Mapping and Thoughts for Ideas

The interest in mapping for me draws along the line in terms of history and how we view the world. How it was and or is and the fact that the mapper shapes that impression greatly. The notion of geography and the lack of understanding of geography among my peers is something that fascinates me. The ease of creating some sort of historical mythical culture or society that existed and how a lack of knowledge makes something believable to the average viewer. The reality of the situation as being more unbelievable than the falsified reality. Maps in terms of reading and understanding a past or where someone or something is from interests me similar to how and have worked with hands in the notion of seeing a hand is seeing where you have been. I can draw a map of Europe and label it in the general sense accurately to all the major nations that existed anywhere from 1AD to the present day if that comes into play for any project or need. Below is a random drawing of such that is also a falsified alternate history and colored in. What does it mean to color in a section and why do we often add color to maps?

Measurements and Mapping

I measured the width of the skull downstairs from tusk to tusk using the width of the bridge of my nose and found that if my nose was flattened, it would only take four bridge widths to get from one tusk to another.

Mapping: The ideas I'm interested with mapping the forest are using photography or taking items from the forest, 3D scanning them and returning them and creating maps locating these specific items from where I found them in a topological map, using either the 3D printer, the laser cutter, or the CNC mill. I am also interested in the idea of treasure hunts. I remember going on a GPS treasure hunt in middle school and had a blast.

Thinking about maps

Aesthetically I like maps- the marine one we saw in the library was interesting because it was difficult to figure out what side was the sea- I saw another map another time where the land was blue and I was like whaaaat. Mapping conventions. Also in the O.S. Card books where one bit addressed the new nations that were created- official political maps vs. cultural ones. Maps mapping garbage, maps mapping color, maps mapping animals, maps mapping mappable objects. Useless maps, overly-useful maps so full of information you can't make heads or tails of them. Maps in that star trek language, maps in wingdings, google maps in wingdings [the font], maps that don't tell the truth, illustrative maps that are stories, maps made of the things they're mapping, documenting existing maps like animal trails, getting people to find obscure countries on maps in surveys, maps that look like maps but are actually other things, personal maps, maps of bodies, making maps out of fruit.

Mapping Idea

I think about On Kawara's I Went series with the idea of mapping. He went to places, and recorded his tracks and encounters on a daily basis. http://www.artlies.org/article.php?id=1666&issue=59&s=0 I also think of his postcards: http://beckyford.wordpress.com/2010/09/21/on-kawara/

I can't visualize how to approach this project because I have never been there, but maybe that's because I feel like I'm going to make a literal map of the forest for a tourist -- kind of like maps for Glacier National Park in Montana. I'll edit this post once I get a clearer idea.

Room Measurement

The silkscreen room is:
9 by 12 by 7 silkscreen lengths

Room as measured by the primary function of it. Form equals function.

Mapping Project thoughts

When I think about mapping, I really don't like thinking about mapping, in a geographical/topographical sense. I am more interested in mapping information about other information that correlate with the locations. Infographics are pretty neat, and I really like the idea of maps from fictional worlds. I like the idea of being able to construct a blueprint for a space from your imagination. The map of Middle Earth from the Lord of the Rings or even the Marauder's map from Harry Potter have a narrative element that is often left out of informational maps. These fantasy maps reveal secrets and magic that is not often visible to the naked eye. Maybe for the forest, it would be interesting to construct a fictional narrative based on the geography of the area and constructing a whole world beyond that.

Initial Ideas for Project 3 Mapping

Beginning ideas of what mapping the forest could include:

-wildlife pathways, paths of movement

-different type of growth patterns

-water movement through land

-differing sun exposure

-branch patterns of trees within a certain area

-shadow patterns within a certain area

-the acoustic levels of wildlife within a certain area or lack of traffic noise further into the forest

-the number of nests in trees

Measurement of FAC 3rd floor Hallway

Our unit of measurement was the palm of Noel's hand. With it we thus discovered:

Length = 665 palms

Width = 27

Height = 29

Meaning that the total area of the hallway is 17,955 palms squared.

The total volume of the hallway is 520,753 palms cubed.

Measuring Activity

So for our measuring exercise, Dailey and I measured the FAC elevator. We measured it in various units:

5.5 Netalia's feet wide
34.5 Dailey's tongues wide / 6.5 Dailey's braids wide
71 the space between Netalia's eyes high

The doors are each 1.6 of Dailey's hands wide
The dust rail on the bottom is 8 Dailey's finger widths
The emergency procedures sign is 12.5 Netalia's thumb widths

The Trendy, Transportable Greenhouse Umbrella

This project was my baby.

-My cranky newborn that dictated when I slept, where I shopped, and how I spent my time to be more precise. Like a newborn it was also money pit and it required a quick learning curve to deal with the challenges it presented.

But also like a baby, I grew to love it despite all these things.

It was conceived in my sketchbook, when my pencil and mind joined as one. But okay, all baby metaphors aside, the idea behind the Portable Greenhouse is to empower individuals to become micro-farmers despite urban living limitations (like apartment living and inadequate lighting.) Another big concept behind the Portable Greenhouse is the creation of a "bubble" of fresh air in an often otherwise polluted environment through the respiratory action of the plants. Below are what the initial and then later refined sketches look like.

I got some very useful feedback in critique that I will use to help carry this project further, namely being that the sling/cape used to hold the pump was detracting from the woven chest piece I had created out of tubing. Though I had tried several methods of creating a cradle/bag/ basket of some sort out of tubing - none if it was sturdy enough- possibly given my lacking skill levels) to support the weight of the pump - especially when being pumped. Below is an example of a tried and failed attempt at a basket tube:

Another challenge that actually turned out to be equally beneficial was that the farmer I had negotiated buying a tray of still-rooted sunflower sprouts from had accidentally sold the tray he was supposed to be keeping for me. I had to instead find several different kinds of herbs (German Thyme, Peppermint, and Cilantro) to use in the project instead. Though nutritionally they won't be as fulfilling as the sprouts (one of the few plants to have a complete protein structure) they can still be used in culinary purposes AND furthered my idea of creating a bubble of fresh air for the urban city dweller by noticeably freshening the air with their fragrance, not just through their filtering carbon dioxide/oxygen exchange.

Below are the final images and presentation for crit:

And Shoe Assessment

BLOG: http://instantstread.blogspot.com/

I was really excited about this project. The collaboration with Dailey was excellent. I was able to focus on communicating and getting people involved, and Dailey was able to crank out a really nice functional program.

I do think that it would be nice to have the projector and speakers better laid out. Technology is a beast that tries to devour aesthetics. It takes an innovative mind (and sometimes some big cash) to make it look pristine. 

That being said: ideally, I would improve the sound output. I didn't realize it would be such an issue. I knew the sound would be slightly tough because of the basic recording capabilities of my computer and my friends, but I made the incorrect presumption that the speaker would suffice. But to be honest, it didn't bother me at all. I heard all but one of the recordings quite clearly, but for the sake of the audience, I suppose I could work out a different solution. On to the projector. It did not occur that it looked like a voyeur. Once people said something I quite agreed with them. Dailey was right on her call, we should have tried to hang the projector.

 I really did enjoy the footprints and their correspondence with the mat. I think it was Noel who mentioned it is like pausing on the threshold. I really enjoy that moment. I realize a lot of people had mixed reviews though. I think this could be potentially solved by having, as Ryan said, an in-between image. Every time someone stepped off, we could have the question "What is the most significant step you've taken in life?" posed on the mat. I think this would help people know to step on it, as well as clear up the main subject of the concept: the significance of a human step. The idea of the door intrigued me as well, it could be a nice solution with the placement of the mat and footprints. 

Also, I think I am flexible, but in my honest opinion, the mat didn't bother me either.  Darn subjectivity and opinions. It makes it hard to tell what really IS the best solution. My thought is though...change the aspect ratio of the images to fill that mat. That would be really nice.

Now...to the meat of the concept: relational aesthetic and the significance of a human step. Relational aesthetics is a difficult art form for me to work with. I feel slightly incompetent with it. I am good with people...I am ok with art...but putting them together is a huge challenge. Despite the presentation issues people had with it, this project was conceptually beautiful to me. I am really grateful that people spoke their most significant moment instead of having the audience read them. I am pleased with having the footsteps on the ground and having people shoes interact. However, it broke down in that the critique, only the first couple comments were focused on the meat of the concept. Everything after that, spiraled into critique of the presentation. This was frustrating, because I think there was more to talk about with the shoes/feet/steps/moments/etc. This is why a different setup is necessary if I were to ever present this project again. I think the biggest thing that got people stuck was the projector showing. Noted. No showing projector if ever a future showing were to occur. 

The breakdown happened when people became more focused on the space over the relationships. The hope was that there would be a moment for people to encounter other peoples lives. This is what it boils down to. I'm being completely honest, I was quite happy with the project. It was an good experience collaborating with friends and strangers, and then learning how to communicate that experience to others.

And now...the code:
Arduino:

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(9600);
  pinMode(2, INPUT);
  pinMode(3, INPUT);
  pinMode(4, INPUT);
  pinMode(5, INPUT);
  pinMode(6, INPUT);
  pinMode(7, INPUT);
  pinMode(8, INPUT);
  pinMode(9, INPUT);
  pinMode(10, INPUT);
  pinMode(11, INPUT);
  pinMode(12, INPUT);
}

void loop() {
  int val2 = digitalRead(2);
  int val3 = digitalRead(3);
  int val4 = digitalRead(4);
  int val5 = digitalRead(5);
  int val6 = digitalRead(6);
  int val7 = digitalRead(7);
  int val8 = digitalRead(8);
  int val9 = digitalRead(9);
  int val10 = digitalRead(10);
  int val11 = digitalRead(11);
  int val12 = digitalRead(12);

  if (val2 == 1){
    Serial.println(val2, BYTE);
    delay(1000);
  }
  else if (val3 == 1){
    Serial.println(val3, BYTE);
    delay(1000);
  }
  else if (val4 == 1){
    Serial.println(val4, BYTE);
    delay(1000);
  }
  else if (val5 == 1){
    Serial.println(val5, BYTE);
    delay(1000);
  }
  else if (val6 == 1){
    Serial.println(val6, BYTE);
    delay(1000);
  }
  else if (val7 == 1){
    Serial.println(val7, BYTE);
    delay(1000);
  }
  else if (val8 == 1){
    Serial.println(val8, BYTE);
    delay(1000);
  }
  else if (val9 == 1){
    Serial.println(val9, BYTE);
    delay(1000);
  }
  else if (val10 == 1){
    Serial.println(val10, BYTE);
    delay(1000);
  }
  else if (val11 == 1){
    Serial.println(val11, BYTE);
    delay(1000);
  }
  else if (val12 == 1){
    Serial.println(val12, BYTE);
    delay(1000);
  }
  else {
  Serial.println(0, BYTE);
  delay(100);
  }
}

Processing:

//import fullscreen.*;
//import japplemenubar.*;

import ddf.minim.*;
import ddf.minim.signals.*;
import ddf.minim.analysis.*;
import ddf.minim.effects.*;

import processing.serial.*;

Serial myPort;
/**
 * Load Sample
 **/

Minim minim;
//Fullscreen fs;
AudioPlayer audio;
AudioPlayer audio1;
PImage Image;
PFont font;
int index1;
String [] audioString = { 
  "Charlotte, United States 1.wav", 
  "Gainesville, United States 1.wav", 
  "Gainesville, United States 2.wav",
  "Gainesville, United States 5.wav",
  "Kansas City, United States 1.wav",
  "Moscow, Russia 1.wav",
  "Moscow, Russia 2.wav",
  "Moscow, Russia 3.wav",
  "New York City, United States 1.wav",
  "San Antonio, United States 1.wav"
};

int first;
int secnd;
int curVal;
int preVal;



void setup()
{
  size(1280, 800);
  background(0);
  stroke(255);
  font = loadFont("Verdana-48.vlw");
  textFont(font);
  loop();

  minim = new Minim(this); 
  String portName = Serial.list()[0];
  myPort = new Serial(this, portName, 9600);
}

void draw() {
  if (first == secnd) {
    int index = int(random(audioString.length));
    //println("THIS IS AUDIOSTRING  "+audioString[index]);
    audio = minim.loadFile(audioString[index], 2048);
    audio.play();
    showImg(audioString[index]);
    first ++;
  } 
  else {
  }

  if ( myPort.available() > 0) {  // If data is available,
    curVal = myPort.read();         // read it and store it in val
   println("this is first curVal  "+curVal);
    if (curVal != preVal & curVal != 13 & curVal != 10) {
      if (curVal == 1) {
        //println("this is curVal  "+curVal+"  this is preVal  "+preVal);
        fill(0);
        rectMode(CENTER);
        rect(width/2, height/2, width, height);
        audio.close();
        minim.stop();

        secnd++;
        redraw();
        delay(500);
      }
      preVal = curVal;
      //println("this is second preVal  "+preVal);
    } 
    else {
    }
  }
  /*
  if (mousePressed == true) {
   fill(0);
   rectMode(CENTER);
   rect(width/2, height/2, width, height);
   audio.close();
   minim.stop();
   
   secnd++;
   redraw();
   }
   */
}

void showImg(String ImagePass) {
  String[] Image1 = split(ImagePass, ".wav");
  String[] Image2 = append(Image1, ".jpg");
  String Image3 = join(Image2, "");
  //println("IMAGE 3   "+Image3);

  Image = loadImage(Image3);
  imageMode(CENTER);
  image(Image, 640, 440);

  fill(255);
  String title = Image3.substring(0, Image3.length()-6);
  //println("TITLE   "+title);
  text(title, 160, 55, -450);
}

void stop()
{
  minim.stop();
  super.stop();
}

Setting up the Space/Atmosphere

Dana and I created a space in the corner of the blackbox for relaxation and meditation. The participant will wear the Mindflex headband as well as the hooded vest and sit on the stool in front of three mirrors and will listen to relaxing brain wave music. The closeness to the mirror will make the viewer shut themselves off from the larger room and allow for a more intimate sense of peace.

More In Progress

In Progress Chakras

We have attached the patches with interfacing and have begun punching in the LEDs. We finished sewing with the conductive thread and plan to begin wiring everything with the Mind Flex.

Here are some photos from today:

Don't Count Your Chickens Before They Hatch

Trouble finally rears its bird-like head on this project...

All of the constructing, sewing, and wiring have been going swimmingly on this, but I finally got down to coding on this. I'm slowly figuring it out, but its not going quickly enough and my brain is tired. I figured out which value to isolate, but the existing code for the pulse sensor really seems to hate multiple motors. I'm not sure if the problem lies within my motor code or the pulse code, but I plan on investigating further.

Backup plan: Use another type of sensor. I was looking into those light resistors that Lin used on her plant project last semester, but even better would be the proximity sensor. I'm extremely familiar with them already and have gotten them to interface with motors. Conceptually I think it may actually work nicely. As far as the actual setup, I would have the wearer standing on a raised platform, seemingly untouchable and on display. If anyone else tries to get close, the feathers will stand up in alarm, signaling the person to back off. It may actually be more effective than the pulse sensor, with a lot less noise and variability, making it somewhat more realistic.

As far as the cage idea, I had though it over and it doesn't seem like there's a simple way to construct a life size perch in the time given, without the ability to weld. So, I have a few ideas as to what is feasible. First, I would like to have some sort of raised platform. Ideally I would like to go to the wood shop and build a custom platform, maybe in a geometric shape of some sort that would support the weight of a person. This would then be displayed in front of the wall in the black box and have a projection on the wall of the cage. This projection would also double as as a spotlight, making the bird volunteer the subject of full attention. This would look dramatic.

With the changes in sensors and materials, I do feel like it changes the concept somewhat. I do feel that its interesting though that approaching the bird could cause either distress or mating interest, displayed in the crest activity. We put birds on display, but we also put people on display. I feel like they are very similar concepts, but its ridiculous, and actually really theatrical. Birds are nature's little attention whores, though I suppose many pets get turned into attention whores. Birds happen to usually be pretty though and seem to be in a different class than dogs. Think about the way we treat birds apart from other pets. Bird cages are designed to be an object, many of them ornamental. We don't really have fancy dog crates displayed in the middle of a room. Though we may also treat humans as these beautiful creatures that we want to show off, its rare that we actually put them in a cage.

My brain needs a little rest. Anyway, here's a video of the motors all working with just a potentiometer. At least I can rest assured that my wiring is correct and that I can get all the motors to move in the way I want them to. The last step tomorrow will be to attach the feathers and create a silhouette of the bird cage.

Project 2: Update.

The images above depict the placement of the layout of the LEDs onto the cape.


In the picture above, we were trying to decide which resistor to utilize for the project by testing out 10-Ohm, 15, 22, 33, 47, and 100-Ohm resistors. We figured 22-Ohm should do justice.

And About Another Update

Today we gathered everything we possibly needed for the project to make sure we are all set.
The programming is almost finished.
Tomorrow, Saturday, we put it all together and make it look awesome.

So here's what we have:
foot steps to step on
trigger buttons
buttons tell arduino their pushed
arduino tells processing it should start
processing goes through the different pictures and narratives about people's significant steps

Technology used:
projector
computer
arduino
wires
fishing line
speakers

Tomorrow it all comes together.

Project 2: Update.

The purpose of the garment that we are making is to visualize a sense of following. We would like to address the meaning of being followed, and felt that a cape was a suitable garment to create due to one of its functions as a protective layer of clothing. Capes have periodic returns to fashion, yet they remain unusual to see on a daily basis. In addition, the cape would serve as a body extension for the wearer -- inspired by Rebecca Horn's body sculptures -- in an effort for the viewers to interact with the space and the piece. For a detailed history of capes: http://www.fashion-era.com/Coats_history/cloak_costume_history_1.htm

The meaning of the color black throughout fashion has significantly evolved. Black clothing was the color of mourning, death, doom, and gloom in the Western culture. The 1950s marked the popularization of the black dress by Christian Dior, and its popularity continued to rise in the 60s with the rise of the "Beat Style." The color black became a sophisticated color as well as a symbol for respectability. The decision to make a black cape was made so that the piece could be taken seriously despite the enigma behind the cape. This site was filled with interesting fun facts about black: http://www.sensationalcolor.com/color-messages-meanings/color-meaning-symbolism-psychology/all-about-the-color-black.html

I found a beginner-friendly cape sewing pattern and bought black denim to construct the cape. We chose to use denim because of its durability, and luckily found black denim at Walmart. I've learned very useful terms used in sewing, so constructing the cape became fairly simple. We are planning to attach the LEDs on the backside of the cape as marked by the tape on the last image. Once the technology is incorporated to the garment, we plan to overlay the LEDs, wiring, etc. with a layer of fabric for a more refined look.

Skin Reading (I was in NYC for discussion)

It's so fascinating all the new technologies that are changing the way we look at art and materials themselves. The history of skin manipulation was very interesting as well, especially as it seems to have become so exceedingly prevalent only in the last 20 years.

"Skin is the surface where bodies and products merge." I thought that was a very illuminating quote. Skin, will all its folds, crevices, and ducts, functions as the entry and exit point of our bodies. We absorb countless cosmetic materials through it. It's possible that not only are we what we eat, but we are what we touch.

Sticking to the theme of cosmetic matters, the quote about "don't ask, don't tell," did make me realize that it's a very valid point they bring up. It's an issue very tied up in vanity, cultural pressures to always look our very best (and more), and an ignorance is bliss attitude. It could be the fact as well that the product being presented to the consumer looks so far removed from what the actual animal source looked like, it's easy to dismiss that fact. As our culture does become more increasingly aware of animal welfare issues and kosher/halal laws, we may find ourselves actually having the option of organic and kosher collagen. I certainly think it's within the realms of possibility.

"Design reflects and shapes our understanding of the world; it is both symptom and cure." I really liked this quote because I feel it applies to all art fields. Through external/internal stimulus brought on by our surrounding time/environment we are prompted as artists to act (the symptom) and in doing so alleviate the emotions within us and that of the greater cultural body as well.

"Materials serve to delay and materialize the passage of light in his 1995 book Light Construction ." Materializing the passage of light is what I think painting is all about and I love this quote because of it!

I'm very interested in this Aerogel material spoken of in the article, "one of the lightest materials on earth" and wonder if it's affordable enough to use in future projects.

"Avatars as skins, the digital surfaces of invented personae." I don't have too much to say on the subject of avatars... NOT. I'm terrified of living in a world where everyone interacts through avatars instead of true person to person interaction. One step down on the fear ladder is also my fear of the world being completely robotized, and thus human life really being rather boring and pointless. There's been enough movies on this subject that it's really gotten into my head that it would be rather awful. The more removed we become from nature and the natural order of things, the more I truly believe we become completely disillusioned.

Materials!

We have all of our materials now!

For future reference:

Dana purchased the different color duck cloths at Jo-Anns Fabric (not in Gainesville)

We got the pattern at Jo-Anns and Dana skillfully modified it.

I got the Mindflex Mattel toy on Ebay but it's also sold at most Wal-Marts.

For information on how to hack it for Arduino go to http://frontiernerds.com/brain-hack

Arduinos can be purchased online or at RadioShack

Cheap mirrors at Target for $7 a piece

$14 for 320 LEDs at the fabulous Jaero Technology 7217 Oxfordshire Ave Jacksonville, FL

He's got an Ebay store which is where I purchased the LEDs, ordered them on Sunday, got them at 9:30 on Tuesday morning and the shipping was only $2.20!

Birds of a feather flock together

This past weekend, I began sewing together my bird headdress. It sits really nice on the head like a crown. I made pockets for each of the motors. I sewed in the first motor, which is visible in the photo above as the white speck. I have yet to add the rest of the motors, but I need to wire everything first before I begin sewing things in. I also need to work on the code and interface the pulse sensor with the motors. Dearest Dailey has briefly walked me through the theory, but as we all know, with coding, theory and practice never line up on the first try.

I started playing with the feathers last time and tried sewing a portion of them together so that I could attach them to the motors, however, I realize I need to make the strips of feathers short enough. Everything is coming together fine for the actual headdress.

In a larger context though, the headdress cannot stand by itself. In order to make it more of an installation, I thought about building a human-sized cage. The viewer, or rather participant, would have to enter this cage and then put on the headdress. They would then be "on display" and depending on the person, this could elicit feelings of anxiety (in my case) or one of excitement.

The question at this point is, how do I construct a human-sized cage that's doable within a short amount of time?

Chakras Project Moving Along

Dana put together the most fabulous hooded garment which Katerie and I have both tried on now. Dana bought colored duck cloth and Dana and I laser cut the designs to be sewn on to the garment. I'm currently working on the Arduino code but really the code is just a much longer modification of an earlier project. What I have to determine is what are the range of values that are being returned to the serial monitor for each individual brain wave value. I had way too much fun wearing this :)

Wearable Progress

Over the weekend the garment was sewn and finalized. The only real challenges were trying to make the garment big enough to fit almost all sizes, as well as a means of getting it on and off. I attached Velcro to the sides for easier access and a smaller neckline. We decided on not attaching the sleeves and using a duck cloth fabric for sturdy placement of the LEDs. Today we decided on the symbols we will use and went to the lab to laser cut them into various sizes. The plan now is to get ideas and practice on how to embroider these symbols and make them more patch-like, while Emily works on the technological aspect and the Mind Flex.

Wearable Proximity LED Testing

Above is a video of the proximity sensor working to control turning off or on a led. Depending upon the distance of the person or object towards it. So far have been unable to locate or find code from a previous semester classmates project using an led matrix and proximity sensor. However using the example code and the information in the official Ardunio site makes that most likely not necessary. Planning on using the fading example technique to control the brightness of the leds to indicate closeness to the person in the cape. So far so good in trying to figure out the tech but it only gets more difficult from here on out. Below is the code so far in it's infancy for others to possibly use, it is the code from the video above.

________________________________________________________

int sensorPin = 19; //analog in pin 19
const int ledPin =  10;      // the number of the LED pin pin 10

void setup() {
//Start the serial so we can write to it
Serial.begin(9600);
pinMode(ledPin, OUTPUT); // led turn on
}

void loop() {
//-----------------------------------
// Read the sensor pin and print it to serial
//-----------------------------------

int distance = analogRead(sensorPin);

Serial.print("distance: ");
Serial.println((distance)); //println is print line

//wait 100ms (.1 sec for next read)
delay(100);

if (distance < 100)
   digitalWrite(ledPin, HIGH);
   else
   digitalWrite(ledPin, LOW);
}

________________________________________________________

Micro Servo

Here's the link to the micro servos from adafruit. They're super cute! They may be available cheaper elsewhere, but I'm not sure.

Skin Thoughts

Skin as a interface as in and out; a membrane that is a boundary. In terms of cells is just cholesterol and protien structures arranged in a certain pattern. Certain objects, liquids and gases can go through a skin and others not and at various different times. Skins can be breathable and or suffocating. Touching the sense of touch is from our own skin with touch. Does touching always involve skin or a skin?... Regardless as pointed out skin is both alive and dead so it is a borderline between what we think is alive and isn't while using both, anything within is alive and anything out is dead. However, components of the dead or things not alive components are inside as well.

Metaphors of skin used in daily life; Tough or thick skinned having as something that isn't easy to harm or get through. Skin clad objects and nakedness or the notion of the birthday suit and just skin only, nude beaches, skinny dipping etc. Skin as the container to place tobacco in for rolling a cigarette. Skin means a texture for in video games and modelling adding a skin adds shading color and depth. Skin as slang for Skinhead, working class person dressed in combat boots, jeans, bomber jacket a shaved head and violent at times. Give me some skin or a high five. "His cheeks were like an ancient statue corroded by tears."

The Lucy McRae piece with the flowing water through acted as a sort of rigid skin and a barrier towards the person. None moveable in many senses of the word. iPhone controlled LED suit was interesting in the notion of exploring the sight and appearance of the skin your in. That the questions about how things should look has been a concept that has a lot of various notions attached to it. Electronic skin health monitoring system added as some sort of skin to reveal information about a person without actually interacting with the skin of a person. It makes an interesting notion of us trying to not have to interact with the touch we can use. Smart Second Skin dress seemed a little too much in the realm of not possible to indicate what emotion or mood the viewer was in then release a smell for that. Just the idea of how it would know that seemed suspect and more of a faked art piece then again that might not matter to the creator(s).

Thinking about Skin

Discuss the idea of skin as an interface. Be sure to ponder what a skin does and how it implies inside and outside.

Locate and list as many examples in our daily lives of skin as a metaphor.

On our website, there are a list of artists that use wet interface. Look through them and discuss one with the class.

picture is a link

examples of skin as interface-

represents a person/thing- aesthetics, ideas, opinions, roots, origins

provides information or to be able to communicate

protective interface

allows communication between objects

"a boundary that identifies inside and outside"

provides expectation based on experience

tattoos- express ideas to other people

screens- touch and regular

skin as metaphor
skin as metaphor often alludes to emotion
put on a new face

Nat needs to take a shower

skin is a metaphor for humanity?

concealment- masks

look at artists- find one and talk about it, skin, controversial

we'll be discussing Meg Grant, whom we're not convinced is an artist in the sense of Art, but makes fun things involving skin and technology

Skin

1. Skin as interface - The skins used for website design or for phone covers are the times I hear the word skin the most (or skin cancer worries from tans). The skin of a website as well as the skin on your phone usually is used to express your personality, or express the look of your persona exemplified by the website. Dan Dan's phone is covered with jewels while my boyfriend's phone has Spider-Man on it. Dan Dan's phone expresses that she is interested in fashion, jewelry, etc. while Jonathan's says that he is interested in comics. It is an interface as much as it is an identification. The skins on websites are an even closer example of interface. If you're using a template or skin you can choose for your website to look sophisticated, fun, artistic, basic, etc. It acts as a cover or protector of the internal workings (your basic code and source files) but it also exhibits beauty.

2. Daily life/ skin as metaphor - If you have tough skin, you can deal with a lot. The image however of a human actually having thick or scaly skin would be quite disturbing, like the villains in Power Rangers. Shedding skin- renewal like a snake sheds its skin, turning over a new leaf

3. Artists Carla Murray and Peter Allen's proposal of skinthetic is so disturbing, much like many other ideas of our future dystopic world. 1984 Big Brother watching over us may not have come true in the same sense that we're scared of our government patrolling us, but the commercial world of Google certainly is watching our every move. The idea of us branding ourselves via skin is certainly appalling to me, but perhaps to those who participate in the tattoo world will see it as an exciting new venue to explore logo design in tattoo art. I know a graphic design student who started as a tattoo artist and I know she sees it as fine art so I'd be curious of her opinion of skin branding vs skin art if she is also interested in a graphic design career which inherently could imply logo design.

Meditation Chakras Garment

The purpose of this garment is to create an external understanding of the internal workings of the mind in meditation. Each of the seven core chakras will correspond to a frequency in Hertz of the data collected from the EEG sensor and the most concentrated frequency will correspond to a colorful symbol lit up by colored LEDs. The participant will enter a room devoid of anything but a small light in a mirror as a point of concentration and the soundscape of a mantra.

Research: How to Meditate

My Heart Will Go On...

I finally got around to playing with the pulse sensor today and it's pretty neat and accurate. After troubleshooting my poor old Duemilanove, I realized that something was wrong with my board and switched out for an Uno, which I think works better with the new Arduino software update anyway. The website for the pulse sensor provided some documentation and an example sketch, which worked like a charm. The code for the arduino does a whole lot of math and gathers data every 10 seconds or so, and averages it to give us the bpm that is so nicely displayed with Processing, as well as lighting up an LED with the heart rate.

A few of us were playing around with the best locations to attach the sensor and so far, the finger seems to be the best universal place to pick up a consistent pulse. The neck is also a strong place, but if the wearer speaks during the time the sensor is recording your pulse, it throws off the reading. The sensor is pretty finicky but if its held just right over a period of time, it is pretty accurate. Another good place to attach the sensor is the earlobe, but I think it varies on a person to person basis where the pulse is strongest.


Now its just a matter of splicing together this code with the servo code and the library. Theoretically, I'll be setting up ranges of bmp that correspond to a servo angle. For instance, if the bpm is between 50 and 60, the servo is at 15 degrees, or something along those lines. It's going to take a bunch of tweaking and fine tuning, but it should be effective.

Also got my feathers in! They're perfect. When layered, they will have the perfect amount of length and bend... plus they're pretty and have a really nice sheen to them.

About How the Shoes Work as Wearable and Relational Art

I realized that contextualizing and giving this project historical reference would help explain this idea and where it derives its basis as fine art. Like my first project with the breakfast table, this shoe project is also about relational aesthetics. In essence the shoes act as a wearable that creates a relationship between one person and another.

As per Bishop and Bourriaud, "“the realm of human interactions and its social context, rather than the assertion of an independent and private symbolic space (page 54, Claire Bishop's Antagonism and Relational Aesthetics." She also quotes Bourriaud in saying "“It seems more pressing to invent possible relations with our neighbors in the present than to bet on happier tomorrows” (RA, p. 45). He talks about contemporary art's focus on figuring out how to relate in the world today more so than on future utopias. I do appreciate this aspect of art, and I think this is why I have enjoyed having the new experimental means to explore relations more through this class.

And I may be over-quoting, but I also found this excerpt from Bishop's writing and found it quite helpful in underlining a bit of where this shoe piece finds its foundation:
"Bourriaud does not regard relational aesthetics to be simply a theory of interactive art. He considers it to be a means of locating contemporary practice within the culture at large: relational art is seen as a direct response to the shift from a goods to a service-based economy. It is also seen as a response to the virtual relationships of the Internet and globalization, which on the one hand have prompted a desire for more physical and face-to-face interaction between people, while on the other have inspired artists to adopt a do-it-yourself (DIY) approach and model their own “possible universes” (RA, p. 13)."

Some artists I started looking into were Henry Bond (most related to my piece), Liam Gillick (worked in conjunction with Bond at some times), Carsten Höller (not totally related to my work, but impressive relational slide-in-gallery piece), and Rirkrit Tiravanija (of course, but related more to my first project with the skype/breakfast). More on them later. Still researching.

Backpack designs & Clear Soil

http://sewtospeak.blogspot.com/2009/08/petite-pack.html

http://tungstencarbidegritedge.com/product/rainbow-crystal-soil-water-marbles-x-10g-bag-clear.php

http://www.seedthru.com/

Work from Spring "Break"

I've been so excited about this umbrella project, yet have hit several walls along the way. After ripping open the top of the umbrella's metal stem so I could peer down into it and see how much room for tubing I have (a fair amount!) I couldn't find a pumping system that would meet my project's needs. Ideally I'd have something small and battery powered, yet suprisingly enough they don't really make anything like that.

Some of the options I worked through included a boat bilge, water ballon filler, super soaker squirt guns, a hand pumped syphon, aquarium circulation systems, sprinker heads and a car lubrication pump. All had their own inherent issues - some being too big and heavy, others required way more voltage then I could feasibly provide through batteries, or only operated with the use of gravity, or needed to be completely submerged in their water source, or couldn't be modified from air to water use.

Literally last night, on the brink of a serious stress break down since nothing has been working I decided on a concept modification that immediately led me to the garden center at Walmart. I I found a hand pump used for fertilizing that was easy to operate and could work against gravity. The concept modification was in deciding to no longer have the pump constantly attached to the umbrella, mainly due to weight issues with water. Instead the pump will be detachable from a longer clear hose that spirals up the stem of the umbrella (design-wise this is more intriguing anyways than hiding the hose internally). I will probably have to lightly sand the bottle to remove all the ugly printed text on it, and will paint it a color that works well with the umbrella design (royal blues and lime greens). The umbrella owner can either decide to carry the pump with them (in a book bag, etc), then fill it up and water while on their walking route, or they can water at home prior to or after their walk.

Meanwhile I have gotten access to solder, so will be carefully attaching hooks for the fabric sunshade soon.

I have about half the sprout pockets attached and I got a call Saturday evening that CFOP got the rest of my pockets in stock now, so I will be going and picking them up after class.

In terms of the sprouts themselves, I've arranged with a local farmer from the downtown Farmer's Market to have several stages of sprout growth ready for me to pick up for the project's documentation and demonstration.

I still really want to do the LED lights that tell the soils moisture via the conductivity of the soil (wet soil conducting electricity, thus completing the circuit and lighting the LED), but have that aspect on hold for now. I feel slightly more confident that I will have the pumping system built and installed before I leave for New York, so hopefully anytime afterwards can be devoted to figuring out if using LEDs can happen in the time remaining.

After now just talking with Katerie, I am going to create a transparent backpack that holds the pump and envelops the wearer into the irrigation system of the plants.