Author: Ana

Looking Outwards – 04

I researched the project Supersynthesis by Amay Kataria in 2022 that was presented at Mu Gallery in Chicago. I like how the project emulates a wave of light and sound and how it allows the viewers to become users by digitally controlling the exhibit. The user can control how the exhibit shows light and sound in real time. It allows for community building and potentially performances by artists and/or musicians by controlling the exhibit. According to the artists the project is reminiscent of Olafur Eliasson’s Weather Project in 2003, which is alos about interacting with the community. The shape of the structure and interactivity of the project are manifestations of the artist’s interests. However, I wish the project had physical changes that respond to the user besides light movement and sound change. Perhaps something like raising and lowering of the bars when it lights up and emits sound or perhaps it could change colors.

Light & Sound Synthesis: In Conversation with Amay Kataria – CreativeApplications.Net

Project 3: Dynamic Drawing

sketch
// Ana Furtado 
// Section E
// Project 3 -- Dynamic Drawing

var angle = 0;

function setup() {
    createCanvas(600, 450);
}

function draw() {
    background(max(mouseX, mouseY)); // gets lighter and darker 
    fill(255); //white center rectangle
    strokeWeight(mouseX); // gets bigger as moves to the right
    rotate(radians(angle)); 
    rectMode(CENTER);
    rect(300, 225, 200, 150); //center white rectangle
    angle += (min(mouseX, mouseY)); ///spins rectangles according to mouse
    fill(255);
    //outer rectangles grow bigger and smaller and overlap
    rect(100, 75, 200, mouseY); // outer rect L1
    rect(100, 375, 200, -mouseY); //outer rect L2
    rect(500, 75, 200, mouseY); //outer rect R1
    rect(500, 375, 200, -mouseY); //outer rect R2

}

I by thinking about what could change by moving mouseX and mouseY. The most difficult part was getting the rotating around the origin to work.

LookingOutwards – 03

I like the wood bending project done by Sima Bdeir during Jeremy Ficca’s ASO studio as a part of the MAAD program at CMU. I admire how natural the structure appears. I admire how the light, material, and how it rests on ground were all taken into consideration. I believe some kind of generative software along with Rhino was used to generate the form and the structure was built using wood bending techniques, laser cutter, and metal supports. I think the creator’s artistic sensibilities come out in the unique form. I believe they took inspiration from nature and rethought how that could be practically used in this structure. Although, I do not understand the purpose of the curves near the back. They do not appear to seats, perhaps they could be to store things, or simply for design purposes. Overall, I believe the generative process used to create this structure makes it interesting to walk through.

Master of Advanced Architectural Design — CMU School of Architecture

Looking Outwards-02

I admire the Flow Fields, reinterpretation of Vincent van Gogh’s most famous works, by LIA in 2018. I like how it takes such a famous artwork, my favorite is the Sunflower reinvention, and puts a unique spin on it because of the artist’s sensibilities. In the case of the sunflowers, it is how the lines move and flow as if they are blossoming. The blossoming movement is the artist’s variation on the original Sunflower’s lines but through a generative art technique called vector fields or flow fields. This technique reveals lines and loops that happen in magnetic and energy fields. There are endless variations to the ways the lines can move. The artist also uses Van Gogh’s color palette as a base to try to bring the viewer closer to the original. I also admire how different sections of the work can go through different motions at the same time. The timing of this and how each movement goes together with the others to form the larger picture is part of how the artist comes through in the work. However, I think there was still more room for the artist to add in their own personality. Perhaps by changing up the variations of the lines.

LIA | Flow Field #2 – Reinterpreting Sunflowers by Vincent Van Gogh | Sedition (seditionart.com)

Project 2: Variable Face

sketch
// Ana Furtado 
// Section E

var noseSize = 20;
var r = 139;
var g = 69;
var b = 19;  // r g b is going to be randomlly 
            //generating blues for corneas when mouse is pressed
var a = 105; // y of more hair left strand 1
var b = 105; // y of more hair left strand 2
var x = 405; //y of more hair right strand 1
var y = 405; //y of more hair right strand 2
var eyeLeft = 190;
var eyeRight = 290;

function setup() {
    createCanvas(480, 640);
    background(255, 210, 223);     // pink
}

function draw() {
    stroke(84, 18, 18);      // reddish brown
    strokeWeight(30);
    line(175, 160, 120, 620);      // back hair left
    line(175, 160, 155, 620);
    line(305, 160, 365, 620);     // back hair right
    line(305, 160, 315, 620);
    stroke(0, 0, 0);     // black
    strokeWeight(1);
    fill(0, 206, 209);     // light blue
    ellipse(140, 330, 30, 30);     // earrings
    ellipse(340, 330, 30, 30);
    fill(255, 228, 196);     // skin
    ellipse(240, 540, 75, 400);     // neck
    fill(255, 228, 196);     // skin
    ellipse(240, 320, 200, 400);     // face
    fill(255, 255, 255);     // white
    ellipse(190, 270, 50, 100);     // left eye
    ellipse(290, 270, 50, 100);     // right eye
    fill(r, g, b);    // brown
    ellipse(190, 270, 25, 50);     // left cornea
    ellipse(290, 270, 25, 50);     // right cornea
    fill(0);
    ellipse(eyeLeft, 270, 10, 20);     // left pupil 
    ellipse(eyeRight, 270, 10, 20);     // right pupil 
    fill(255, 228, 196);     // skin
    circle(240, 320, noseSize, noseSize);     // nose
    //line(190, 200, 190, 125);
    //line(210, 200, 210, 125);
    fill(220, 20, 60);     // red
    ellipse(240, 420, 110, 50)     // mouth
    line(185, 420, 295, 420);
    stroke(84, 18, 18);      // reddish brown
    strokeWeight(1);
    fill(84, 18, 18);     // reddish brown
    ellipse(240, 160, 150, 80);     // hair top
    strokeWeight(10);
    line(160, 160, 90, 620);      // hair left
    line(160, 160, 115, 620);
    line(160, 160, a, 620);
    line(160, 160, b, 620);
    line(310, 160, 415, 620);     // hair right
    line(310, 160, 390, 620);
    line(310, 160, x, 620);
    line(310, 160, y, 620);
    noStroke();
    fill(r, g, b);     // bow
    ellipse(305, 150, 20);
    ellipse(325, 150, 20);
}

function mousePressed() { 
    // when the user clicks, these variables are reassigned
    // to random values within specified ranges. For example,
    // 'noseSize' gets a random value between 10 and 30.
    // eye color changes as bow color changes to match
    // more left and right hair 
    // left and right pupils move
    noseSize = random(10, 30);
    r = random(0, 100);
    g = random(0, 250); 
    b = random(200, 250); 
    a = random(0, 175);
    b = random(0, 175);
    x = random(305,620);
    y = random(305,620);
    eyeLeft = random(177.5, 202.5);
    eyeRight = random(277.5, 302.5);
}

I started with the same proportions as the face for project 1. I modified it by changing the eye color, hair, and adding a bow. The pupils also move at the press of the mouse. The most challenging part was to get the pupils to move and understanding the difference between mouseIsPressed and mousePressed in practice.

Project 1: My Self Portrait

sketch
// Ana Furtado 
// Section E

function setup() {
    createCanvas(400, 400);
    background(54, 51, 158);     // blue
}

function draw() {
    stroke(84, 18, 18);      // reddish brown
    strokeWeight(30);
    line(135, 40, 80, 399);      // back hair left
    line(135, 40, 115, 399);
    line(265, 40, 325, 399);     // back hair right
    line(265, 40, 275, 399);
    stroke(0, 0, 0);     // black
    strokeWeight(1);
    fill(0, 206, 209);     // light blue
    ellipse(100, 210, 30, 30);     // earrings
    ellipse(300, 210, 30, 30);
    fill(255, 228, 196);     // skin
    ellipse(200, 400, 100, 400);     // neck
    fill(255, 228, 196);     // skin
    ellipse(200, 200, 200, 400);     // face
    fill(255, 255, 255);     // white
    ellipse(150, 150, 50, 100);     // left eye
    ellipse(250, 150, 50, 100);     // right eye
    fill(139, 69, 19);     // brown
    ellipse(150, 150, 25, 50);     // left pupil
    ellipse(250, 150, 25, 50);     // right pupil
    fill(255, 228, 196);     // skin
    circle(200, 200, 20, 20);     // nose
    line(190, 200, 190, 125);
    line(210, 200, 210, 125);
    fill(220, 20, 60);     // red
    ellipse(200, 300, 110, 50)     // mouth
    line(150, 300, 250, 300);
    stroke(84, 18, 18);      // reddish brown
    strokeWeight(1);
    fill(84, 18, 18);     // reddish brown
    ellipse(200, 40, 150, 80);     // hair top
    strokeWeight(10);
    line(120, 40, 50, 399);      // hair left
    line(120, 40, 75, 399);
    line(270, 40, 375, 399);     // hair right
    line(270, 40, 350, 399);
    noLoop();
}

I found the placement of the face and the uploading of this assignment the most challenging parts of the assignment.

LO: My Inspiration

I like the interactive art exhibit for Claude Monet that I once visited. It was designed by Associate Director of Exhibits Jordyn Melino. It took several months to put together. I believe the project took custom software because it involves the use of motion detectors to set off different sounds and images as one goes through the exhibit. The different sounds are supposed to make you believe that you are outside Monet’s studio hearing him paint. The images that show up as one walks around are his paintings and other images of materials and other things depending on what buttons you touch or things that you walk past. I believe this project is inspired by Claude Monet’s artworks and other interactive art exhibits. Possibly even the ones in children’s museums that involve even more sense. This project points to more interactive art exhibits in the future. Possibly involving even more sense next time.