MAT 256 Visual Processes

1
MAT 256 Visual Processes

• Lecture 2 Interdisciplinary Processes

2
Main Features of the Course

• Focus on basic methods of signal processing as
  source material for experimentation
• MAT is about interdisciplinarity hybridization
  through conversation
• What can the engineer and artist gain from each
  other?
• Both are exposed to paradigms outside of their
  disciplines
• The engineer gains flexibility in experimentation
• The artist learns the methods of systematic
  analysis

3
Scientific Paradigms for the Artist

• Scientific model to explore physical phenomena
• Acquiring systematic scientific approach
• Ability to transpose systems from the scientific
  to the artistic
• Source-mining In search of a new aesthetic

4
Bricoleur/Engineer (Levi-Strauss)

• Engineer designs buildings which have to be
  stable and have little or no play
• (the engineer has to create stable systems or his
  role is at stake)
• Top-down implementation
• Bricoleur uses what's available to get a
  particular job done
• (doesn't care about the purity or stability of
  the system s/he uses)
• Building by trial and error rather than based on
  theory
• Valueing tinkering as an inventive process
• Evolve from the bottom-up

5
Project Topics Directions

• Explore physical phenomena related to perception
• Measuring signals and their expression
• Noise randomness
• Translation between aural visual signals

6
Rules Methods

• Define a concept, a method, proceed, and evaluate
  results
• May purely focus on process
• Sequence step question-answer experimentation
  method
• Not to illustrate, but to arrive at outcome that
  embodies and reflects an understanding
• Allow phenomena to express itself
• Simple methods can lead to complex result

7
What are Interesting Results?

• When the outcome challenges normal expectations
• When the outcome is somehow greater then the
  input
• When something is revealed
• When phenomena can lead to poetics (Demarinis
  fireflies, 1989)
• When pheonmena can creat culture (Demarinis
  raindance, 1998)

8
Evaluation

• The project can be open ended
• The process must be documented
• There must be some evolution from start to end
• Online project documentation (http//bsjeon.net/TR
  RE/participate.htm)

9
Examples

• DeMarinis green light, umbrella
  http//www.well.com/7Edemarini/
• Jeff Han http//mrl.nyu.edu/jhan/ (interesting
  problem of Artist/engineer)
• marie sester http//www.sester.net/index_enhanced
  .html
• Ned Kahn http//nedkahn.com/
• Luc Courschene http//www.panoscope360.com/
• ACM multimedia conference CD http//acmmm05.comp
  .nus.edu.sg/artprogram.htm