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of light like intervals, our current solo show, opens this sunday at the featherstone center for the arts on martha’s vineyard. our main concept for this exhibit is the transformation of kinetic energy into electro-luminescence and back. the reception is from 4-6.
we’ve been working all summer on many new projects, including a series of works in casting paper with embedded electronics, related to the piece above. we’ll post documentation of the new works soon.
robot radio/transient, set is for lea bertucci and ed bear’s ExiTrip project, more documentation on this work and others can be found on their site.
ExiTrips are functional, salvaged, obsolete iTrips (low range fm transmitters for ipods), fitted with a stereo mini-plug and battery pack. the theme of lea and ed’s project is creative re-purposing of obsolete consumer electronics. we found out about the project from free103point9 and submitted a proposal.
after noticing that walking around the Exitrips seemed to affect their transmission we decided to use the 5 ExiTrips lea and ed sent us as sensors. we were able to read each ExiTrip’s signal strength with an fm tuner chip from Silicon Industries. we used the variations to create a live audio work entitled robot radio, that was premiered within another new project entitled transient, set – both of which you can see and hear above.
each of robot radio’s ExiTrips was outfitted with a new, longer antenna sized to its selected broadcast frequency and encased in acrylic. in addition to contributing audio, the ExiTrips became a sculptural element of transient, set. in transient, set, software processed live video from a resurrected, yet glitchy iSight camera and projected the resulting two dimensional, black and white imagery through an assemblage of materials that reflected and refracted the light, providing bits of color. the long, thick, bare copper antenna’s or robot radio, the monofilament used to suspend them, and their acrylic encasements were a part of that assemblage.
the software for both works, developed in different programming languages (max/msp w/arduino for robot radio, processing for transient, set), used similar logic, that involved processing input data and developing patterns in response to it. the programmatic consistencies between the works created shifting perspectives on their relationship from those of alignment (one work) to separation/individuation as qualities of the works changed in response to environmental conditions, including the movements and location of visitors on site.
**this may be obvious but “robot radio” will sound quite differently depending on what you’re listening to it through.
we posted some images on our flickr pages. for more info about this and other ExiTrip projects please visit the exitrip homepage. for our detailed project description go here.
we showed this robotic art project in bushwick, brooklyn april ’11 @ stanhope cellar studios, -‘a light in the basement’- curated by nicholas chatfield-taylor via todd p.
we filmed lili knitting the monofilament mesh at the center of the work, and tracked the needles’ movement. we mounted blue lasers on linear actuators and servos, then programmed the motors with the needles’ position data. the table top is the shape of the room.
a separate robot, seen briefly at the start of the main video, toggled a low wattage light bulb to create different lighting conditions.
the work presents a superimposition of the static, knitted mesh, and the movements that created it, transposed, and translated into the media of motion and light.
short, detail excerpts, not shown in the video above, are here >>
FRIDAY-4/1-7PM–&–SATURDAY-4/2-NOON
: A LIGHT IN THE BASEMENT:
: curated by Nicholas Chatfield-Taylor & presented by SHOWPAPER :
: 20 artists explore light using 20 private rooms :
@ STANHOPE CELLAR STUDIOS / more info @ Todd P
286 stanhope, bushwick. L train to DeKalb, two blocks walk.
we’ll probably be there by 8pm on friday, and by noon on saturday
to view our flickr set
feedback f s f -r s ns is composed of two robots, and is in the form of a closed system with interlaced feedback, i.e, the output of one robot is the input of the other. the system generates visual compositions as the robots alter their environments and influence each others’ behaviors.
this project was shown at sequence of waves, in st. cecilia’s gallery, greenpoint, brooklyn, january 2011.
materials: various reflective and refractive media, micro-controllers, motors, lasers, sensors. 2011
in detail:
robot 1>>
senses: emf
output: slowly rotates a glass tumbler containing reflective/refractive media.
robot 2>>
senses light/motion
output: light, fluctuations in the emf field (via motor induction, phosphorescing of chemicals on the sensor of robot 1).
robot 1 is programmed to sense changes in the emf field around it and reposition a container of reflective/refractive media proportionally by spinning a motor.
robot 2 is composed of three servo/laser components programed to survey the surface of robot 1’s glass tumbler and define quadrants of highly reflective points on the tumbler’s surface.
robot 2 is programmed to draw straight lines with a laser on the curved, translucent, rotating surface of robot 1. the light from the lasers pass through a rotating tumbler (robot 1) filled with a mixture of reflective, and refractive media.
as the beams of light pass through the tumbler, their trajectories are refracted and the resulting altered beams strike a treated sensor plate and phosphoresce.
the phosphorescing and servo motor movement ripple the emf field and robot 1 spins the tumbler accordingly. the moving tumbler causes robot 2 to re-scan the surface of the tumbler, etc.
minimal audible fields generates visual compositions in response to low frequencies at the threshold of sound and vibration propagating through the installation site.
materials: LEDs, micro-controllers, sensors, mixed media.
in detail:
minimal audible fields is a robotic work whose inputs are low frequency sound and vibration on-site. every 54 seconds the project analyzes the past 54 seconds of sound and vibration, and compares its readings with the previous set of data it generated 54 seconds in the past. the pattern of LEDs is determined by this comparison. the timing of the piece is intended to permit visitors time to look at the compositions generated by the project.
this project was shown at sequence of waves, in st. cecilia’s gallery, greenpoint, brooklyn, january 2011.
minimal audible fields
feedback f s f -r s ns
feedback f s f -r s ns
we’re a part of the st. cecilia sound art project that runs this friday, january 28, from 8-10, and this saturday, january 29, from 2-9, at 21 monitor st., brooklyn, ny (greenpoint). directions and map below.
the show is organized by Rabid Hands and features many artists in a variety of media who have filled the former convent with projects.
we have two new pieces in room 307, minimal audible fields, and feedback f s f -r s ns:
minimal audible fields generates visual compositions in response to low frequencies at the threshold of sound and vibration propagating through the convent during the exhibit.
feedback f s f -r s nsis in the form of a closed system with interlaced feedback, i.e, the output of one robot is the input of the other. the system generates visual compositions as the robots alter their environments and influence each others behaviors.
directions to st cecilia’s convent via subway: L to Graham Ave. Walk down Graham (Via Vespucci) towards BQE; turn right on Richardson and left on Monitor.
Traversal53, is presented by Chashama.org
Location: 20 w. 53rd St (6th Ave side of site, across from MoMA),
Dates/times: Friday, December 3, 2010 (beginning at 9pm) through Sunday, December 19, 2010. Running 24/7.
Installed in the western half of the former Donnell library (20 w. 53rd St, NYC, across from MoMA), and visible across the surfaces of the large windows fronting the space, traversal53 is a kinetic art installation composed of robotic instruments programmed to survey the space with custom optics.
Inspired by photographs of the preparation of the library’s materials for digitizing by archive.org, and the library’s current, ambiguous status, traversal53 is a process of scanning the transitional moment of the building itself, analogous to the scanning of the materials of the library prior to their relocation.
The output is designed to work with the reflections on the large windows of the building to create compositions from the interplay and slippage of the interior and exterior environments. traversal53 is a persistent, transflective event.
Visitors are invited to photograph the work and upload their images to flickr, with the tag traversal53. In doing so, visitors are completing the archival gesture by digitizing the space itself in its transitional moment, and then situating it, in that condition, in digital space. A selection of the images will be included in a digital book that will be kept at archive.org. Selections will be credited.
here’s our flickr site with some installation shots.
here’s our vimeo site with some video documentation.
surface-active agent was part of the move about myrtle festival in brooklyn this month, curated by christina vassallo.
the work was installed in the window of 3 stars laundromat, 439 myrtle ave (thanks yvonne, linda, and miss linda!).
the theme of the exhibit was ephemera and the overlooked details of a city street.
surface-active agent uses reflection and refraction to present compositions of active, multi-layered picture planes on a variety of surfaces in and around the installation site.
the video is a montage of unedited moments (audio and video, as originally recorded) captured throughout the day from a camera outside the laundromat and a camera within the installation. the monitor on top of the laundry machine was showing a live feed from the interior camera throughout the installation.
