artforming

INTERPLAY

2010-05-17T12:33:00.008-04:00

from nothing to something in what seemed like a blink of an eye; a tremendous effort on all fronts.

underconstruction

2010-05-14T01:22:00.005-04:00

lub dub:

2010-04-25T14:45:00.002-04:00

via (gerd arntz)

2010-02-17T10:06:00.002-05:00

Great kinetic sculpture video.
Maybe you have all seen Theo Jansen's work; it's very elemental.
Here's a quick introduction (c/o BMW), then watch some of the related vid's on youtube...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7Ny5BYc-Fs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2KkGFuRLew

josh

Something to look at

2009-12-05T13:37:00.002-05:00

A friend of mine just showed me this video...it is just something to think about. It was interesting to see how they went from a completely digital model to the physical object.

http://www.todayandtomorrow.net/2009/10/11/evolver/

Movement: the next frontier?

2009-12-02T15:02:00.002-05:00

So over Thai food on Sunday, a couple of us (Rob, Tony, Jared, myself) talked about the next thing for AF. Rob and I brought up the idea of motion, as sometime during the week prior I had sent a an amazing Youtube video to Rob. His response (which I was partially expecting) was basically 'can we do that?'. Well, of course we can, and within 20 minutes I had started sketching things out. It seems like incorporating movement could be an interesting direction for us to start moving into, so I wanted to share the video that got it all going with everyone. Here ya go:

fabrication

2009-11-16T20:11:00.002-05:00

here is the time lapse video of the making of the form.

e n g a g e : the act of connecting

2009-11-06T14:00:00.005-05:00

The word engage contains several meanings. At a personal level, it refers to an act of involving or drawing in, as with conversation. In the context of a community it has to do with participation and connection. In the realm of mechanics, the word denotes a physical act, as with the interlocking or meshing of gears.

“Engage: the Act of Connecting,” a temporary installation held in the Casella Gallery on the Wentworth Institute of Technology campus, explores the social, physical, virtual, spatial and temporal modes of engagement. This installation will ask those willing to participate, “What does it mean to engage?”

November 9 through November 21

Casella Gallery : Annex Central

wac@wit.edu

diy

2009-11-02T12:22:00.003-05:00

i just stumbled on this site, and this tip seemed to be inline with the upcoming topic of ENGAGE/ment. and hopefully the level of success can be greater achieved with not only showing our cool gadgetry/fabrication skills, but allowing an enormous amount of physical engagement of the installation both in physically building, but also generating the stimulus that fuels the show. now i know team germany is quite removed from the process so i hope i'm not being too redundant here. in any event, an interesting article...

"I was in a board meeting the other day for a non-profit organization struggling to engage its constituents. Along with the staff, we were trying to find ways to keep people involved and motivated over time. So much work goes into programs and communications – but sometimes people still fail to listen and engage.Rather than focus on the reasons for the struggle, we decided to discuss the examples of success. Why were some programs especially successful?
One early discovery was that the programs organically conceived by participants, rather than staff, seemed to have a higher success rate. In addition, the programs with especially large programming committees (i.e. number of people leading the event) were also quite successful.

It was at this point that a fellow board member chimed in with the concept of the “IKEA effect.” When people buy furniture at IKEA, they are forced to assemble it themselves. As a result, people report a high degree of satisfaction with their IKEA furniture – largely because of the greater sense of ownership from the labor required to assemble the furniture.

For those of us that cook, we know that the meal always tastes better after the labor of making it. This do-it-yourself-to-love-it-more phenomenon presents an invaluable opportunity for leaders of teams – and brands. When you can set up projects for others – or even a product – with a dose of assembly required, you are likely to garner a higher level of commitment.

Of course, by having their customers assemble their own furniture, IKEA runs the risk of poor execution and improper assemblies that reflect poorly on their brand. Similarly, we must accept the risk of deviations from our expectations as a reasonable cost for empowering our teams and our customers. In many cases, the benefits of do-it-yourself are likely to outweigh the costs.

As leaders, we must challenge ourselves to let others create what we have in mind, if only to accomplish the ultimate goal of engaging others."

via [99%]

...opportunity

2009-09-29T12:32:00.002-04:00

it's in georgia but... why not... figured i throw it out there

Architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, recalled the phrase "LESS IS MORE," from the 19thcentury poem "Andrea del Sarto," as a cliché about 20th century aesthetic style. The notion that through articulation and simplicity of each essential element a more coherent outcome is achieved.

Less is More maybe more important today than ever before as it challenges our tradition and cultural self-perception. Influence of climate changes on human well-being and survival, compounded with our continuing massive use of exhaustible resources, forces us to use what we have in innovative ways to create sustainable design.

This is a call to all artists, architects, designers as well as students of art and architecture to submit projects (artwork, furniture, installation, ideas, drawing, invention, installation etc), for a juried show to be held December 4th2009 to January 31st 2010.

Rules for Entry:

Open to all artists, architects, industrial designers/designers and students in design.
All works must address the artist’s response to the notion of sustainability as they see fit in their work through environmental stewardship.
Original works of art in the following formats: two-dimensional art; experimental and new media; installation art; mixed-media, site-specific art, furniture art, models, drawings, inventions etc.
All works must be in suitable form of presentation. The organizers reserve the right to refuse any work not considered acceptable for presentation.
Artists are responsible for transportation of their work to Connexion Gallery. Artwork shall be delivered and picked up at designated dates and times. If accepted work is shipped to the Gallery, the artist must pay for all shipping, handling and insurance costs both ways, (further details will be provided following acceptance).
Accepted artwork is to be delivered and installed by the artist at the gallery on the designated day and time agreed upon mutually. All entries must be submitted with the description of installation process with the space requirements.
During the exhibition period the artwork will be insured by Connexion Gallery.
Works selected for the show must remain in the exhibition until it closes February 1st, 2010. No exceptions.
The coordinating committee and its jury members for LESS IS MORE may reject any works that vary significantly from the work depicted on the accepted slide.

Electronic Submission Instructions

All submissions must be in PDF format and submitted electronically by midnight November 11, 2009 @ lessismore2010@gmail.com
Each artist may submit up to three entries.
Each artist must submit a design or an artist statement for each submission in PDF format with resumes.
Each artist may submit 2-10 images per project, in a single PDF file.
A non-refundable entry fee of $25 per entry or $60 for three entries. Payments can be made via pay pal with submittal.
Slides of selected artwork will be used for publicity purposes.
Any sale of artwork during the show will be based on mutual agreement

Deadline to submit: November 15, 2009

Email: lessismore2010@gmail.com
http://www.connexiongallery-studio.com/connexion/gallery/gallery_upcomingShows.asp

2009-09-28T10:26:00.003-04:00

i just stumbled on this design/fabrication studio that i though i would share:

http://www.ball-nogues.com/

a great interview via archinect

their work is pretty awesome!

Eastern State Penitentiary :: tinkering

2009-09-15T00:13:00.001-04:00

So I was able to work on the electronics side of the upcoming (fingers crossed) ESP project using the parts I picked up for the Mission Hill project. I've documented the progress on my blog, so check that out if you want to see what I've been up to. Its not as entertaining as the video I posted last time, but its still forward movement!

With Love and Squalor...

Re-Imagining Boston's Stalled Projects

2009-09-04T11:28:00.005-04:00

Above is the image from the online gallery of proposals for Boston's stalled development sites found on Boston.com. Take a look at the slide show to see our proposal as well as other ideas submitted by other design firms in the city.

How did we miss this man?

2009-08-27T16:24:00.002-04:00

sculptor andrew rogers: he makes geoglyphs. they are awesome. i want to be his friend. artforming should be his friend.

IDEAS

2009-08-27T11:02:00.003-04:00

Ran across this image from a blog, and went onto the firms website. I love the filtered quality of light from various sides, and while thinking about a "quicker" or "easier" installation for this project or any future projects I thought this might be an option in some form or another... especially with Aarons computer/sensor things, the way light explodes, dims and moves behind this riddled surface might be exceptionally fantastic!

Here is the link to their site

project description draft

2009-08-26T00:46:00.005-04:00

transplantation

Proposal for a stalled development at the corner of Longwood and Brookline Avenues.

Our proposal is a response to two main features of the site, the dense urban neighborhood of the Longwood Medical area and the neighboring green space of the emerald Necklace’s Riverway. Addressing the lack of usable open green space our proposal intends to link these two contrasting aspects by means of a temporary and highly artificial transplant of the Necklace directly into the vacant open space of the site.

Embodying the two opposing contexts is the modified surface of the ground and the proposed plaza and walks. The ground layer and its site pathways are determined by the existing sloped topography and the expected pedestrian movement through the site once opened to the public. The raised plaza, benches and walks begin at the edge of Brookline Ave forming a new large-scale public space and extend as fingers towards the rear of the site providing smaller scale intimate spaces.

Connecting the ground plane and the plaza is the artificial grove, which provides the mechanism for transplantation. The Grove is composed of a regularly spaced grid of timber posts with an upper canopy of translucent fabric suspended by cable. During the day the fabric will provide a variety of shaded and sheltered spaces for visitors, in the evening the panels will receive projected video collected from the Emerald Necklace throughout the seasons. Taking from the urban site, sounds from surrounding streets and from within the artificial grove will be collected and transplanted to audio receivers throughout the Emerald necklace providing for a full exchange between the urban and natural contexts.

Longwood

2009-08-25T07:09:00.001-04:00

Good morning - thought you might want to see this. Still more to work on today, but I'm hoping to have things ready for Photoshopping around 3pm-ish.

artificial life & transplantations

2009-08-23T22:21:00.004-04:00

I am wondering if we aren't behaving to much like architects and thinking formally and long term when we should be considering multi-sensory experiences and shorter term transplantations. perhaps the landscape that we are transplanting could be sound based and visually artificial, highly artificial. an artificial garden that comes alive based on habitation, the more inhabitants the more lush it becomes, vibrant and alive, dynamic, fluid, temporal. what if we proposed a series of hyper-colorized projections at night which feed from the emerald necklace but colorized it like Oz. we can still propose an urban plaza off the street and a landform as we have been discussing but the forms are downscaled and the dialog between the two is heightened by a more visceral multi-sensorial experience. more art and less architecture.

precedents:

2009-08-22T20:24:00.003-04:00

here are a few things that i've come across in the last few days that best describe what i'm thinking so far. i'll talk about them next time we meet...

virus...
http://pruned.blogspot.com/2009/05/crack-gardens.html
http://spaceinvading.com/entry/project_id/SYNTHe200902091234215814

on a muuuuch smaller scale
http://spaceinvading.com/entry/project_id/Vision_for_Heden200901161232120489

less asphalt, more grass.. but you get the idea
http://spaceinvading.com/entry/project_id/Aphalt_Spot200906161245199061

and not for this project but, an organic slatted wall... facets are cooler, but still neat.
http://www.contemporist.com/2009/05/23/the-phenomena-room-divider-by-sang-hoon-kim/

Viral replication

2009-08-22T10:35:00.001-04:00

from Wikipedia

Replication cycle

Viral populations do not grow through cell division, because they are acellular; instead, they use the machinery and metabolism of a host cell to produce multiple copies of themselves, and they assemble in the cell.

The life cycle of viruses differs greatly between species but there are six basic stages in the life cycle of viruses:^[79]

Attachment is a specific binding between viral capsid proteins and specific receptors on the host cellular surface. This specificity determines the host range of a virus. For example, HIV infects only human T cells, because its surface protein, gp120, can interact with CD4 and receptors on the T cell's surface. This mechanism has evolved to favour those viruses that only infect cells in which they are capable of replication. Attachment to the receptor can induce the viral-envelope protein to undergo changes that results in the fusion of viral and cellular membranes.

Penetration follows attachment; viruses enter the host cell through receptor mediated endocytosis or membrane fusion. This is often called viral entry. The infection of plant cells is different to that of animal cells. Plants have a rigid cell wall made of cellulose and viruses can only get inside the cells following trauma to the cell wall.^[80] Viruses such as tobacco mosaic virus can also move directly in plants, from cell-to-cell, through pores called plasmodesmata.^[81] Bacteria, like plants, have strong cell walls that a virus must breach to infect the cell. Some viruses have evolved mechanisms that inject their genome into the bacterial cell while the viral capsid remains outside.^[82]

Uncoating is a process in which the viral capsid is degraded by viral enzymes or host enzymes thus releasing the viral genomic nucleic acid.

Replication involves synthesis of viral messenger RNA (mRNA) for viruses except positive sense RNA viruses (see above), viral protein synthesis and assembly of viral proteins and viral genome replication.

Following the assembly of the virus particles, post-translational modification of the viral proteins often occurs. In viruses such as HIV, this modification, (sometimes called maturation), occurs after the virus has been released from the host cell.^[83]

Viruses are released from the host cell by lysis—a process that kills the cell by bursting its membrane. Enveloped viruses (e.g., HIV) typically are released from the host cell by budding. During this process the virus acquires its envelope, which is a modified piece of the host's plasma membrane.

The genetic material within viruses, and the method by which the material is replicated, vary between different types of viruses.

DNA viruses: The genome replication of most DNA viruses takes place in the cell's nucleus. If the cell has the appropriate receptor on its surface, these viruses enter the cell by fusion with the cell membrane or by endocytosis. Most DNA viruses are entirely dependent on the host cell's DNA and RNA synthesising machinery, and RNA processing machinery. The viral genome must cross the cell's nuclear membrane to access this machinery.^[84]
RNA viruses: These viruses are unique because their genetic information is encoded in RNA. Replication usually takes place in the cytoplasm. RNA viruses can be placed into about four different groups depending on their modes of replication. The polarity (whether or not it can be used directly to make proteins) of the RNA largely determines the replicative mechanism, and whether the genetic material is single-stranded or double-stranded. RNA viruses use their own RNA replicase enzymes to create copies of their genomes.^[85]
Reverse transcribing viruses: These replicate using reverse transcription, which is the formation of DNA from an RNA template. Reverse transcribing viruses containing RNA genomes use a DNA intermediate to replicate, whereas those containing DNA genomes use an RNA intermediate during genome replication. Both types use the reverse transcriptase enzyme to carry out the nucleic acid conversion. Retroviruses often integrate the DNA produced by reverse transcription into the host genome. They are susceptible to antiviral drugs that inhibit the reverse transcriptase enzyme, e.g. zidovudine and lamivudine. An example of the first type is HIV, which is a retrovirus. Examples of the second type are the Hepadnaviridae, which includes Hepatitis B virus.^[86]

data landscapes & voxels

2009-08-21T22:25:00.003-04:00

Short for volume pixel, the smallest distinguishable box-shaped part of a three-dimensional image.

Voxelization is the process of adding depth to an image using a set of cross-sectional images known as a volumetric dataset. These cross-sectional images (or slices) are made up of pixels. The space between any two pixels in one slice is referred to as interpixel distance, which represents a real-world distance. And, the distance between any two slices is referred to as interslice distance, which represents a real-world depth.

The dataset is processed when slices are stacked in computer memory based on interpixel and interslice distances to accurately reflect the real-world sampled volume.

Next, additional slices are created and inserted between the dataset's actual slices so that the entire volume is represented as one solid block of data.

Now that the dataset exists as a solid block of data, the pixels in each slice have taken on volume and are now voxels.

For a true 3D image, voxels must undergo opacity transformation. Opacity transformation gives voxels different opacity values. This is important when it is crucial to expose interior details of an image that would otherwise be hidden by darker more opaque outside-layer voxels.

Voxel images are primarily used in the field of medicine and are applied to X-Rays, CAT (Computed Axial Tomography) Scans, and MRIs (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) so professionals can obtain accurate 3D models of the human body.

Voxel imaging is also being used to create computer games, so 3D acceleration is not necessary.

Stalled Sites

2009-08-20T09:03:00.004-04:00

http://www.boston.com/business/gallery/stalleddevelopments?pg=4
after some inquiry into the story I spoke with the Boston Globe and the BSA and we have been asked to propose a vision for the stalled site on the corner of Longwood Ave and Brookline Ave. This is part of a larger story that the Globe is putting together for a week from this Sunday where they will feature some of the proposals for the 4 different sites throughout Boston.

I propose we use the next few days to brainstorm and that we use the blog for a vehicle for gathering ideas. The reporter asked for a single 8 1/2 x 11 300 dpi image by noon on Wednesday. The basic question is what can this space be for a 1 to 2 year interim period?

please post as often as you can, precedents, ideas, thoughts, anything...

mission hill: image one

2009-08-18T21:23:00.003-04:00

here's the render that we discussed tonight

mapping...

2009-08-16T18:59:00.004-04:00

a topic that seems to continue to pop up... mapping. i just came across this article about a group that attempts to "map" a cities rhythm...
.."Using cell-phone and taxi GPS data, the startup's software produces a heat map that shows activity at hot spots across a city."..
this is pretty intersting/freaky, but very similar to initial ideas for this project in showing what the people of mission hill are doing.
it's called citysense and is currently only in san fransisco, but coming to nyc soon, maybe boston?

Fabric Ideas

2009-08-15T13:36:00.002-04:00

I don't want to shoot myself in the foot, since I know that I would be the one sewing all of this, however check out THIS cool fabric applique. This might be an interesting was of adding some dimension to the fabric's intent. Using the fabric as a canvas/screen type element that displays information such a numbers, words, charts etc. Basically it's a limitless and very beautiful tool.

Dimming via Arduino

2009-08-12T07:02:00.001-04:00

Found the components I was looking for at a different Radioshack and was able to get the dimmer working. This is just a simple 'hello world' test.

Next steps include:

1. Establishing baseline readings for the proximity sensor. With these numbers I'll be able to interpolate the equation that'll make sense out of the non-linear values the sensor returns.

2. Research into XBee modules for the Arduino so it can be controlled wirelessly. Also need to see if multiple XBee modules can be controlled from one computer - this would allow us to control the ~8 light systems from one computer.

3. Writing the code that'll do everything!

4. Pricing out what a complete light-control assembly will cost.

Material Studies : Felt

2009-08-01T19:40:00.002-04:00

Here is a website or blog rather that is dedicated to the study and use of Felt. The real prize winner is the Video"Making of the Palace Yurt" . Please check it out!

ESP :: Vignettes

2009-06-24T22:07:00.001-04:00

here are some renderings looking at lighting and tectonics of the overhang. fairly self-explanatory, hopefully shots like this will allow us to fine-tune the originating surface's curvature to give us desired results. hurrah for scripting!

ESP : Rhino & VBScript

2009-06-23T10:58:00.001-04:00

Just thought I'd share this with everyone. Not sure whats up with the little hiccup in the beginning of the video, but the rest is fine.

Eastern State Penitentiary Submission

2009-06-18T11:38:00.003-04:00

The ESP submission was sent out Tuesday evening and was received by 9:45AM the following morning. A notice will not be sent out until September 15 so it will be a while before we hear. Thanks to all who contributed, it was a great effort.

Rob

2009-06-12T15:01:00.003-04:00

Some ideas

2009-06-11T12:41:00.002-04:00

I was clicking through the NY times website today, and found this map that puts a bit of perspective on the unemployment news we have all been hearing. It's hard to imagine 8.5% of America in my head, and this helps lot. But despite being horrific- it's kind of awe inspiring, and I think that we could utilize some of the cold-hard facts for future projects. I'm having trouble right now conceptualizing how we might be able to use data from the economony and recession to our advantage- but I think its possible. I'm thinking that we could do some really interesting visuals with plummeting stocks and increasing interest rates in various forms. Perhaps abstracting the information and flipping it's visual perception of negativity into something inspiring? It's a topic that we haven't really discussed, and it's undeniably relevant to our group. Just some food for thought.

Check out the image that spurred these thoughts:

Next Weekend Project

2009-05-22T13:36:00.002-04:00

This just looks like fun. I can't believe I haven't heard of John Denevan before, but he is amazing.

Postal

2009-03-31T16:03:00.001-04:00

Here is a link to that timed postcard thing i mentioned last week

http://www.dag-designlab.com/gallery.asp?categoryID=18

2009-03-27T19:22:00.001-04:00

RESIDENCY PROJECT: Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
Award: $ 10,000 project budget, housing and production assistants provided
Residency Dates: Jan. 11 - 29, 2010 / Exhibition on view: Jan. 29 -March 5, 2010

The Sharadin Art Gallery at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania requests proposals from artists, craftspersons, and designers for the production of an original, temporary, site-specific installation for our exhibition space.

The artwork will remain on view from January 29 – March 5, 2010. The selected artist (or artist team) will be awarded $10,000. The award must cover all material and labor costs associated with the production of the work, all travel expense to and from our site, all incidental costs, meals, and all artist fees and honoraria. The university will provide housing one block from the gallery (Main Street Inn). A group of Kutztown University students will be available to assist with the physical production of the selected proposal.

Application deadline is end-of-business, Friday June 12, 2009 (click for facility description, floor plans, etc.)

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, located an hour north of Philadelphia, and two hours west of New York City, has an enrollment of 10,000+ students. Each year, our College of Visual and Performing Arts awards approximately 225 undergraduate degrees in Communication Design, Fine Arts, Art Education, and Crafts. Our Visual Arts programs are accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design.

SCHEDULE
• Proposals must be received by end-of-business, Friday June 12, 2009.
• The gallery’s website will publish the award recipient on July 20, 2009.
• The on-site residency will take place from January 11 – January 29, 2010 (project may commence as early as January 8, at artist’s request but must continue through January 29). Artist(s) will be expected to be on-site during this period, be available to our students, and present one public lecture about previous work and plans for the Kutztown University project.
• Project must be completed for public reception by Friday, January 29, 4:00 p.m. (reception continues until 8:00 p.m.)
• Project will remain on view from January 29 – March 5, 2010.
• Depending on the final disposition of the artwork, the artist(s) may be required to assist with deinstallation which will take place from March 15 – 19, 2010. Artist will be required to pay all costs associated with transport of materials and artwork to and from our site.

CRITERIA FOR SELECTION
Proposed artwork can be realized in any medium and there are no restrictions on form or content. However, proposals that demonstrate innovation and deep, nuanced understanding of contemporary art, craft, or design are preferred. All proposals will be reviewed for overall artistic merit, feasibility within the established time-frame and budget, artist’s demonstration of ability to complete such a project (as evidenced by past projects or a detailed work plan and budget for the KU project), and the relationship of the project to the gallery’s mission:

The Sharadin Art Gallery of Kutztown University presents significant and professionally executed solo and group exhibitions of contemporary art in a variety of mediums as well as supporting programs, events, and services that will directly enhance the artistic and philosophical development of our students and will contribute to the lives of residents within our service area. We strive to challenge assumptions and stimulate discussion by presenting artwork and programs relevant to the social and cultural life of the general and special populations within our service area.

ALL PROPOSALS MUST INCLUDE:
• A cover sheet with artist’s contact information including: name, mailing address, phone number, email address, web address if available (printed, one page)
• A CD-ROM with no more than 20 images of previous pieces (these can be installation pieces or independent artworks). Images must be jpeg files, all placed in a single folder on your disc.
• A printed list keyed to your jpeg images that contains each work’s title, medium, dimension, and year of completion. If it isn’t obvious from the image, a short description can also be included. (please be sure you include a reference to each corresponding jpeg’s file name).
• A résumé (printed please)
• A project description of the proposed project (printed, at least one page – not to exceed three pages)
• A budget detailing travel costs, material costs, any special equipment necessary, any contracted services necessary, and other expenses over $250 (printed, limit to one page)
• A work plan that outlines the production schedule including basic physical steps necessary to realize the work and the time estimated for the completion of each (printed, limit to one page)
INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED

OPTIONAL MATERIAL:
• A folder of jpeg images on your CD that contains drawing or plans of your proposed work
• A folder of short, compressed Quicktime video clips on your CD that document other related works
• A self-contained DVD that documents other related works
• Exhibition announcements, catalogs, articles and reviews
• Self-addressed stamped envelope for the return of materials (if S.A.S.E. is not included, materials will not be returned).

INSTUTIONAL SUPPORT:
The Sharadin Art Gallery and Kutztown University of Pennsylvania will:
• Produce and distribute press-releases and exhibition announcements about the project
• Coordinate and assist with press appearances and interviews
• Publicize the project on the gallery and university’s web sites
• Publicize and coordinate a public lecture by the selected artist
• Host a public reception for the artist and project
• Provide housing on or near the campus for the selected artist(s)
• Provide access to student assistants
This is not, however, a collaborative project between the artist(s) and the gallery. The artist(s) are solely responsible for completing all creative and technical aspects of their project. The gallery can only provide the support and benefits detailed above.

SUBMITTING PROPOSALS
Requested materials should be submitted to:

Sharadin Art Gallery at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
P.O. Box 730 (for UPS or FedEx delivery: 15200 Kutztown Road)
Kutztown, PA 19530-0730

Questions should be e-mailed to talley@kutztown.edu

last burn

2009-02-24T22:36:00.004-05:00

this should the final burn, I think I have reached the point where I may be risking the form. I will finalize the form with one last reaction to tonight's burning. I'll post more photographs tomorrow.

Objectified

2009-02-24T21:13:00.003-05:00

This is a link to the Trailer of a new Documentary called "Objectified". It talks about design in a broader sense of how it affects us everyday. It looks really interesting, and it is by the same people who did Helvetica.

Check it out

www.objectifiedfilm.com

video and audio mixing

2009-02-22T22:29:00.002-05:00

the quick test of the talking heads is showing the effect I had been hoping for, thanks to the work of Tony over the weekend. the images posted here don't quite convey the full effect as stills without audio, the realtime effect is excellent. I will have the file running in my office tomorrow for those who want to see it.

audio cross fading

2009-02-21T21:21:00.003-05:00

Today Tony and I spent a bit of time on Max with Tony doing all the work and I was able to share his desktop during an extended i-chat session. I am happy to report that Tony solved the cross fading problem and we are now able to have two video loops with audio that cross fade in sync. it's a fantastic effect and should lead to some interesting results.

I have decided to hire Tony back and after a long meeting with my accountant even during an unprecedented downturn in the economy I have agreed to pay him at twice his summer rate. congratulations Tony.

2009-02-17T09:11:00.005-05:00

I stumbled upon this house in the woods around Sebago Lake and wanted to share the pictures. (Stumbled upon, searched for, called Rob and had him walk me through the directions step-by-step, its all the same) Anyways, Bravo Rob-o!

block images

2009-02-16T21:56:00.003-05:00

I thought I had lost the block last weekend when the fire decided to continue working without me but I took it back into the shop and responded again. the effects of the burns and the resulting forms are becoming clear. I have since begun a new hole on another side and burned the block for the 6th time.

Belfast Idea part dux

2009-02-16T00:08:00.002-05:00

So Rob came through with some craziness, check out the link! I really think this could be an interesting way to have an interactive instrument

http://infusionsystems.com/catalog/info_pages.php/pages_id/148

Pupa

2009-02-12T16:04:00.003-05:00

A sketch showing my thought of the cocoon figure for the downtown Rockport site. I measured the site today and drafted the plan today.

greater distance

2009-02-09T10:23:00.004-05:00

we have been given preliminary approval for an installation in Rockport on either the site of the last winter's downtown ice wall or the first proposed site of the Pots project, Lumber Wharf. Lumber Wharf is my preferred site, it is the amazing wharf jutting out towards the northeast.

2009-02-08T21:30:00.005-05:00

images from this afternoon after working on the block. I have since rotated the block 180 degrees in order to burn the other end. I completed a 5th burn.

reacting

2009-02-08T16:02:00.004-05:00

I have taken the block of the chain and into the shop and I am now reacting to the results of the three burns. this is the first time I have reacted to the process I have set up. responding to the start of form that the fire has made evident is the next step, after some initial reactions I will place the block back on the chain to burn again.

burn 3

2009-02-08T10:37:00.002-05:00

the block was burnt for a third time last evening. wind was consistently from the west causing the fire to behave more intensely than the last burn. with the block fairly stationary the fire hung behind the eastern face of the block due to wind direction. over time the fire worked it's way from the bottom hole up into the second hole and slowly reached the initial hole I made prior to any burning. occasionally I would rotate the block on it's chain by about 10 degrees in either direction which would drastically alter the behavior of the fire and would cut of the flow of fire through block.

for the second iteration it appears necessary to know the site before making the holes. if the holes are to facilitate the burn throughout the block then the holes will need to anticipate the behavior of the fire and the site's influence on it.

2009-02-03T21:53:00.002-05:00

This guy knows how to put up screens! Tony you wanna start working at this scale??!

http://www.lensculture.com/myoung.html

Food For Thought

2009-02-03T21:05:00.003-05:00

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://farm1.static.flickr.com/94/255166466_c6a905cbfd.jpg%3Fv%3D0&imgrefurl=http://flickr.com/photos/soapboxcabaret/255166466/&usg=__3cQonXWSgTmB72hVOPDfnAv_qjU=&h=375&w=500&sz=107&hl=en&start=93&tbnid=EkIRcKGLxsNlaM:&tbnh=98&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dpublic%2Binstallation%2Bart%26start%3D84%26ndsp%3D21%26hl%3Den%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DN

Double click to select the link then paste in a new window.

2009-01-31T18:31:00.002-05:00

Unfortunately the Holga pictures didn't come out this time. :( Not enough light. At least we have the digitals!

Artforming Meeting

2009-01-30T17:40:00.002-05:00

We have lots to think about! Artforming powers unite! Meeting time preferences anyone?

arts union beacon call for entries

2009-01-24T13:42:00.002-05:00

Please use this entry as a place for comments regarding the ArtsUnionBeacon call for entries.

2009-01-24T13:34:00.002-05:00

2009-01-24T13:31:00.000-05:00

Color corrected version

2009-01-23T18:03:00.000-05:00

Belfast Idea

2009-01-19T23:33:00.003-05:00

I think I have an interesting idea for the Belfast project. I think that making a large instrument of some sorts is an intriguing concept, but we have had some trouble figuring it out. What if we created a giant Theremin (I recommend looking at videos of this thing in action) in the lawn in front of the academy. The Theremin is a musical instrument that it is played without physical contact. The musician stands in front of the instrument and moves his or her hands in the proximity of two metal antennas. The distance from one antenna determines frequency (pitch), and the distance from the other controls amplitude (volume). (wiki excerpt) If we made a large device, visitor location within the lawn can control frequency and if we made elevated areas that could control amplitude. I know its kind of a weird idea, but the sounds being made by the device could be a way of mapping vistor location and interaction.

2009-01-18T17:43:00.003-05:00

Jan 18, 2009

2009-01-18T17:35:00.006-05:00

wind mapping

2009-01-15T21:53:00.002-05:00

the sketch above shows a thought of a possible configuration on the beach. we have 4 posts and the sketch shows an expanding zig-zag pattern beginning with a quick fold with a single panel of fabric followed by a double panel of fabric then another change in direction with a final leg of three panels. the thought is perhaps it could be spatial if configured in an arrangement different than just a straight line. the change in direction may capture a greater range of reactions to the wind over time.

I am going to look into a portable generator, this should be properly lit and photographed if we are going to this effort to build it. if we install it on the beach we can also light a fire to keep ourselves warm, I can let the police know we will be there which may avoid any surprises.

Later in day and into the evening may be better timing given the temperatures. let's firm up the timing tomorrow.

catching the wind

2009-01-14T23:00:00.004-05:00

testing the idea of mapping wind I misted a piece of fabric with warm water and after a minute it was frozen and stiff. the photograph above is after I took the fabric down and rotated it upside down. This could lead to an interesting site specific installation, we could run a series of overhead lines across a site and mist the fabric with warm water allow it to freeze and stand for a period of time and then repeat the sequence. the repeated process of freeze/thaw over time would record the pattern on the site, the work could be illuminated in the evenings and allowed to run through a series of cycles over the course of several days.

burning

2009-01-12T23:26:00.002-05:00

here are some images from the burn this weekend.

preparation

2009-01-11T13:21:00.003-05:00

the hole has been made, I began by drilling small holes through then I used a chisel and file. the hole had no real determined form at the start but I decided to make the outer profiles of the holes elliptical with the long axis running vertically. one opening larger than the other and then do not align, the void that runs through the block has a twist as it works it's way from front to back.

the staging is set and the block is hanging in place, I plan to begin the first burn later today.

assembly

2009-01-10T09:53:00.005-05:00

Here are some current photographs of the burning piece. The individual members are glued and a top cut has been made where the block will hang from, the bottom is left rough since it will be the first to burn. I plan to make the hole later today, right now the piece is suspended in the state it will be in when burning. This will help in determining the location, direction and size of the puncture.

burning

2009-01-07T22:12:00.005-05:00

I am beginning to post process images of the next several nights of the burning piece we discussed at our meeting. The wood has been joined and planed and I am now gluing the members together first in pairs then the pairs will be joined into one large block. I am looking forward to getting this work out of my head and into the world. Friday and Saturday are looking cold and may work well for the first pass of burning so I will keep posting. It appears some cold weather is coming in mid next week so I will try the second idea we discussed with the iced fabric.

More to come.

This one is for Tony.

2008-12-17T23:06:00.002-05:00

You can thank me later

edit: oops, hosting company closed shop, sorry.

Website?

2008-12-12T13:41:00.001-05:00

Sooooo... what happened to the artforming website?

Meeting

2008-12-02T02:40:00.003-05:00

We need to resurrect the ol' gang and meet soon to discuss the Belfast project and to brainstorm on possible projects in the new office! I was thinking Thursday Dec. 11 would be a good day? If anyone has some ideas please respond to this post.

~Tony

No Dice...

2008-11-05T22:17:00.001-05:00

We didn't get on the list for the Forbes Park sculptures, but we are on the alternate list (whatever that means)with Thierry's group w.a.n.t.e.d. We'll get em next time!

Forbes Park call for entries in!!!

2008-10-31T16:12:00.000-04:00

The title says it all. We will be informed the week of November 12th.

New Project

2008-10-15T18:41:00.003-04:00

There is some more info, but I thought I'd get it out there.

Meeting

2008-09-29T19:31:00.001-04:00

Meeting on Wednesday October 1,2008 @ 5pm? We need to discuss a site visit, scheduling and funding. Please notify me if this works.

John Roloff 'Holocene Terrace'

2008-09-23T20:37:00.000-04:00

Group site visit?

2008-09-23T16:47:00.001-04:00

Now that the pressure of a looming deadline has been removed, should we all look at our schedules and see if its possible to do a group trip up to the site? I think its a logical next step on bringing the project into full bloom. Does this make sense to anyone else?

2008-09-17T16:03:00.002-04:00

Thanks guys! That was a great meeting today. It was good to sit down together for a while since we have all been working on our own for a bit now. I'm excited about this project and my excitement was renewed again after today's meeting. I think we addressed key problems and resolved a lot. It's staring to come together and the design is really cleaning up/resolving to a more developed state. After this Friday's mock-up I am hoping to have some images to make posters/invites with. Lets keep pushing forward!

platform

2008-09-16T20:54:00.002-04:00

to follow up on Aaron's comments and to add a few things I did want to say the work is very interesting at this point and it's exciting to see, my comments focused primarily on the structure/ framing system which seems to be a very challenging piece on many levels. should it be in sharp contrast to the ephemeral nature of the projection, should it attempt to disappear? what is it's relationship to the projected image? that lead to a discussion of, what else, tectonics, which lead us to assemblies, prefabrication, etc. I don't mean to challenge the concept so if the platform works against it then let's discuss it. the nature of assembly and fabrication may bring force the development of architectural qualities to the piece, how is it built, assembled, material and joinery, etc.

It looks great and I'm excited to seeing it take shape, I am also excited to see you all take the lead and push it ahead. It's not my intention to impose changes and if any of the comments are inconsistent with the intent let me know, consistency from intent to execution trumps all!

Rob

Platform

2008-09-16T19:12:00.001-04:00

After a nice long talk with Rob today, there's been a switch back to using a platform as an organizational system and design element. One of the main drives behind the change was that we could turn it into a modular system that would allow us to do the fabrication here in Boston then drive it up to the project site. That way on-site all we'd (theoretically) have to deal with is assembly and minor fabrication. Here's a sketch of some initial thoughts.

The main parameter we're going to have to deal with is that the largest platform piece (in the sketch "B") can't be larger than the smallest vehicle bed we have. So Rob and Heather, can I get width/depth measurements from your vehicles? I guess another option would be to base it on the bed/door measurements on a UHaul truck and then rent one for the install/breakdown. Once we have those numbers figured out we can start to look at how that module starts to relate to the facade we're dealing with so that the composition of the whole thing isn't skewed out of wack. I'm working on doing a basic framing model in Rhino to figure out how things will be attached, etc. I'll post something from that once I have it set, although I'm not sure how clear it will read without worrying about rendering (which I'm not concerned with at the moment).

Another thing that came up with talks with Rob and Tony was eliminating the old Ghost Boxes from the design and rather design the platform to serve the function of providing spaces for the projector, sensors, etc. along with being able to be lit up in a manner that wouldn't wash out the projection.

Synthesis

2008-09-14T02:44:00.006-04:00

So...I know Tina posted a comment about the GSD and our renderings, so here they are. I think if we bring them into Form-Z and add people and work with lighting they will be amazing.

2008-09-04T21:40:00.000-04:00

To recap my thoughts on today’s meeting. It seems we are all in agreement that the conceptual ideas are as follows:

*Expose the Music Academy as a public space for the community that in some way
breaks beyond the physical boundaries of the building out into the community, creating
a zone of interior and exterior space that reads as one unified zone.

*Reveal the quality of the public traveling from the community, past the thickness of the
building and into the music academy.

*Create a public experience where individual actions and interactions ‘play’ our visual
instrument in order to reveal certain video which provides information about the past
and present life of the building and school.

Are we together on a vision for qualities of light, screens and structure, although scale is an issue still? I think it would be helpful if we could mock up a projection on strips of fabric as we discussed today and possibly strips of different types of fabric. Could we buy or create a few 12’ or 15’ pieces of wood and test how far we could dig them into the ground and how stable they would be?

I’m really interested in continuing to explore the idea of sensors that trigger film at an individual scale, film that is only projected when someone is actively interacting, aka, no default video, although we would need to work out how this could still draw people in if no video was projected at a given moment.

What do people think?

2008-09-03T21:28:00.000-04:00

2008-09-03T19:41:00.001-04:00

2008-09-01T21:52:00.002-04:00

Sorry to just list dimensions, I'm drawing this up but its not complete yet and I wanted to get these dimensions out to you all as fast as I could.

Windows at the school measure: 59"x 105"
Dist. between windows on front facing lawn: 45"
Interior room height: 12'10"
Dist. from ground outside to bottom of main floor window: 110"

material / de-material

2008-08-31T09:18:00.008-04:00

Hiroshi Sugimoto, Japanese born 1948

Sea of Galilee, Golan, 1992

Gelatin silver print of paper, 45.5 x 54.5 cm

in the spirit of the immaterial, the incorporeal, that which is nonexistent or insubstantial in a bodily sense, is it possible, through a physical act to dematerialize the current envelope that separates the inside from outside? can we develop a new public space on the lawn of the Belfast School of Music that extends through the brick facade inward, can the interior space of the school extend beyond it's current edge?

a few of us have been discussing ideas of the layering of history, the history of the school, being in history, ideas of performance and the physical proposition of developing an opening that makes the layering physical, immediate and accessible. this revealing of what is "inside" and "contained" is made possible through the erosion of what contains "it", in this case the building envelope, the brick wall. Dematerializing the in-between.

so what causes this de-materializing of the in-between, what makes it public art? As I have begun to formulate what we have been considering particularly in our last project is the idea that public art is rooted in physical participation, movement that has a cause and effect relationship to the making of the art itself, so can we shape a physical dialog between the public and the Belfast School of Music that through a physical exchange, de-materializes the current container of the school?

in our last project we witnessed the ephemeral quality of fabric, projected images and the volumes they defined , what was lacking was participation, I propose we learn from what we have done, bring it to this project and improve on the public's role in the work by making the dialog the generator, the exchange becomes performance.

A few more pictures

2008-08-22T19:03:00.006-04:00

Here are a few more pictures. Hopefully they will spark ideas. As you may guess, the fence is not really there. The interior image is the front most room on the top floor that looks out on the lawn.

Public Display 2 : Site 2.2

2008-07-28T21:12:00.003-04:00

This site is the front yard of the Belfast Academy of Music, the school for which we would use footage. This is also in walking distance from the downtown arts walks.

Public Display 2 : Site 2.1

2008-07-28T21:08:00.002-04:00

This site is in downtown Belfast. Great foot traffic, especially on the Belfast Friday Night Art Walks.

SitTech

2008-07-23T12:24:00.001-04:00

"Dear Situated Technologies applicant:

Thank you for preparing a submission for "Situated Technologies: Toward the Sentient City," curated by Mark Shepard and organized by the Architectural League. I am sorry to let you know that it was not among those accepted to advance to the next stage. The selection panel was in unanimous agreement that the 152 submissions received were, as a group, among the strongest that they had ever reviewed. The selection process, as a result, was especially competitive. Twenty six individuals or teams were selected to develop full project proposals. We expect to choose the projects to be commissioned for the exhibition in late September and will announce the final list at that time.

Thank you again for your submission.

Best regards,

Gregory Wessner"

I still think our proposal was great and I thank everyone again for their hard work. We'll get em next year!

SitTech Announcement

2008-07-21T12:37:00.001-04:00

No word yet. After re-reading the email they said it would be announced the "week of the 21st", so I'll keep everyone in the loop.

2008-07-15T22:18:00.005-04:00

ether

2008-07-15T08:20:00.003-04:00

After a day of catching up on life and work I have managed to find a few moments to reflect on what happened out on the pier. the work you all did was exceptional, we worked tightly as a team and the work in the end reflected the shared effort, contribution and authorship of you all.

the work was truly, "of it's place", we managed to capture the ether of camp, it's emotion and feel and I believe our greatest partner in achieving this was the unanticipated phenomena of wind. the wind contributed to the project in immeasurable ways that we could never have anticipated. this very simple phenomena added a richness to the work and made it "specific".

There were of course, technical difficulties but at the end of the day, we did however, manage to transcend them. Technical issues can always be solved, the far greater challenge was to form and hold a space that in some way would convey the ephemeral qualities of the camp, a camp that even in words is hard to describe, and at the same time be specific to it's place, we did both, that's art forming.

rob

Public Display 1 :: photos

2008-07-14T11:50:00.002-04:00

I've got some photos up on my Flickr account, I'll be passing along the full-size ones to Rob/Tony for the website and whatnot.

A special thanks to the Trumbour family for their hospitality and support this weekend, as without it I doubt we'd have had as much fun as we did!

more photos

2008-07-11T08:10:00.002-04:00

Everything is more or less set, just need to wrap the handles on the trays. Many thanks to Tony for coming in last night and helping out till 3am - if he didn't come in things wouldn't be done and I'd probably have ended up sleeping on the floor.

Public Display Fab Work

2008-07-10T00:25:00.002-04:00

Thought I'd post a couple photos for your viewing pleasure.

Early tomorrow I'm going to run to the Depot to get the material for all the acrylic work (top pieces and for the 'slide' plates) and pick up some clamp lights to use in the bases. My goal is to have all the fab work done tomorrow night.

Lighting mock-up:

Podiums so far:

2008-07-08T16:53:00.000-04:00

Announcement

2008-07-08T14:28:00.004-04:00

Sit Tech shortlist date moved

2008-07-07T11:04:00.001-04:00

Hi everybody,
I received an email today confirming our entry to Sit Tech. Which is great, except they also mentioned that the short list will be announced the 21st rather than the 14th. Oh well, lets keep our fingers crossed.

Art Harbor Week 2

2008-07-02T22:57:00.008-04:00

I have many more photos but here is a quick preview. I know they are a bit hard to see here because of the size, but I can bring the jump drive the next time we get together.

Installation Pics

2008-07-01T21:48:00.014-04:00

Night Installation

2008-06-29T12:33:00.007-04:00

We don't have photos from the installation last night yet (Heather needs to upload them, so later tonight) but I edited the footage we got so there is a short video!

Night Installation Video (Normal)

You can't watch it on your iPhone yet (sorry Rob) but if you check back in an hour or so I bet you could.

Tonight in Rockport

2008-06-27T22:58:00.005-04:00

After settling in and realizing that the posts actually needed three 2x4's (oops) we got one all glued up. So tomorrow morning its off to home depot and pick up some more wood, hopefully get them finished for tomorrow evening. Since I can't really do anything else I'm downloading the video to my computer for editing. I can't find the texture maps the campers did on Tuesday so thats all we can do for now. Tomorrow while I'm making posts and the what not Tina and Heather will be sewing their hearts out! I'll keep you all posted tomorrow.

RFQ is out!

2008-06-27T15:58:00.001-04:00

The RFQ has been officially sent out (I couldn't wait the extra 5 minutes)! So congratulations and thanks to everyone who helped! Now that this is out of the way we can work on the project in Rockport and the Bumpkin Island RFQ! Fun.

~Tony