This brief is about raising awareness and providing information on animal conservation in a new and interesting way. I will attempt to engage my target audience by involving them and encouraging them to take part in an activity that blends non-digital art and design with digital media. I intend to produce an installation piece that is fun and entertaining but at the same time edifying.
The intended audiences for this brief are men and women between the ages of 18 and 25, who are perhaps likely to go traveling and witness the exploitation and abuse of wild animals in countries like Thailand first hand. In terms of protecting primates and discouraging their use within the tourist trade, I could hope to dissuade my audience to partake in activities that parade primates as a form of amusement.
I will need to research the different issues surrounding animal conservation and decide upon the area that I wish to campaign. Other research will include a look at existing installation artists and practitioners concerned with interface design. Campaigners have long been working to put an end to the suffering and slaughter of wild animals, I therefore consider it appropriate that my work have elements of old fashioned, retro aesthetics, signifying that the detrimental attitudes towards wild animals are and should now be a thing of the past. I will explore old printing methods and other long established techniques. As well as portraying the historical context of my subject matter I also hope to exhibit a contemporary look at the state of animal conservation and the steps that we can take to aid the preservation of our wildlife.
I will also consider how kinetic art could be a feature of my installation and facilitate the connection between the digital and the non-digital elements.
Monday 26 February 2007
Friday 23 February 2007
Interface Design
Interface design is focused on the user's experience and interaction. Unlike traditional design where the goal is to make the object or application physically attractive, the goal of user interface design is to make the user's interaction experience as simple and intuitive as possible.
Mundus vult decipi, goes an old moralistic saying: the world wants to be deceived. This is especially valid today with the 'user illusion of the world'.
According to Norbert Bolz (2006), user-friendliness means 'functional simplicity in the face of structural complexity, i.e. easy to operate, but hard to understand. A product's intelligence consists precisely of its ability to conceal this chasm of inscrutability. Use thereby emancipates itself from comprehension. Anyone who still talks about intelligent design now means that a device's use is self-explanatory. Yet this explanation does not lead to understanding, but rather to smooth functioning. So to put it stereotypically, user-friendliness is the rhetoric of the technology which consecrates our ignorance. And this design-specific rhetoric now provides us with the user illusion of the world.' (www.mediamatic.net)
The human being is no longer a user of tools, but rather a relay switch in the media syndicate, engaged in a circuit.
Bolz (2006) explains that when you buy a computer, you're not only buying a piece of hardware but also, and above all, a bundle of software - with the promise of user-friendliness. By no means does this imply that the user is supposed to understand what it does, but rather that it will spare him any irritation. A user-friendly computer allows you to forget that you are working on a computer: its interface design protects you from the post-human technology of the digital.
Mundus vult decipi, goes an old moralistic saying: the world wants to be deceived. This is especially valid today with the 'user illusion of the world'.
According to Norbert Bolz (2006), user-friendliness means 'functional simplicity in the face of structural complexity, i.e. easy to operate, but hard to understand. A product's intelligence consists precisely of its ability to conceal this chasm of inscrutability. Use thereby emancipates itself from comprehension. Anyone who still talks about intelligent design now means that a device's use is self-explanatory. Yet this explanation does not lead to understanding, but rather to smooth functioning. So to put it stereotypically, user-friendliness is the rhetoric of the technology which consecrates our ignorance. And this design-specific rhetoric now provides us with the user illusion of the world.' (www.mediamatic.net)
The human being is no longer a user of tools, but rather a relay switch in the media syndicate, engaged in a circuit.
Bolz (2006) explains that when you buy a computer, you're not only buying a piece of hardware but also, and above all, a bundle of software - with the promise of user-friendliness. By no means does this imply that the user is supposed to understand what it does, but rather that it will spare him any irritation. A user-friendly computer allows you to forget that you are working on a computer: its interface design protects you from the post-human technology of the digital.
Thursday 22 February 2007
Shocking
Animals often learn by association. I could educate and raise awareness about animal conservation by creating a human intelligence test that gives the user a shock when they answer a question wrong and a reward when they answer a question correctly. This scenario places the human in a situation similar to that of a animal in a laboratory. The incorrectly answered question could not only result in a physical shock but a series of mentally shocking images could be flashed on screen e.g primates killed for bush meat.
The Pain Machine Game
The Pain Machine Game
Initial Ideas - Notes
From a posotive or negative viewpoint, set up a minature representation of an animal behavioural test like the 'Skinner Box' (connected to the computer, recording/displaying data in an interesting way).
Or set up a human version of an animal intelligence test. Like the Skinner box, use tiny electric shocks to coax a certain behavior/action.
Or invent a new type of interactive animal toy to provide animals with entertainment/food rewards/training.
....
Or set up a human version of an animal intelligence test. Like the Skinner box, use tiny electric shocks to coax a certain behavior/action.
Or invent a new type of interactive animal toy to provide animals with entertainment/food rewards/training.
....
Wednesday 21 February 2007
More animal Interfaces
Below is an image of the classic 'Skinner Box', an operant conditioning chamber used in experimental psychology to study animal behavior.
The second image shows a dog partaking in a game of 'flyball'. The flyball machine was invented by Herbert Wagner. He realised that his dogs needed physical exercise, but didn't want it to cost him any effort. Even throwing a ball was too much trouble and so he invented a machine that would launch a ball for him. The machine is operated by a dog pushing on the small wooden board.
The second image shows a dog partaking in a game of 'flyball'. The flyball machine was invented by Herbert Wagner. He realised that his dogs needed physical exercise, but didn't want it to cost him any effort. Even throwing a ball was too much trouble and so he invented a machine that would launch a ball for him. The machine is operated by a dog pushing on the small wooden board.
An interface for Animals
Momentarily moving away from animal conservation, I am going to explore the possibilities of interactive interfaces that are made for animals.
Many experiments have been carried out to test the behaviour and intelligence of animals. This image shows psychologist Elizabeth Brannon using touch-screens, Plexiglas boxes holding raisins and buckets hiding grapes to establish that ringtails and his mongoose lemur cousins possess a surprising ability to learn sequences of pictures and to discriminate quantities. While Brannon’s work is still only at a preliminary stage, its initial results lead her to believe that such studies could mark the dawning of a new appreciation of lemur intelligence.
'The ringtails live in social groups, which could be distracting, and they’re completely free to just ignore us and the apparatus. But despite these possible complications, we found they would completely voluntarily come over to the screen and participate.' (Brannon, 2004)
Brannon (2004) explained that sometimes, the lemurs even competed with one another. "Occasionally, one animal would come over and finish the sequence started by another to get the reward," (www.innovations-report.de)
Many experiments have been carried out to test the behaviour and intelligence of animals. This image shows psychologist Elizabeth Brannon using touch-screens, Plexiglas boxes holding raisins and buckets hiding grapes to establish that ringtails and his mongoose lemur cousins possess a surprising ability to learn sequences of pictures and to discriminate quantities. While Brannon’s work is still only at a preliminary stage, its initial results lead her to believe that such studies could mark the dawning of a new appreciation of lemur intelligence. 'The ringtails live in social groups, which could be distracting, and they’re completely free to just ignore us and the apparatus. But despite these possible complications, we found they would completely voluntarily come over to the screen and participate.' (Brannon, 2004)
Brannon (2004) explained that sometimes, the lemurs even competed with one another. "Occasionally, one animal would come over and finish the sequence started by another to get the reward," (www.innovations-report.de)
Initial ideas
On one side of the thaumatrope, images of wild animals in their natural surrondings, and on the other, images of hats, rollerskates and rings of fire. When the disk spins the images on both sides of the toy combine. I like the retro feel of the thaumatrope and I think it would be appropriate that the images be printed on the disc in an old fashioned way (resembling the increasingly old fashioned view of animals as entertainment).
Using a similar form of electronics and programming to that of the 'RFID DIY kit' shown below, I could insert a tag into each of the thaumatropes so that when the toys are placed on the reader, a corresponding video would be played on a monitor.
Interaction Design Lab
Buy
Using a similar form of electronics and programming to that of the 'RFID DIY kit' shown below, I could insert a tag into each of the thaumatropes so that when the toys are placed on the reader, a corresponding video would be played on a monitor.
Interaction Design Lab
Buy
Old Toys
These early toys that show monkeys dressed up in human clothes and smoking cigarettes may have warped our perception of animals and encouraged people to view primates as a source of entertainment.
Other Forms of Animal Entertainment
There are many wild caught, endangered primates smuggled for illegal trading in Thailand. The Monkey World Ape Rescue Centre underwent an undercover investigation at Safari World in Thailand in 2002. More than a dozen orangutans and several chimpanzees were found dressed up and made to perform a Thai boxing match. All these orangutans were juveniles and there were no adult orangutans found in the park.
There are many primates in Thailand and other parts of the world that are forced to wear clothes and pose with tourists for photographs. After the photo sessions they are often chained up inside very small cages. Some primates have their incisors and canine teeth removed to prevent them from attacking.
There are many primates in Thailand and other parts of the world that are forced to wear clothes and pose with tourists for photographs. After the photo sessions they are often chained up inside very small cages. Some primates have their incisors and canine teeth removed to prevent them from attacking.
Animals in Entertainment: The Circus
These old Circus posters depict animals made to perform painful, dangerous, abnormal stunts for our "amusement." Today, many circuses around the world still use animals as a form of entertainment and many of the animals are captured in the wild.
Campaigners say animals should be banned from circuses and there needs to be a change in the law to prevent wild animals suffering undignified and unnatural conditions. Campaigners have long argued that the use of animals in circuses should be banned because they are kept in areas too small for them, causing life-long mental torment. Many also suffer physical abuse during training and practices, they say, including an unnatural lack of exercise.
Campaigners say animals should be banned from circuses and there needs to be a change in the law to prevent wild animals suffering undignified and unnatural conditions. Campaigners have long argued that the use of animals in circuses should be banned because they are kept in areas too small for them, causing life-long mental torment. Many also suffer physical abuse during training and practices, they say, including an unnatural lack of exercise.
Subject Matter
I am interested in finding a way of merging traditional low-tech kinetics with digital art to form the structure of my new media project. I have now reached the point in my investigation where I think it is necessary to take a step back and consider what the motivation behind my project proposal is.
One subject that emerged from my mind maps was the matter of animal conservation and the export trade. I am particularly concerned with primates and the illegal hunting, smuggling and sale of endangered species. This issue could be at the centre of my interactive project, providing information and raising awareness in an interesting, new way.
I will try not limit myself to only working with kinetics if another form of interactive installation seems the more appropriate solution.
One subject that emerged from my mind maps was the matter of animal conservation and the export trade. I am particularly concerned with primates and the illegal hunting, smuggling and sale of endangered species. This issue could be at the centre of my interactive project, providing information and raising awareness in an interesting, new way.
I will try not limit myself to only working with kinetics if another form of interactive installation seems the more appropriate solution.
Sennep
Sennep is an interactive design company creating experiences for digital and physical environments.
The Interactive dandelion was commissioned for 'transvision' at the Victoria and Albert museum. The installation allows users to blow away the seeds of the dandelion clock using a real electric hairdryer, the seeds then reform to create another weed.
'blowing it apart is a popular pastime for children. The number of blows required to completely rid the clock of its seeds is deemed to be the time of day'. (Wikipedia)
Dandelion
Watch the Video Here
The Interactive dandelion was commissioned for 'transvision' at the Victoria and Albert museum. The installation allows users to blow away the seeds of the dandelion clock using a real electric hairdryer, the seeds then reform to create another weed.
'blowing it apart is a popular pastime for children. The number of blows required to completely rid the clock of its seeds is deemed to be the time of day'. (Wikipedia)
Dandelion
Watch the Video Here
Combining High and Low Technology
Imagedrome has explored kinetic movement in a purely digital form, however, their work does not have the same tactile and aesthetic appeal of kinetic artists who produce three dimensional physical mechanical objects and sculptures. The interactive dimension of kinetic art is generally regarded as a precursor to the digital and computer art of today. I prefer the work of non-digital kinetic artists or designers who have combined the two elements of high and low technology.
Techart Group's "Office Live" is an interactive chain-reaction installation that consists of a series of four interconnected units. "Office Live" is an attempt to use the concept of kinetic art to represent the characteristics of modern office automation as well as the working life of the human involved.
The core concept is that the modern office, under a standard management procedure and automated office network and system management, has become a self-organizing and self-generating organism. The theme of "Office Live" is represented via the working environment of an office and its essential elements. The four units personified a fish manager, creative concept staff, work executor, and administrative staff respectively. Each installation is set on "standby" and "ready to activate". The "fish manager" plays the role of an immediate domino effect activator. By printing work instructions automatically from a printer and activating various devices sequentially, such as reviving the crumpled papers scattered on the desktop or automatically activating the screen, instantly switching the desktop from private personal tools to a ready workstation. Finally, during the whole process of reporting back to the fish manager, an automated working life circle is completed. There are no actual human involvement and activation throughout the entire process. The activation of the office scene domino effect is done through the swimming of the fish manager.
The four chain units consist of an interactive fish tank with a live fish, self-running crumpled papers, self-playing CDROM player and a desk with changing projected images. The Rube Goldberg Machine and Kinetic Art inspire the concept of this chain-reaction installation, but the interactive technical skills enhance the power of chain-reaction and make the installation more dynamic.
Techart Group's "Office Live" is an interactive chain-reaction installation that consists of a series of four interconnected units. "Office Live" is an attempt to use the concept of kinetic art to represent the characteristics of modern office automation as well as the working life of the human involved.
The core concept is that the modern office, under a standard management procedure and automated office network and system management, has become a self-organizing and self-generating organism. The theme of "Office Live" is represented via the working environment of an office and its essential elements. The four units personified a fish manager, creative concept staff, work executor, and administrative staff respectively. Each installation is set on "standby" and "ready to activate". The "fish manager" plays the role of an immediate domino effect activator. By printing work instructions automatically from a printer and activating various devices sequentially, such as reviving the crumpled papers scattered on the desktop or automatically activating the screen, instantly switching the desktop from private personal tools to a ready workstation. Finally, during the whole process of reporting back to the fish manager, an automated working life circle is completed. There are no actual human involvement and activation throughout the entire process. The activation of the office scene domino effect is done through the swimming of the fish manager.
The four chain units consist of an interactive fish tank with a live fish, self-running crumpled papers, self-playing CDROM player and a desk with changing projected images. The Rube Goldberg Machine and Kinetic Art inspire the concept of this chain-reaction installation, but the interactive technical skills enhance the power of chain-reaction and make the installation more dynamic.
Monday 12 February 2007
Dots: Interactive Kinetic art
'Dots is the first work of Imagedrome’s ‘Digital Experience series’ which is planned in order to find experimental digital art works. ‘dots’ is to express the artistic movements of two basic graphic elements, dots and lines. ‘dots’ is consist of 9 stages, which contain abstract images and/or movements aligned by the creator. Every user who experiences ‘dots’ may break, gather, move, convert and change not only the images but also the visual concepts that was intended by the creator just by the user’s own mind.' (www.imagedrome.com/)
Go to the interactive Shockwave sample
Go to the interactive Shockwave sample
Go to the interactive Shockwave sample
Go to the interactive Shockwave sample
Go to the interactive Shockwave sample
Go to the interactive Shockwave sample
Three Dimensional Kinetics
These kinetic wall pieces are powered by an electromagnet controlled by a micro processor. The processor runs embedded software which sends pulses of energy into the canvass surface. This energy transfers to the coloured sprung extensions of differing lengths which comprise an array. Andrew Ryder is in the resulting differential motion within the array and its perception as a whole.
The colours come from Ryders interest in the perception of colour and movement at dusk, in the transitional state between day and night vision.
Sunset 2006
Watch the Video Here
The colours come from Ryders interest in the perception of colour and movement at dusk, in the transitional state between day and night vision.
Sunset 2006
Watch the Video Here
Rolling Ball Sculpture
"Grandfather Time" is a grandfather sized rolling ball clock. The clock itself is a spring wound movement. Every fifteen minutes the clock triggers a switch that releases a ball down the track. The track runs from the top to the bottom of the sculpture. As the ball makes its way to the bottom it strikes a single chime. The clock chimes an additional bell sounding out the hour on the hour.
Giant Squid 2006
Nemo Gould makes mechanical sculptures inspired by popular conceptions of robots. Nearly every piece is made entirely from found materials.
Strandbeest
Theo Jansen has used plastic yellow tubes to make skeletons which are able to walk in the wind. 'Eventualy he wants to put these animals out in herds on the beaches, so they will live their own lives'. (www.strandbeest.com)
Illusion of motion
A major development in the 1960s were the paintings that created optical effects for the spectator. These effects ranged from the subtle, to the disturbing and disorienting. Opt painting used a framework of purely geometric forms as the basis for its effects and also drew on colour theory and the physiology and psychology of perception.
Bridget Riley, Fall
Bridget Riley, Fall
Kinetic Art
n.
An art form, such as an assemblage or sculpture, made up of parts designed to be set in motion by an internal mechanism or an external stimulus, such as light or air.
In kinetic art the motion may be physical or implied (as in Opt art paintings). Although kinetic art encompasses a very wide variety of overlapping techniques and styles, there are a few noticeable genres:
Mobiles and Whirligigs:
Sculptures designed to move under the influence of air currents. A popular creator of mobile sculptures was Alexander Calder. The category of 'whirligig' also includes a wide variety of simple non-wind-operated toys, usually made of wood.
Rolling-Ball and Related Gadgets:
A wide variety of kinetic sculptures use rolling balls on tracks or guideways to create movement. They usually have some sort of powered lift mechanism for raising the balls and are usually continuous in operation. Other related gadgets use wheeled objects, water, or sand operating under gravity to function.
Domino:
From easy-to-build-yourself to extreme-domino-art domino toppling is becoming more and more a kinetic art world wide subject.
One-Time Gadgets:
There are a wide variety of kinetic-art assemblages designed to operate only once. The most familiar type are Rube Goldberg Gadgets, mechanisms using an assembly of complex elements to perform an absurdly simple task. Another type is domino tumbling which has been popular for several decades. A newer type, Fortean Gadgets, designed by kinetic artist Tim Fort, expand the idea of domino tumbling to wide variety of other chain-reaction techniques such as stick bombs, herringbones, and string-a-lings.
Optical Sculptures:
Some kinetic sculptures use light to create the illusion of movement. They usually involve colored filters, mirrors, diffraction gratings, and other optical elements in motion.
Automata:
Self-operating machines which can also include robotics.
Other:
The medium of kinetic art is broader than most other art media and is very hard to categorize. There are many other forms of kinetic-art, gadgets and sculptures that use a variety of unusual techniques.
An art form, such as an assemblage or sculpture, made up of parts designed to be set in motion by an internal mechanism or an external stimulus, such as light or air.
In kinetic art the motion may be physical or implied (as in Opt art paintings). Although kinetic art encompasses a very wide variety of overlapping techniques and styles, there are a few noticeable genres:
Mobiles and Whirligigs:
Sculptures designed to move under the influence of air currents. A popular creator of mobile sculptures was Alexander Calder. The category of 'whirligig' also includes a wide variety of simple non-wind-operated toys, usually made of wood.
Rolling-Ball and Related Gadgets:
A wide variety of kinetic sculptures use rolling balls on tracks or guideways to create movement. They usually have some sort of powered lift mechanism for raising the balls and are usually continuous in operation. Other related gadgets use wheeled objects, water, or sand operating under gravity to function.
Domino:
From easy-to-build-yourself to extreme-domino-art domino toppling is becoming more and more a kinetic art world wide subject.
One-Time Gadgets:
There are a wide variety of kinetic-art assemblages designed to operate only once. The most familiar type are Rube Goldberg Gadgets, mechanisms using an assembly of complex elements to perform an absurdly simple task. Another type is domino tumbling which has been popular for several decades. A newer type, Fortean Gadgets, designed by kinetic artist Tim Fort, expand the idea of domino tumbling to wide variety of other chain-reaction techniques such as stick bombs, herringbones, and string-a-lings.
Optical Sculptures:
Some kinetic sculptures use light to create the illusion of movement. They usually involve colored filters, mirrors, diffraction gratings, and other optical elements in motion.
Automata:
Self-operating machines which can also include robotics.
Other:
The medium of kinetic art is broader than most other art media and is very hard to categorize. There are many other forms of kinetic-art, gadgets and sculptures that use a variety of unusual techniques.
Research Idea
I am interested in kinetic art and how artists have incorporated movement into their work, introducing the element of time, reflecting the importance of the machine and technology in the modern world and exploring the nature of vision.
Kinetic Art was very popular during the 1950's and 60's. The Sixties are possibly the most representative era of a time when society and design was most influenced by technology and this is reflected through the work of the kinetic artists.
Kinetic art was a movement that essentially represented "art in motion". Kinetic artists wanted to work with art that would enable them to demonstrate the force and power of movement. They moved away from "conventional" artwork and didn’t use any of the traditional painting or sculpting tools. Kinetic art utilised the many different avenues of art. Eventually, the well-developed style and creativity of Kinetic Art was passed on to other artists. Op Art, Conceptual Art, and Minimalism would each use some part of Kinetic Art in representing their ideas.
Kinetic Art was very popular during the 1950's and 60's. The Sixties are possibly the most representative era of a time when society and design was most influenced by technology and this is reflected through the work of the kinetic artists.
Kinetic art was a movement that essentially represented "art in motion". Kinetic artists wanted to work with art that would enable them to demonstrate the force and power of movement. They moved away from "conventional" artwork and didn’t use any of the traditional painting or sculpting tools. Kinetic art utilised the many different avenues of art. Eventually, the well-developed style and creativity of Kinetic Art was passed on to other artists. Op Art, Conceptual Art, and Minimalism would each use some part of Kinetic Art in representing their ideas.
Mechanical Toys - New and Old
I have taken the theme of mechanical toys from one of my mind maps below. I am interested in the simplicity of the toys and how they work kinetically.
Sunday 11 February 2007
Toy Mind Map
Key words:
Collectable
Retro
Electronic
Mechanical
Construction
Kinetic art
Opt art
Illusion of motion
Persistance of vision
6 x 3 Mind Map
This mind map is based on my '6 x 3' questions and answers. The map uncovered three prominant themes; toys, story telling and bricolage. I will explore these ideas further in the maps that follow.
6 x 3 Questions and Answers
3 most interesting pieces of cultural detritus:
- Typewriter
- Walkman
- Old money
- My car
- My computer
- My telephone
- Mind mapping
- Practical research
- Group discussion
- Home
- Grandmothers house
- The beach
- Global warming
- Animal cruelty/testing
- War
6 x 3 Questions and Answers
3 favourite quotes:
'We are the music makers and we are the dreamers of dreams.'
- Willy Wonka
'We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at the stars.'
- Oscar Wilde
'Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind.'
- Dr Seuss
'We are the music makers and we are the dreamers of dreams.'
- Willy Wonka
'We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at the stars.'
- Oscar Wilde
'Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind.'
- Dr Seuss
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