Category: SectionD

LookingOutwards-04

I was looking at googles new AR Synthesizer project. They’re experiementing with a form of AR music production by replicating famous synthesizers with CAD and AR. I think its an interesting step into the VR and AR world, with facebook pushing the Metaverse so much those things are becoming increasingling important. It’s not too far away that virtual raves and dance parties with VR DJing are reality. Especially if mokeypox picks up and people are stuck inside again.

It’s also interesting on the topic of recent access to music production materials through technology. Desktop producing on a laptop is extremely viable with the advancements is software and computing most people have access to make music. Obviously AR and VR aren’t very accessable right now but maybe in 20 years everyone will be utilizing AR to cheaply use complex sound engineering tools.

https://artsandculture.google.com/story/7AUBadCIL5Tnow

Looking Outwards: Sound Art

I looked at the MediaArtTube YouTube channel and found a project called ‘Study of Time’ by Random International. The piece was presented at the Miami Art Basel in 2011 and plays with the idea of time in relation to light and sound. The brightness and intensity of the light in relation to how each point/ light source on the plane lights up in contrast or union with those around it are used to complement the sound the viewers hear.

When prominent chords or louder sounds are heard, there is direct visual feedback on the installation as points on the surface light up faster. The slower speed of lighting up and the gradient effect of the lights complemented the slower increase of volume and sounds. The light beams also cast shadows on these cylinders perpendicular to the surface, creating different numbers which were also really cool in immersing a viewer in thinking about time and creating an emotional environment with the sound and lights.

I would imagine algorithms were used to recognize aspects from the sound clip and transfer that to the intensity and speed of light for the various light points.

https://www.random-international.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbvjKXHbjuM

week 4 blog

https://sonami.net/portfolio/items/ladys-glove/

One of the people listed in the suggestions was Laetitia Sonami. From a brief glance at her website it seemed like she used motion and other changing factors to produce music. I looked her up on Spotify and found her music kind of haunting but also intriguing. Usually I go through a couple of the people on the list before deciding to commit to one and research their work but I immediately was interested in her work. One of her main projects is something called lady’s glove. Originally it started as a simple mockup only using a kitchen glove and some wires and sensors but overtime Sonami has edited and improved the quality both visually and functionally. The basics are that the glove has sensors on the fingers that detect movement and a magnet which is used to ground/track the movement. These movements are then translated which allows then the sound to change and match movements. The glove became part of the performance, and instrument used to change the feeling of the music while also adding to the performative and mystical aspects that are woven into the style of music. 

string art

islandd sketch
function setup() {
    createCanvas(400, 300);
    background("lightsteelblue");
}

function draw() {
    strokeWeight(0.5);
    numLines = 30;

    //sun beams
    strt(-width, 0, width, 2*height, 0, 0, width, 0, 20, "yellow");
    fill("yellow");
    ellipse(width, 0, 100);  //sun

    //mountains
    fill("green");
    triangle(90, 150, 20, 250, 390, 250);
    triangle(290, 150, 390, 250, 20, 250);
    stroke("green");
    line(90, 150, 20, 250);    //left mountain
    line(290, 150, 390, 250);   //right mountain
    crshtch(90, 150, 20, 250, 290, 150, 390, 250, numLines, "palegreen");
    crshtch(290, 150, 390, 250, 90, 150, 20, 250, numLines, "palegreen");

    //water
    fill("lightseagreen");
    rect(0, 250, 400, 50);
    lne(0, 250, 0, 300, 400, 250, 400, 300, 30, "blue");

}


//diag crosshatch
function crshtch(x1, y1, x2, y2, x3, y3, x4, y4, numLines, colour){
    stroke(colour);
    dx3 = (x4-x3)/numLines;
    dy3 = (y4-y3)/numLines;
    dx1 = (x2-x1)/numLines;
    dy1 = (y2-y1)/numLines;
    dx2 = (x4-x3)/numLines;
    dy2 = (y4-y3)/numLines;
    for(var i = 0; i <= numLines; i ++){
            line(x1, y1, x4, y4);

            x1 += dx1;
            y1 += dy1;
            x2 += dx2;
            y2 += dy2;
            x3 += dx3;
            y3 += dy3;
    }
}

//light lines
function strt(a1, b1, a2, b2, a3, b3, a4, b4, numLines, colour){
    stroke(colour);
    dx3 = (a4-a3)/numLines;
    dy3 = (b4-b3)/numLines;
    dx1 = (a2-a1)/numLines;
    dy1 = (b2-b1)/numLines;
    dx2 = (a4-a3)/numLines;
    dy2 = (b4-b3)/numLines;
    for(var i = 0; i <= numLines; i ++){
            line(a1, b1, a4, b4);
            a1 += dx1;
            b1 += dy1;
    }

}

//straight lines
function lne(x1, y1, x2, y2, x3, y3, x4, y4, numLines, colour){
    stroke(colour);
    dy1 = (y2-y1)/numLines;
    dy3 = (y4-y3)/numLines;
    for(var i = 0; i <= numLines; i ++){
            line(x1, y1, x3, y3);

            y1 += dy1;
            y3 += dy2;
    }
}

Project 04: String Art

sketchDownload
//fcooper felix cooper d

var s1=100;
var s2=0;
var s3=150;
var s4=50;

var numLines=50;

var f1=100;
var f2=0;
var f3=50;
var f4=50;

var h1=100;

var c1=50;
var c2=100;
var c3=150;
var c4=100;


function setup() {
    createCanvas(200, 200);
    background(220);

}

function draw() {
    for(var i = 0; i < numLines; i += 1){
        line(s1,s2,s3,s4);
        s1=s1+5;
        s4=s4+3;
    }
    for(var i = 0; i < numLines;i += 1){ //mirrors s
        line(f1,f2,f3,f4);
        f1=f1-5;
        f4=f4+3
    }
    for(var i = 0; i < numLines; i += 1){ //lines down the middle
        line(50,h1,150,h1);
        h1+=3;
    }
    for(var i = 0; i <= 5; i += 1){ // draws hourglass
        line(c1,c2,c3,c4);
        c1+=2;
        c2+=2;
        c3-=2;
        c4+=2;
    }
}

I wanted to try to make some sort of perspective illusion but I think it ended up being an illusion of an illusion in a way. It makes you think maybe something weird is going on but its just fun shapes.

LookingOutwards-04

Creator’s Name: rgb3
Title of Work: LOOPLEX
Year of Creation: 2009

The project I chose for this week is a physical user interface named LOOPLEX that explores the idea of live sound interaction. It appears as though the different hexagon tiles placed on the table-like interface change the sound made along with a representation of that sound with color. Changing the angle of the hexagon appears also to alter the sound. I think it is fascinating to explore how humans interact with the objects around them, especially in this case where computation is embedded within the object to produce sounds we are capable of processing. The description of this project states that it uses loops to improvise the sound and since we learned about them this week, it is really interesting to see them being used in ways that are more than visual outputs. The creator’s artistic sensibilities portray their creativity and vision that allows the user to change the sound, leading to a unique experience every time.

Here is a demonstration of LOOPLEX in action.

Looking Outwards 04: Sound Art

SuperSynthesis: Amay Kataria (March 11, 2022 to April 1, 2022

The light and sound supersynthesis by Amay Kataria was extremely inspirational  and intriguing. As a designer I know the importance of light and how it is interpreted by our target audience, however, I had never thought about exploring its synergy with sound. I really admire how individual users around can influence the light and sound generated through the parametric structure, and how it creates an environment of meditation and immersiveness. I also like this particular work as I myself have grown up in a traditional Indian household, where sounds in a spiritual context are meditative experiences, just like they were for the artist. I also admire how the parametric structure was derived from waves into a ‘non-archetypical form’, which further boosted the immersiveness of the whole project in my opinion. The fact that light and sound are treated as the most sensory phenomenon, combining the two really made sense. I do have base level knowledge of how the lights were created and connected to the architecture of the structure, but I am not sure about how the application of algorithms work with each individual user controlling one aspect of it. I feel that the artist’s vision manifested really well, and turned out just like he had envisioned it, and that is creating a ‘supersynthesis’ between light and sound, thus creating an immersive experience.

Link

SydneyCha-LookingOutwards-03

A close up of Aguahoja III from the side.

Aguahoja III is an organic 3D creation made with cellulose bound with other natural materials (lignin, pectin, etc.) to form a strong sculpture that has both aesthetic and structural properties. It is part of a creation line by the MIT Media Lab and is specifically the third iteration of their Aguahoja series.

This project and the process through which it was created feels both organic and mechanical.

Inside Aguahoja III-the outer “shell” parts at the center to reveal the inside.


Aguahoja III uses a flexible generative design method that assigns a bipolymer skin to any input geometry and calculates the required parameters to actually print and create the sculpture. To put it simply, the algorithm generates the design and process simultaneously, making the physical rendering of the sculpture much more efficient.

A breakdown of Aguahoja III’s generated features.


Though made with an algorithm, the Media Lab creators’ decision to use biodegradable materials and their aesthetic choices are clearly present in this project. The piece in its own existence sends a message of responsible and environmentally conscious art,

Blog 3

Computational Design
Looking at the link to the pinterest board titled “computational design”, a lot of interesting and unique patterns are saved onto the board. Some are more geometric while others are more organic but they all seem to fit together as a whole. I often am pretty pessimistic and feel like I don’t learn as much as I would like to in classes and moments like these are nice because they show that I actually have. If you asked me three weeks ago how I thought that these patterns were created I wouldn’t have been able to tell you, but after learning the random line generation code I have a simplified idea of how they were made. It seems like a lot of interesting and efficient patterns can be made this way. Unlike people the computer can consider and compute an answer while considering tons of variables. For example structure, weight, direction, etc can all become complex variables that are called upon while creating a pattern like the ones we saw. A lot of these kind of look like those “futuristic” ultra light shoes that companies love making renderings of.

Project 03: Dynamic Drawing

Sketches for the different changes I planned to make when the mouse moved
sketch

Although the product is not where I wish it was visually, I will just have to improve on that in my next project. The most challenging part was refreshing my memory on radians so that I wouldn’t have to keep plugging in and checking if numbers work.

/*
    Joan Lee
    Section D
*/

var h = 0;
var angle = 0;

function setup() {
    createCanvas(600, 450);
    background(220);
    text("p5.js vers 0.9.0 test.", 10, 15);
}

function draw() {
    background(135 * h, 209 * h, 255 * h);      //whenever the mouse moves horizontally it turns from 0 (black) to a sky blue color

    //earth
    noStroke();
    fill(78, 92, 222);
    ellipse(width / 2, height, 800, 400);

    //orbit, done above both the sun and moon to apply to both the same
    translate(h * width, 100);  //moves the sun and moon as the mouse moves horizontally
    rotate(h * QUARTER_PI);     //rotates by pi/4 radians when the mouse moves horizontally
    
    //sun
    fill(255, 208, 0);
    circle(-width / 2, 325, 100 * h);     //grows when mouse moving to the right

    //moon
    fill(200);
    circle(width / 2, 50, 50 * (1 - h));    //shrinks when mouse moving to the right
    fill(135 * h, 209 * h, 255 * h);                //same fill as the background to ensure it is invisible and hiding the rest of the moon
    circle(width / 2 + 15, 50, 50 * (1 - h));       //circle that hides the rest of the moon so it looks like a crescent moon

    hPosition();        //function defined below

}

function hPosition(){
    h = mouseX / width;     //h is btwn 0 and 1 for simplicity's sake instead of just mouseX
    h = Math.min(h, 1);     //stops the changes when the mouse moves 100% of the canvas horizontally
}