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Harmonic (Mixed media, one of three)
40"W x6"H (horizontal) -or- 12"W x 20"H (vertical)
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Artist Statement: These mixed-media prints are derived from an interactive animation titled
"Harmonic." Conceptually, the project is an expression of harmony among
humans, nature, and technology, and an argument for the power of computerbased
art to engage and inspire through its behavioral life in addition to its
audiovisual aesthetic.
The prints represent a merging of the digital and physical worlds in a process that
integrates the computer as both tool and collaborator. Birds are drawn by hand, then
digitally scanned and programmed to come alive with flocking behaviors based
on Craig Reynolds' Boids. As users interact with "Harmonic," they make music
and guide the flocks through space; background color changes with each touch.
Each image is derived from a flock in motion - a truly unique moment in time.
Screenshots of the interactive animation in progress are captured digitally,
printed on transparent film, mounted on plexiglas, and finished by hand. While
the creative process starts (drawing birds) and ends (sanding surfaces) directly
with the hand, it comes alive in the computer.
Aesthetic imagery is designed for simplicity, with an eye toward integrating the
respective strengths of digital and physical media. These prints intentionally
avoid the distraction of hyper-reality by offering a simple, semi-abstract,
organic look and feel.
Finally, these prints directly address the question of the original in digital art.
Is the original the idea? Is it the code? Is it the hand-drawn bird or the finished
mixed-media piece? Each print is a single moment in interactive experience in
progress. Randomness implicit in the behavioral code combined with variances
in human behavior dictate that each screenshot is, essentially, unique. Finally,
variations in the hand-finishing process yield a different piece each time.
The computer has much to offer art, beyond the realignment of existing material.
At the core of this potential is an exploration of the fundamental forms and patterns
replicated across organic entities of all kinds. Furthermore, these representations
are most powerful when they move beyond the screen with a sense
of space, dimension, and physicality.
The elusive horizon between the physical universe and the digital universe
promises something sublime, whether you call it art, science, or entertainment.
"Harmonic" is a simple gesture toward that promise.
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