Week 14

This week saw the end of the module, and the completion of my evaluation, which can be found here. I thoroughly enjoyed working on this particular project, I found it extremely interesting being able to produce a response to an issue that concerns anyone and everyone.

The following is a list of marks I gave myself for each of the key skills.

1. Fabrication / Making Skills: 8
2. Contextual Awareness: 9
3. Synthesis of etude material in final work: 8
4. Critical Analysis of subject: 9
5. Creativity, originality and innovation: 8
6. Application of theory to practice: 9
7. Technical Development: 7
8. Rationality & Realisation: 9
9. Organisation & Time-planning: 7
10. Presentation & Documentation: 8

Week 13

This week, I spent time developing my project documentation and preparing for my final presentation.

The project documentation can be downloaded here : ProjectDocumentation

For the presentation i prepared 15 slides. I wanted to address as much as possible to make sure I described my concept as fully as possible. I get so nervous when preparing for art based presentations, I absolutely hate talking about my own work as I often find it very difficult to express what I mean and how I feel. The slides I have prepared cover the concept, the process, the final stereo cards, the user experience and my own evaluation.

I have finally decided on a name for my project; “Stereovoyeur”. It addresses the two main components of my final artefact.

Week 12

I have decided to employ the use of my Victorian stereoviewer for the purposes of my final artifact. The main reason is that the device lends itself wonderfully as an interface through which you can view 3D images. In order to experience the 3D quality of the images, the user has to peer through the viewer then control the effect using the distance gauge. This aspect of the interaction is important in enhancing the ‘Big Brother’ notion that the viewer as a representative of ‘The Universal Audience’ is in control and all powerful. I also think the viewer itself will represent the timeless subject of voyeurism, as I have explained before, stereoviews were used as a window to a world one could not reach or be a part of. They were used during the war to give people an overview of all the happenings on the front line, they were also used for viewing pornographic images in the late 1800’s. I want to reuse this voyeuristic approach in my final artifact and am convinced using the stereoviewer will be the best form of implementation.

This week saw the completion of my stereocards. It took quite a while trying to find enough interesting images of people on benches around London, but once I was satisfied with the images I had found I could begin turning the images into stereoview cards using Photoshop. The first and main problem I encountered was that foolishly, I had forgotten that when making stereocards, a right and left view is required. As I found each bench I had only been taking one image, this meant I had to revisit each location and take more pictures from both angles, which obviously doubled the length of the process! After this had been rectified I began the process of creating the cards. A full documentation of the process will be available in the next couple of weeks. I created 8 cards in total.

The criteria for this part of the assessment is as follows…

“1. Artwork / Artefact

“This will be in a format and media appropriate to your own personal direction. It will be a 3D Hybrid – with all the variety that may entail as discussed elsewhere in this module study guide and in the sessions. It should be interactive, responsive and real-time. It must be a physical 3D form. It may connect to or embed digital technologies. It may be networked (or telematic). It may include a screen. Work in progress, prototypes, demos of complex or large scale projects are acceptable, but modelled functionality must be demonstrated through the etudes and in the artefact. ie. It must ‘work’ in some way.”
I am confident that my final artifact will meet all of the above criteria. I was worried about how it would comply with being ‘interactive, responsive and real time’, but after careful consideration, I decided that it will be all those things, but not necessarily in a literal sense. The piece will be physically interactive, as the user will need to control the 3D images with the wooden stereoviewer interface. It will be responsive, in two ways, 1, the images on the stereocards will respond to the settings decided by the user, therefore the 3D effect will be responsive according to the control of the user. 2,The images observed by the user should provoke a cognitive response, when the users look at the different anonymous and oblivious individuals features in the images, they should react in some way, perhaps they will feel unease, or interest etc… As the artifact presents still images, they cards themselves cannot be real time, however, the main part of the process is the act of experiencing the 3D effect of the images. This effect can only be produced by physically interacting with the stereoviewer, this interaction will be real time.

Week 11

Having decided to conduct an experiment in the web based 3D environment Google Street View, I researched the work of Thompson and Craighead, who have produced many projects using on online technology.

“Much of their work to date explores how technology changes the way we perceive the world around us. They use live data to make artworks, including “template cinema online artworks” and gallery installations, where networked movies are created in real time from online material such as remote-user security web cams, audio feeds and chat room text transcripts.” 2

Weather Gauge collects numeric information from countries all over world then displays them simultaneously on a screen in a gallery. What I particularly enjoy in this piece is that the viewer is empowered and almost all knowing while being able to view universal weather and time conditions.

Also, in order to take a look at how other artists had explored the idea of voyeurism I revisited the work of an artist we looked at a few lectures ago, Dziga Vertov, the maker of “Man with a Movie Camera”

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“Although this sequence has been seen as ‘an exercise in voyeurism’, rather it is intended as a denunciation of cinema voyeurism as well as an assertion of the right of the camera to see anything and be anywhere. “Man with a Movie Camera” can justifiably be called ‘a film about total surveillance. If there is no such thing as the private sphere the only permission the documentary film-maker need ever seek is that of the state.” 4

Vertov wanted to introduce the idea that the video camera is omnipotent and therefore, so is the camera man. The theme of surveillance is prevalent throughout the movie but it was not the artist’s intention to focus on voyeurism. I like the idea that the role of technology is that of a Big Brother, Google certainly agree with Vertov’s view that the camera has the right to see everything. No one has a right to privacy it would seem.

I then began the interesting but arduous task of searching through street after street of Google street views, looking for member of the public who may be engaging in either intimate moments, or public displays of affection. I chose to focus on London, as I am familiar with various locations and tried to target places I knew would show large groups of people. I also chose London as it is known for being a ‘big pond’ into which people can disappear and get lost in the crowds. It is a place one can escape to and not be singled out. Therefore, using it as a catalyst for my “Big Brother” type experiment. Where individuals will be targeted and exposed may add another dimension to the project.

After trawling the street for a good few hours, I found only two images of people being ‘intimate’ and even those were quite tenuous, (one was just a man on his own checking his reflection!)

But as I was exploring the virtual streets, I was taken by a few different things. I found looking through windows at people extremely interesting, and though it may be exciting to pursue as a theme for a few reasons. 1, because peering through the stereoscope will be like peering through a window anyway, so it might be nice to merge the virtual and the physical in this way. 2, I find the invasive aspect of looking through a window into a room where people may feel they are hidden away quite interesting.

Another area of interest was Cafes, I think I was drawn towards the Cafe’s in particular because there were plenty of people sitting and engaging in conversations with each other. Again, there is something invasive about silently and secretly observing people without knowing. When we eat or drink, we are distracted from the world around us and are focused on the meal in front of us, putting us in a slight state of vulnerability, which may empower the voyeur.

Finally, I was inspired by the few people i found sat on benches around London. This struck a personal chord as my own place of refuge and reflection is a bench in Gunnersbury Park, where I go without fail at least once a week to take stock of things and take time to relax and reflect. I know a few people who feel the same, and it is not uncommon to find certain benches dedicated to one or two particular people who may have spent a lot of time using it as a vantage point. Another thing I find draws me the benches is that they provide a view point that tucks you away on the sidelines, normally in a position perfect for people watching. I often enjoy watching the world and other people go by, usually unacknowledged by those being observed, therefore the thought of myself being focused on by an unseen eye would be quite off putting; “the observer being observed” . So, in that respect, I felt the bench theme would be the most interesting to focus on for the final artifact.

I also feel that the visual composition of the bench images were more aesthetically pleasing than the window and cafe shots, as they may be clearer to look at. I also like the artistic connotations provided by the bench compositions as more traditional artists have also focused on benches as subject matter for their paintings…

Claude Monet – “On a Garden Bench”

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Van Gogh – “The Stone Bench in the Garden of Saint-Paul Hospital”

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Theodore Robinson – “Garden Bench with Ferns”

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Eduoard Manet – “The Bench”

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Now all i need to do is find enough images of oblivious people on benches to complete the artifact!

1. Thompson and Craighead, Weather Guage , UCL.ac.uk – http://www.ucl.ac.uk/slade/slide/imgs/weather_03.jpg

2. Thompson and Craighead, Wikipedia -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomson_&_Craighead

3. Dziga Vertov, Eircom.net – http://homepage.eircom.net/~musima/historymotion/camera_files/citycamerax%5B1%5D.jpg

4. Richard Taylor : “Dziga Vertov- Defining Documentry Film” – http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:-lbEatdjCAAJ:https://segue.middlebury.edu/repository/viewfile/polyphony-repository___repository_id/edu.middlebury.segue.sites_repository/polyphony-repository___asset_id/1772951/polyphony-repository___record_id/1772952/polyphony-repository___file_name/Hicks.pdf+vertov+%2B+voyeurism&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk&client=firefox-a

5. Claude Monet , Awsome Art.biz – http://www.awesome-art.biz/awesome/images/medium-mon/Camille%20Monet%20on%20a%20garden%20bench.jpg

6. Van Gogh, VGGallery.com -http://www.vggallery.com/painting/f_0732.jpg

7. Theodore Robinson, 1st-Art-Gallery.com – http://www.1st-art-gallery.com/_site/paintings/77501-78000/77629/size3.jpg

8. Edouard Manet, Easy-art.com -http://images.easyart.com/i/prints/rw/en_easyart/lg/2/1/The-Bench–The-Garden-At-Versailles-Edouard-Manet-213294.jpg

Week 10

This week I was inspired by a story about a woman who found an image of her husband kissing another woman on Google Street View; she filed for divorce shortly after she discovered the affair. I thought it corresponded well with the subject matter in my etude “BH13”, for which I looked at how online virtual and 3D environments can lead to controversy with privacy issues.

The example I mentioned described an extremely personal event, something that should have been shared between two people only, not the entire world.  I felt there was something rather voyeuristic about the whole thing.  It put me in mind of Du Champs “Etant Donnes” which invites the viewer to cautiously peer through two peep holes, behind which is an image of a naked woman.  When the viewer discovers the concealed image, they are instantly put out and become very conscious of themselves and the fact that they have been placed in the position of voyeur.

Etant Donnes, from a distance 1

Etant Donnes, 'behind the scenes' 2

Etant Donnes, What is through the peepholes 3

This position of interaction will be explored further for my next assessment.

To follow on from the subject of “Google Street View” I researched articles that support my concern for privacy. The Times Online released the article “All-seeing Google Street View prompts privacy fears” in which they explain various activities unveiled by the car based cameras. “Images collected in just two days by the online magazine, Wired.com, show pedestrians picking their noses, police attending a fatality, a man climbing into an apartment block and a possible drug deal. There are also images taken inside New York’s tunnels, a practice frowned on by the authorities since the September 11 attacks.”4

"Smile you are on Google. Has this man pictured in San Francisco by Google lost his keys or is he up to something worse?" 5

The BBC News page also listed examples of privacy violations

” Since Street View launched in the UK on 19 March, PI has been contacted by many people identifiable via the service. Among them were a woman who had moved house to escape a violent partner but who was recognisable outside her new home on Street View. Also complaining were two colleagues pictured in an apparently compromising position who suffered embarrassment when the image was circulated at their workplace.”6

A very clear number plate 7

It is my wish include images from Google Street View in my final project; I aim to trawl the map in order to decide on the most interesting theme from the images provided by the street view. Perhaps finding images of people hugging or kissing may be an interesting route to follow, as public displays of affection are indicative of a couples intimacy, something that is considered to be extremely private. If this is not feasible, I would like to find something similarly intimate to focus on, as I will be attempting to place the viewer as the voyeur, and in order to achieve this, the image viewed will need to be in some way intimate or exclusive.

Bibliography

1. Tate.org.uk : http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/duchampmanraypicabia/images/duchamp_etant-donnes201.jpg

2. Tout-Fait.com : http://www.toutfait.com/issues/issue_2/Art_&_Literature/images/EtantDonnes.jpg

3. Lauragonzalas.co.uk : http://lauragonzalez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/image-baquie.jpg

4. Times Online, “All-seeing Google Street View prompts privacy fears”: http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article1870995.ece

5. Times Online, “All-seeing Google Street View prompts privacy fears”:  http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article1870995.ece

6. BBC, “Call to shut down Google street view” :  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7959362.stm

7. Softpedia, “Google Earth Infringing Privacy”:  http://news.softpedia.com/news/Google-Earth-Infringing-Privacy-83620.shtml

Other

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7954596.stm

Tout-Fait.com, “Marcel Duchamp – Etant Donnes: The Deconstructed Painting” : http://www.toutfait.com/issues/issue_3/Articles/Hoy/etantdon_en.html#N_1_

Week 9

This week we were hands on in our lecture. In pairs we set about creating our very own ‘desktop robots’ using toothbrushes, vibration motors, black tape, batteries and some pipe cleaners. Put in a pair with Patrick, we created a small four legged critter that spun around the table powered by the tiny battery and motor. It took about 5 minutes and was really quite fun!

The point of the task was to discuss the idea that robotics and computing are not constrained to new media and complex digital technology. We then tired to justify our collection of toothbrush creatures in an artistic context. I suggested the robots could represent the prevalence of technology in all aspects of modern life and that our creatures may represent the impact of digital advances on the natural world and organic processes. I thoroughly enjoyed exploring the idea that primitive contraptions can say as much about the digital era as the latest technological developments.

This was particularly interesting as it ties in with what I have been focusing on this week. I spend time reflecting on which etudes I felt might be the most suitable to choose and develop for my final artifact. There were various things I found interesting from each etude, so I thought about finding a way of marrying my favourite parts of each one to create the new project. My favourite overall etude was “Synographic”. I really liked including the stereoviewer, as it presented an opportunity for interaction that cannot be provided by digital media, while still adhering to the 3D specification. I will include this means of interaction in my final project, hopefully by linking it in with the idea of ‘voyeurism’.

I felt that the conceptual side of “BH13” lent itself to further development. I would be quite interested in exploring further the idea that technology and the increasing of visual dimensions in public realms will interfere with privacy. Therefore I would like to follow this theme of exposure. “Virtual Insanity” looked at how virtual 3D realms and digital life simulators are becoming more prevalent in our day to day lives. This is also something that may be interesting to take further.

Week 3

Unfortunately I was unable to attend the lecture this week.  But I took some time to explore some areas od 3D that I thought may benefit my research. A few years ago, I went to an exhibition in London called the ‘Amora’ exhibition.  At the beginning of the tour, the introduction was presented by a hologram of a woman.  A technique I thought was probably brought about by a combination of smoke and mirrors and seemed to be something I may have been able to produce myself.  However, further research has shown that the technique is called Spatiotemporal imaging, and can only be achieved by using specialist equipment provided (at huge cost) by a few specific companies.  The effect, none-the-less, is really amazing and introduces holograms into many practical environments.  Holographic art is also something that has always intrigues me, being a huge Sci-fi fan, I am always excited to see how artist’s implement the use of hologram technology, this also ties in with my interest in optical illuions.

Perhaps the most well known example of holograms and art is Chris Levine’s portrait of the Queen Elizabeth.
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“His experimental work with holograms (most famously his portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, above) helped Levine to develop a profound understanding of laser, which he describes as “the purest form of light,” and which he uses with great clarity and impact.”2

In this instance, i think the exploration of holograms is particularly powerful. The task of painting the Royalty dates back centuries, so presenting a portrait in such a contemporary medium is extremely interesting, and in a way the most relevant media. Also, I find that the interactive element of viewing holograms adds another dimension to user experience, and can be used to great effect depending on the subject matter. Were the technology available, I should love to implement holograms for my final project, but this is just not feasible. Following the theme, I also considered exploring 3D lasering technology, used to etch images into perspex, glass, and perspex.

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This could be quite a nice method of producing a 3D piece,  however, it is quite expensive, and they usually take between 8-10 weeks to complete.

Similarly, I am interested in Stereograms. My family owns an old Victorian stereogram viewer, which although primitive, is a wonderful piece of equipment, I am in the process of getting my hands on it for the purposes of experimentation.

“The process takes advantage of the binocular nature of human vision – each eye sees a slighly different 2-dimensional image, and the brain uses the differences to reconstruct the third dimension, often called depth.

Stereography mimics this process. By “tricking” each eye into viewing a different image, where each image represents the same scene but from slightly different angles, the brain will reconstruct the third dimension just as in normal binocular vision. There are several ways of accomplishing this.”4

5. Stereoviewer

6. Stereogram

As shown above, stereograms were used during the World Wars to give people an idea of what was happening in the front lines.

“At least five major manufacturers produced glass and paper stereoviews for the domestic market. All manufacturers used brief titles, often with a place name or the name of a major battle. Each maker usually placed image, sequence, or series numbers on its stereoviews. The earliest paper stereoviews were mounted on decent curved cardstock similar to that used by American and British companies. As the war went on and the military consumed ever-greater quantities of wood, stereoviews were mounted on cheap cardstock, then finally just unmounted photo paper. Approved propaganda themes may be inferred from wartime stereoviews:

•  Germans are barbarians destroying French religious and cultural heritage
•  The French soldier is well-fed and cared for in camps; trenches provide adequate protection and sanitation
• French ordnance is plentiful and powerful
• France does not fight alone, but has brave allies, including its colonies

Wartime stereographs provided the enemy no useful information, such as unit locations and weapon capabilities. ” 7

I also, found a tutorial online that contains guidelines on how to create your own stereogram. Knowing a little bit about what stereogram viewers were used for originally may help when deciding on subject matter.

Bibliography:

1. Chris Levine, “Lightness of Being: Glycee Print portrait of HM Queen Elizabeth I”;  http://www.creativereview.co.uk/crblog/chris-levine-light-artist-by-royal-appointment/ 

2. Patrick “Chris Levine: Light Artist By Royal Appointment” 2007; http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/arts/3828845.stm

3. Boulder Creek, 2006: http://www.bouldercreekdistributing.com/images/christus.gif

4. W. E. Johns, “Notes on Stereography” 2003: http://www.gizmology.net/stereography.htm

5. W. E. Johns, “Notes on Stereography” 2003: http://www.gizmology.net/images/stereo_09.jpg

6. Great War Photos 2007: “The Great War in Stereoviews”: http://www.greatwar-photos.org/FrenchViews.htm

7. Great War Photos 2007: “The Great War in Stereoviews”: http://www.greatwar-photos.org/FrenchViews.htm

Week 2

“A concept is a cognitive unit of meaning, an abstract idea or a mental symbol sometimes defined as a unit of knowledge, built from other units which act as a concept’s characteristics.“- Wikipedia

The topic of this weeks lecture was ‘concepts’, we looked at the work of Jospeh Beuys, and how his metaphorical work links ideas togher using symbolism.

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Symbolism is an artistic practice whereby Artists’ attempt to capture the reality and truths about objects and ideas, by bestowing upon them the power to represent a perhaps quite cryptic message. As I am a rather poor technician, who is daunted by the idea of 3D work, I hope that I will be able to enhance my work with appropriate conceptual depth.

We also discussed the work of Pierre Huyghe, who’s work ‘no ghost, just a shell’ 

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was an example of how Hugyhs was preoccupied with collective subjectivity, identity and difference.  This led us to the ageless question “What is Art?”. Thankfully, being a huge fan of conceptual art, I was extremely heartened to discover that this module embraces it, and hope what I lack in technincal ability, I will be able to make up for with strong concepts.  This tied in well with another book I read recently “Conceptual Art” by Daniel Marzona, and reflected the work of a few artists presented in the book.

I was particularly taken by the work of Hans Haack. “condensation cube”….

Following the theme of intangibility,  I thought a bit about spirirtuality and how it is a concept that exists beyond any dimension, which led me to consider how it could be transposed to exists within a 3D environment. As a Catholic, I am familiar with transubstantiation and the physical symbolism of spiritual presence, it may be possible to explore how this ancient ritual and practice could be transposed into a digital format, and whether the ethereal presence of data and information could be manifested as a physical or 3D entity.

I inspired by the notion that something which may exist intangibly in another dimension or the realms of ‘cyberland’ could be physically, or at the very least, visibly, within a 2D or real world environment.  Similar to the marble answering machine, A visual which sticks in my mind from last year is an image someone had created of a giant google earth pin which had been super imposed onto a real world location.

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I would be really interested to follow this idea for the benefit of one of my etudes.

Bibliography:

1.  Jospeh Bueys, “Fat Chair” : Design Boom ; http://www.designboom.com/history/stilllife/08.jpg

2. Jospeh Bueys, “Felt Coat” : Lenin Imports ; http://www.leninimports.com/joseph_beuys_gallery_14.jpg

3. Pierre Huyghe, “No Ghost, Just a Shell” : Attomaaku ; http://attomaaku.com/static/images/thumbnails/van-abbemusseum-no-ghost-just-a-shell.jpg

4. The Metaverse Roadmap, Anon : http://www.metaverseroadmap.org/MetaverseRoadmapOverview.pdf

Week 8

This was our final week to complete our work for the first hand in, so I spent time just finishing my etudes and tidying up my blog. I have really enjoyed the first part of this module, it wasn’t what I at all expected, which was good, as I did start out quite wary, but I thoroughly enjoyed working on each of my etudes. I am looking forward to getting some feedback on my etudes so I can decide on what project to progress after Easter. At the moment, I am leaning towards continuing with my Stereogram Viewer project, I think it could be developed nicely to follow a series of themes and images.

Week 7

During this weeks lecture, we showed each other what we had been working on and received feedback from each of our peers. I showed the rest of my class ‘Synographic’ and tried as best as I good to explain my concept; I think it was met with enthusiasm, which was very encouraging. Perhaps the only thing that could be said about the piece, is that the subject matter needs development. The contemporary still life works well for purpose of the etude, but I think the whole concept would be stronger If the subject was slightly more appropriate or intriguing.

I was leant the book “Analog In, Digital Out” which had an excellent chapter on ‘evidence of use’. It discussed the lack of evidence, or modification in digital media, and how the organic marks of time or use can add character. 

“The page has a story impregnated into it, a narrative that has been permanently stuck to it, because that’s what paper pages can do- they acquire signs of use and accidents that tell a future reader something about what they meant to someone.”1

It was particularly interesting to me, because it reiterated my feelings about the importance of physical interaction and viewing, it was also relevant because it promoted the idea of ancient vs contemporary in my etude.

I also battled this week to completed a final etude. It was my wish to follow the theme of placing a virtual aspect in the real world, and being a digital freak, I thought it might be nice to create a response to how much people these days surround themselves with technology.

Using the environment of Second Life, I took the interface and superimposed it onto a real life photograph. I called the study ‘Virtual Insanity’ to reflect the idea of over-enthusiastic technology lovers.

I chose Second Life to be the catalyst because I have read to many stories about people who had lived full lives online, but have no social life beyond the program. One story stood out for me in particular; a man and a woman had met through Second Life, and later married each other in the virtual environment. Soon after, they married each other in the real world, when the man had an affair with another woman in the virtual environment, the woman divorced him in the real world. This is an extreme example, but I still feel uncomfortable thinking people exist like this.

I do feel, however that Second Life provides many positive services, for instance, it promotes a location called “Live to Give island” where user with disabilities such as Cerebra Palsy can congregate and interact with other people, without experiencing prejudice. So I don’t want the etude to be a negative response, I wish it merely to respond to a culture which immersive itself in virtual and cyber activity.

Bibliography:

1. Dawes, Brendan, “Analogue In, Digital Out” : New Riders, 2007