MAT 256 Visual Design through Algorithms MAT 256

MAT 256 Visual Design through Algorithms MAT 256 Visual Processes Lecture 2: Interdisciplinary Processes Media Arts and Technology Graduate Program UC Santa Barbara Winter 2006

MAT 256 Visual Design through Algorithms §Main Features of the Course § Focus on basic methods of signal processing as source material for experimentation § MAT is about interdisciplinarity: hybridization through conversation § What can the engineer and artist gain from each other? § Both are exposed to paradigms outside of their disciplines Media Arts and Technology Graduate Program UC Santa Barbara § The engineer gains flexibility in experimentation § The artist learns the methods of systematic analysis Winter 2006

MAT 256 Visual Design through Algorithms §Scientific Paradigms for the Artist § Scientific model to explore physical phenomena § Acquiring systematic scientific approach § Ability to transpose systems from the scientific to the artistic § Source-mining: In search of a new aesthetic Media Arts and Technology Graduate Program UC Santa Barbara Winter 2006

MAT 256 Visual Design through Algorithms §Bricoleur/Engineer (Levi-Strauss) § Engineer: designs buildings which have to be stable and have little or no play § (the engineer has to create stable systems or his role is at stake) § Top-down implementation § Bricoleur: uses what's available to get a particular job done § (doesn't care about the purity or stability of the system s/he uses) § Building by trial and error rather than based on theory § Valueing tinkering as an inventive process Media Arts and Technology Graduate Program § UC Santa Barbara Evolve from the bottom-up Winter 2006

MAT 256 Visual Design through Algorithms §Project Topics & Directions § Explore physical phenomena related to perception § Measuring signals and their expression § Noise & randomness § Translation between aural & visual signals Media Arts and Technology Graduate Program UC Santa Barbara Winter 2006

MAT 256 Visual Design through Algorithms §Rules & Methods § Define a concept, a method, proceed, and evaluate results § May purely focus on process § Sequence step question-answer experimentation method § Not to illustrate, but to arrive at outcome that embodies and reflects an understanding Media Arts and Technology Graduate Program UC Santa Barbara § Allow phenomena to express itself § Simple methods can lead to complex result Winter 2006

MAT 256 Visual Design through Algorithms §What are Interesting Results? § When the outcome challenges normal expectations § When the outcome is somehow greater then the input § When something is revealed § When phenomena can lead to poetics (Demarinis: fireflies, 1989) § When pheonmena can creat culture (Demarinis: raindance, 1998) Media Arts and Technology Graduate Program UC Santa Barbara Winter 2006

MAT 256 Visual Design through Algorithms §Evaluation § The project can be open ended § The process must be documented § There must be some evolution from start to end § Online project documentation (http: //bsjeon. net/TRRE/participate. htm) Media Arts and Technology Graduate Program UC Santa Barbara Winter 2006

MAT 256 Visual Design through Algorithms §Examples § De. Marinis: green light, umbrella: http: //www. well. com/%7 Edemarini/ § Jeff Han: http: //mrl. nyu. edu/~jhan/ (interesting problem of Artist/engineer) § marie sester: http: //www. sester. net/index_enhanced. html Media Arts and Technology Graduate Program UC Santa Barbara § Ned Kahn: http: //nedkahn. com/ § Luc Courschene: http: //www. panoscope 360. com/ § ACM multimedia conference CD: http: //acmmm 05. comp. nus. edu. sg/artprogram. htm Winter 2006