neonascent

The above image (with zoomed detail below) was created with a script I wrote way back in 2003. I’ve just rediscovered it, and have been tinkering around with it a little. The script allows you to recreated composited images using coloured circles, randomly generated winding characters (as above), or your choice of text as a substitute for pixels in the image. I’m tempted to get some A0/A1 sized wall posters printed of some of these, as I really love the aesthetic, and think there can be some fantastic effects produced with the right choice of text + subject.

I’ll give access to the script if anyone has any immediate ideas they’d like to implement with it… Give me a yell.

It’s edging closer to my next birthday, and I feel that in my old age it is a good idea to have my affairs in order. Starting at the end, I’m going to make sure my spirit lives on in a witty epitaph for myself. I will endevour to come up with a good epitaph every week, and with pot-luck style selection if I die during that week, I take it to the grave! Of course if I think of a naff one for one week, I’ll have to try extra hard not to do anything fatal until I can think of a better one.

I’ve written a PHP script to help visualize, and they are auto-magically created.

This (highly political) sculpture was exhibited in the “Ground Floor” exhibition, Kudos. Two things I’ve wanted to do: engage in the gallery space itself, rather than just place things on a plinth within it, and work with the emotively charged black-white-red nazi style symbolism - I got my wish! Painting the walls was extremely liberating.

The installation consists of a stand holding two 100w klaxons, with painted wall banners on either side. The klaxons broadcast the sounds of war (bombs, air-raids, etc), with an underfloor sub-woofer providing deep rumbles.

Here is some (perhaps obvious) explanation:

Using Nazi imagery to point out the hypocracy of a War for Peace, and the fascism that’s been justified to “secure the country”. Dove with olive branch is biblical (i.e. very culturally specific) symbol for peace, and the nature of the War on Terror as a religious war (Bush initially described it as a “Crusade”) is tacit.

…Enduring Freedom is of course the name of US operations in Afghanistan.

Political support badges were also made, with two slogans, both of which involve some semantic/oxymoronic conflict.

There is always the danger of being too clichéd when dealing with political issues in art. I don’t want people to think that the Nazi imagery is in any way flagerant or gratuitous. During the Nuremberg trials Hermann Goering explained the power of the governement over the people through an uncomfortably familiar scenario:

“The people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.”

I think it’s important to realise that when such insubstantial rhetoric as an undefinable and unwinnable War on Terror is used to justify incursions into human rights, they are by no means intended to be temporary.

• War broadcast sounds MP3 (5.58mb)
• Link to Flickr set

Here is my latest completed work, which was featured in the Transilfacturalising exhibition.

Exploring the subjectivity of time, which has become hopefully clearer to most after the delay of daylight saving time for the sake of the Commonwealth games. While it is presented as a device for measuring time, and it functions admirably as one, it also serves no use. It does not count in seconds, and does not divide into collectively referenced unit. The 70s sci-fi faux-futuristic style also speaks of some Distopia/Utopia that could operate on this scale.

LED lit 5-digit mechanical counter than progresses with a satisfying “click” roughly every 2.5 seconds. The base exhibits a faint green halo.

Tech side: It used to use one of my trusty PIC16F84 chip, which triggered a sound chip. I decided it was more elegant without, and so it uses 555 timer chip. I have it in my room at the moment, and the “click” acts as a momento mori to reduce procrastination. Images are accessable through the dedicated Flickr set.

• Link to Flickr Set

Haruka is the Official Illustrator for our Dirty Suzie project. She is also the artist responsible for the 100 Hugs project.

I managed to grab this (slightly photoshopped) picture of Haruka at the end of a Kabuki photoshoot she was doing for Blessi. She was just removing her makeup when I stopped her for this (hopefully not too clichéd) split identity look.

Long time no post, and as I’ve been and still am very busy this one will be short.

The 3rd year Sculpture, Performance, and Installation students (myself included) are holding a little mid-semester state-of-art exhibition in the College of Fine Arts performance space. A few images are currently online in a Flickr set, but there shall be more soon, once I get some more from Maja.

I put in two works; one quick and fun readymade, and an electronic sculpture that took quite some effort to make. The second is called “A device for measuring time”, and presents itself as an absurd device that counts with no reference to standard time periods or divisions. It’s all about the subjectivity of time, and how this reality conflicts with the presentation of time in political/economic/rat-race word as vitally concrete.

• Link to Exhibition Images

Not much blog activity recently - sorry.

Check out the placeholder for the Dirty Suzie (subculture photo magazine) website. It features an exquisite illustration by Haruka Nishii, and is sitting happily at http://www.dirtysuzie.com.

Please comment any feedback you have for it.

I’ve now set up the Internet TV infrastructure to allow us to easily host a “video channel” of Carrie & Vostok episodes. A Carrie & Vostok channel is available which, in after downloading Democracy, will allow easy subscription to episodes downloaded distributively via BitTorrent.

The channel is empty at the moment, but hopefully will soon be teeming with movies!

Musical Instrument Digital Interface, or MIDI, is an industry-standard electronic communications protocol that defines each musical note in an electronic musical instrument such as a synthesizer, precisely and concisely, allowing electronic musical instruments and computers to exchange data, or “talk”, with each other. MIDI does not transmit audio - it simply transmits digital information about a music performance. (from Wikipedia entry)

Many may know that I’m a keen musician with some sound engineering experience. This project is to combine music and geekery interests and see what comes out of the mix. Yesturday I completed my first MIDI device. It is just a test of concept really; the first step in hopefully some more advanced MIDI/sound manipulation.

I use a PIC16F84 chip at 4Mhz to directly talk to whatever MIDI device the circuit is connected to. The homebrewed MIDI transmit code was taken from Ross Bencina’s site on MIDI development with PIC and Basic Stamp which, if you are interested, is a great resource.

Here is some of the technical material to help you get started quickly on your own MIDI project:

• My rejigged source code for 4Mhz operation (I also add turning on the “Okay” LED)
• Link to annotated circuit schematic
• PIC16F84 Datasheet (comprehensive programming information and specs)

Edit: If you are experimenting at all with MIDI output devices, you will probably benifit from a computer based MIDI monitoring program. This lets you examine the raw MIDI data being sent by your device, and helps greatly in troubleshooting. I am currently using the aptly titled MIDI Monitor found at OBD Software as it is free and does a fine job.

Edit: I’ve recently completed a remote automation project that lets you turn 110-240vac devices on and off via the a webpage or WAP on a mobile phone. It’s a very fun project! If you’d be interested in a write-up (schematics, code, etc) then leave a comment here, and I’ll get writing!

The Beautiful Machine - 2005

The Beautiful Machine was both an opportunity to design and etch my own circuit, and a cathartic personal engagement with my love-interest of the time.

The face of said love-interest is etched onto one side of a dual-sided circuitboard, and forms part of the circuit. On the other side is a solid state arrangement to control the segmented LEDs. There are two-modes; “LOVE” and “NONE”. Not particularly difficult to interpret, although it reflected my surprise at how quickly and profoundly changes can happen.

• Link to Flickr photo set