the piece was structure/created, but I feel like it would’ve been more interesting if she also mentioned about the meaning behind the artwork. 

https://courses.ideate.cmu.edu/15-104/f2019/2019/09/09/sammie-kim-looking-outwards-03/

Sammie Kim, Looking Outwards 03, 2019

Julia Nishizaki – Looking Outwards 09

For this week, I chose to look at Margot Gersing’s post on Zeitguised Studios, and specifically their project in 2014 titled “Birds.” Using 3D computer graphics, the now Berlin based studio is known for creating compelling narratives, quirky characters, and fun, playful projects.

“Birds” by Zeitguised Studios

On their website, Zeitguised describes their project, “Birds,” as a “lighthearted essay on contextualized characters.” Throughout the video, this work portrays representations of birds made only out of objects we associate with birds, like eggs, worms, or bird houses.

An image taken from the “Birds,” a project that represents birds without actually showing a bird

I decided to write about this project, as I’m not very familiar with 3D animation or how it can be utilized, and I was drawn to the very creative nature of the work’s concept, the beautiful graphics, the bright colors, and the fun animations.

In her post, Margot reflects on the playful choice to represent a bird out of everything except for the bird. I thought this was an interesting point, and I’m curious as to what the deeper meanings in this piece are, as far as what a bird actually is and how our relationship to birds shifts that definition.

Jacky Tian’s LookingOutwards-09

I’m also really into Japanese installation art work, just like what’s in Mike Fanjie’s LookingOutwards-04, a type of traditional Japanese sound ornament called “Chijukinkutsu” is a perfect example for both visual string artwork and music instrument. It uses the mechanisms of vibration created by strings and there is a sewing needle hanging onto the the strings above each little cups filled with water. When electricity goes through the strings, needles would gently touch the surface of the water and create subtle sounds. This installation requires so much precision in many different aspects, such as, the position of each cup, the amount of water in the cups, the tention of each strings and etc… Moreover, when I looked at the artwork in a bigger aspect, I was inspired by its dynamic form and there is certain design element that I can integrate into my architectural design.

William Su – LookingOutwards – 09

Lungs in Silico 2019 – Alexey Kashpersky

I was also really intrigued by Danny Cho’s topic in Looking Outwards 05. The animation by Alexey Kashpersky was very beautiful and mesmerizing to look at. It was more like a performance or visual story than a scientific, informational animation that one would’ve expected from just looking at the topic.

I do wonder what the purpose of doing such a visually beautiful animation of the respiratory system is. While very interesting to look at, I can’t imagine it being useful for “education” with its lack of hard information. For example, What do these molecules do?, What are they called?, etc. But then again, its cool af and who cares at that point right?

Kristine Kim- Looking Outwards-09

While researching for this week’s looking outwards, I came across my friend’s Monica Chang’s week 8 Looking Outwards and became very interested. Her post was about Mike Tucker, an interactive designer and director at a company called MagicLeap, who centers around the future of spatial computing. They have collaborated with Radiohead’s Johnny Greenwood and Enclyopedia Pictura for the creation of Kanye West’s video game.

Spatial Design of Tónandi

In Monica’s Looking Outwards post, she mentions a virtual app called Tónandi created in collabration with Tucker’s company, Magic Leap and Sigur Rós. Tónandi translates to sound spirit in Icelandic, an interactive audio-visual exploration of the sounds and spirit of Sigur Rós. They claim that Tónandi is a creature with unique sound and personality, inhabiting our environment and inviting interaction. I was very intrigued by this project because of its ability to interact with the environment naturally and how hands and body are all that is needed to execute this project and to connect with the sound creatures around you.

Tónandi, Sigur Rós in collaboration with Magic Leap Studios

Cathy Dong-Looking Outwards-09

Reflektor Distortion — Carsten Nicolai

I was inspired by Crystal Xue’s Looking Outwards 04. Carsten Nicolai is an artist and musician based in Berlin Germany, and he is known for presenting scientific quality of sound uniquely and artistically. He visualizes sound in minimalist installations. I am particularly inspired by the exhibition Reflektor Distortion at Galerie EIGEN + ART Berlin. The project utilizes disturbances, coincidences and self-organizing structures. Using the contrasting colors black and white, Nicolai visualizes the distortion nuance of frequency. The three main elements used are mirror, image and reflection. Eventually, the surface of a mirror becomes the medium that unveils reality as a distorted reflection.

Reflektor Distortion

William Su – Project – 09 – Portrait

sketch

// William Su
// Section E
// wsu1@andrew.cmu.edu
// Porject 09

var underlyingImage;

function preload() {
    var myImageURL = "https://i.imgur.com/zvGQCAe.jpg"; //My image
    underlyingImage = loadImage(myImageURL);
}

function setup() {
    createCanvas(384, 480);
    background(0);
    underlyingImage.resize(384,480); //resize portrait image to fit the canvas
    underlyingImage.loadPixels();
    frameRate(1000); //Increased framerate
}

function draw() {
    //All similar to example
    var px = random(width);
    var py = random(height);
    var ix = constrain(floor(px), 0, width-1);
    var iy = constrain(floor(py), 0, height-1);
    var theColorAtLocationXY = underlyingImage.get(ix, iy);

    //random number generator from 0 - 2
    let r = int(random(0,2));

    strokeWeight(r);
    stroke(100 * r);
    fill(theColorAtLocationXY);
    rect(px, py, 10, 10); //Fill rectangle at location of sampled color.

    var theColorAtTheMouse = underlyingImage.get(mouseX, mouseY);

    var HiImWill = ["Hi", "I'm", "Will"]; //Initializing a simple list of words.

    fill(theColorAtTheMouse); //fill color at mouse location
    textSize(16);
    //draws random words from list
    text(HiImWill[r],mouseX, mouseY); 
}

Portrait
Original Photo

For this project, I used a combination of squares, strokes, and words to generate a portrait of myself. I added variability