Kinetic Light

Your Project 3 documentation blog post should (at least) include:

Title
The title of your project.

Project Description
In two to four paragraphs write a description of your project. What is it about? What is the concept behind it? What is your intention behind it? What inspired you to make this?

Perspective and Context
In two to four paragraphs describe how your project fits into the context of art and perception, light art, and kinetic art as we’ve been discussing during the course. Reference relevant ideas, quotes or concepts from the readings, from artists we’ve discussed, and from your own research. Show that you have an understanding of how to discuss your work within a larger cultural context.

Development & Technical Implementation
In two to four paragraphs describe how you developed your project and how the final result works. What was your research and creation process like? Which things did you try out before arriving at your final setup? Describe the final implementation of your project and how it functions. What are the different components? How do they interact with each other? How should an audience experience your project? Include sketches, pictures, diagrams!

Upload your Arduino code to this folder (file name: YourName-Project3.ino) and link to it in this section.

Presentation
In two to four paragraphs describe how the presentation went during class / the IMA show. Did the audience understand your project? Did they react as you expected? What went well? What could have gone better? What was unexpected?

Upload at least one video and three photos of your project to this folder (file names: YourName-Project3-01.jpg, etc) and embed them in this section of your blog post.

Conclusion
In two to four paragraphs write a reflection on the research, creation, and execution of your project. In a general sense describe issues related to the project such as: What did you learn? What did you discover? What did you fail at? What did you succeed at? What can you improve? What would you want to do in the future? Be critical!

The conclusion should wrap up your final thoughts on the project in a coherent and concise statement.

This blog post is due May 15, 23:59

Joris Strijbos – Axon (2016)

For Project 3 you will create a kinetic light installation / sculpture / object that incorporates both light and motion as elements of the work. The topic and form of your piece is completely open. However, your work should (1) include at least 1 form of motion and at least 1 form of light, (2) be made utilizing some digital fabrication methods and (3) be controlled by a generative composition. You should conceptually place your work in the traditions of kinetic, light, and space art as we’ve been discussing them during the semester, and you have to relate your work to the ideas of perception and abstraction as discussed in the readings.

To this end, you will first create a detailed project proposal as well as research current practitioners in the field of kinetic art and light art. After the proposal has been approved, you will have three weeks to create your project. The week before the final presentation we will have individual pre-critique sessions to ensure your project reaches its full potential. After the final presentation, you will write a detailed blog post to document the research and development of your kinetic light project. Blog post guidelines will follow.

SCHEDULE

• 04/17 – Project Proposal + Contemporary Artists Research Due (Present in Class)
• 04/21 – Legislative Day (Sunday): Work on Project
• 04/24 – Progress Update + Work on Project
• 05/01 – No Class (Labor Day): Individual pre-critiques during that week
• 05/08 – Project 3 Presentations
• 05/10 – IMA Show
• 05/15 – Project 3 Blog Post Due

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PROJECT PROPOSAL
Due April 17 as a Google Slides presentation created/uploaded to this folder (filename: yourname-project3proposal), 10 minute presentation max!

Your project proposal should include the following sections:

Project Description (1 to 2 slides)
Write a two to three paragraph description of your proposed project. What is it about? What will it look like? What is it made out of? What do you want your audience to experience? What are your trying to communicate?

Perspective and Context (1 to 2 slides)
Place your project in the context of the history and current practices of kinetic, light, and space art based on what you’ve learned through the reading reflections. Reference ideas, concepts, and artistic intentions from the readings to show that you have an understanding of how to discuss your own work in a larger cultural context.

Sketches (1 to 4 slides)
Include at least one sketch of what your project will look like. Spend time on the sketch so that it clearly communicates the scope, size, and functioning of your project. Preferably, you include multiple sketches from multiple angles to convey a clearer picture of what you propose to create.

Technical Requirements (1 slide)
Make a list of all the technical requirements for your project. Include items such as lights, motors, fabrication materials, wires, fasteners, gears, axles, motor mounts, etc. Try to really think through all the elements that you will need to complete and install your project and make this list as comprehensive as possible.

Production Schedule (1 to 2 slides)
Give a week by week, or preferably day by day, breakdown of how you will build your project. Think about all the individual elements you need to create your project and which things you will need to research, purchase, order, fabricate, or invent to make what you want to make. Make realistic estimations about the time required for every step and develop your plan accordingly.

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CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS RESEARCH
Due April 17 as a Google Slides presentation created/uploaded to this folder(filename: yourname-artistresearch), 10 minute presentation max!

Research the work of two contemporary artists working in kinetic / light art and create a brief presentation about their work. You will be assigned two artists from the list of Current Artists on the course site. Look into the conceptual basis of their work, their technical approaches to the creation of their projects, and any other interesting factors you can find. Include photo and video material in your presentation to convey the scope and content of the artists’ practice.

Nadine: Anila Quayyum Agha + U-Ram Choe
Snow: Zoro Feigl + Kristin McIver
Wes: Yoko Seyama + Nonotak
Charlotte: Chen Yi + Zimoun
Angy: Collectif Scale + Massimo Uberti
Santiago: Matthijs Munnik + Lumus Instruments
Ruiqi: Vincent Leroy + Breakfast Studio
Raphael: Elsemarijn Bruys + Art+Com
Xiao: 1024 Architecture + Studio Drift
Melanie: Anthony Howe + Apical Reform
Zora: Boris Acket + Si Zhuli
Ninj: Jeongmoon Choi + Olafur Eliasson
Ashley: Nicky Assmann + Isabel and Helen
Freddie: Philip Vermeulen + Lachlan Turczan
Ting: Romain Tardy + Casey Curran
Lexie: Parker Heyl + Yu Shih Fu

In groups of 4, create a kinetic-light sculpture using two linear actuators, one L298N motor driver board, and one type of light previously covered in the course. Make a considered choice for which type of light to use and how to best incorporate it into the kinetic-light sculpture. Try to incorporate your knowledge about working with light (reflections! shadows! materials!). Write a simple Arduino program that changes the motion and light over time. For the structure of the sculpture, think about how you use 3-dimensional space and the way the composition in light and motion develops and changes within the space.

When building your project, keep in mind the total power consumption of it and power it appropriately.

Due: April 10 (in-class critique)

Note: Assignments in this course (different from Projects) are meant as a quick way to explore ideas with the materials and technologies introduced that week. While thorough experimentation is highly encouraged, you are not expected to deliver a completely polished piece for these assignments. The goal is to explore the materials and make discoveries, while learning the technologies.

For this assignment, you will be building mechanisms out of card stock paper. Cardboard and card stock are great materials to experiment and prototype with! When developing a new project design, making a model out of cardboard or card stock should always be one of the first steps to assess its feasibility.

You will be building three paper mechanisms based on those used in traditional Japanese Karakuri puppets and automata. In groups of two, build one Cam, one Crank, and one Gear mechanism and decorate each one to enhance their output; this can be either abstract or figurative. (Search for automata or whirligig for inspiration)

Print outs of each model blueprint are provided per pair. See the book Karakuri: How To Make Mechanical Paper Models That Move (pdf) from page 34 onward for instructions on how to build each mechanism.

Due: March 27 (in-class critique)

Note: Assignments in this course (different from Projects) are meant as a quick way to explore ideas with the materials and technologies introduced that week. While thorough experimentation is highly encouraged, you are not expected to deliver a completely polished piece for these assignments. The goal is to explore the materials and make discoveries, while learning the technologies.

Read, in this order:

• Andreas Broekmann’s introductory chapter, The Phantom of Machine Art, to his book Machine Art in the Twentieth Century (2017)
• The book’s second chapter Toward the Art and Aesthetics of the Machine
• Jack Burnham’s chapter on kinetic art, Kineticism: The Unrequited Art, from Beyond Modern Sculpture (1969)

Write a 4 to 6 paragraph response to these readings in which you reflect upon how the terms “machine art” and “kinetic art” are historically used and how their usage has changed over time. Select two artists from Kineticism: The Unrequited Art, research their work and practice, pick two specific artworks by each artist, and analyze how these works relate to Broekmann’s “five key aspects of machine aesthetics”, as proposed in Toward the Art and Aesthetics of the Machine. Use these artworks to expand upon your ideas of what role machines play within media arts projects. 

Quote relevant sections from the readings and add relevant images from your own research.

Due: March 29 – extended April 8

Your Project 2 documentation blog post should (at least) include:

Title
The title of your project.

Project Description
In one to three paragraphs write a description of your project. What is it about? What is the concept behind it? What is your intention behind it? What inspired you to make this?

Perspective and Context
In one to three paragraphs describe how your project fits into the context of art and perception, light art, op art, and kinetic art as we’ve been discussing during the course. Reference relevant ideas, quotes or concepts from the readings, from artists we’ve discussed, and from your own research. Show that you have an understanding of how to discuss your work within a larger cultural context.

Development & Technical Implementation
In one to three paragraphs describe how you developed your project and how the final result works. What was your research and creation process like? Which things did you try out before arriving at your final setup? Describe the final implementation of your project and how it functions. What are the different components? How do they interact with each other? How should an audience experience your project? Include sketches, pictures, diagrams!

Upload your Arduino code to this folder (file name: YourName-Project2.ino) and link to it in this section.

Presentation
In one to three paragraphs describe how the presentation went during class. Did the audience understand your project? Did they react as you expected? What went well? What could have gone better? What was unexpected?

Upload at least one video and three photos of your project to this folder (file names: YourName-Project2-01.jpg, etc) and embed them in this section of your blog post.

Conclusion
In one to three paragraphs write a reflection on the research, creation, and execution of your project. In a general sense describe issues related to the project such as: What did you learn? What did you discover? What did you fail at? What did you succeed at? What can you improve? What would you want to do in the future? Be critical!

The conclusion should wrap up your final thoughts on the project in a coherent and concise statement.

Due: March 20

Using one or more of the lighting techniques covered in class (addressable LEDs, analog single-color or RGB LED strips / neon tubes / other form factors, halogen light(s), DMX fixture(s), EL wire), create a sculptural light object or light installation using digital fabrication methods and/or materials you have collected. You have complete freedom in choosing the size and form of your object / installation; it can be wall-mounted, hanging, standing, small, or large. Additionally, if appropriate, you can choose a site-specific location (on campus) for your project. The lighting used in the object / installation should be programmed to display a deliberate continuous composition in light and space over time. Your choices for colors, materials, and fabrication techniques should be purposeful and well-considered. Take into consideration the Light and Space readings and your reflection on these topics when conceptualizing this project.

Write a brief, one to two paragraph proposal for your project in which you outline the concept for your project, which light technique(s) you will be using, and how you will construct it. Include one or more sketches to illustrate your proposal. Upload your proposal as a PDF (“yourname-project2proposal.pdf”) to this folder by Saturday, March 2.
(If you are proposing a project using DMX fixtures, consider having a backup plan due to the limited supply of lights)

After presenting your project, write a detailed blog post to document the research and development of your sculptural light object. Blog post guidelines will follow.

SCHEDULE

• Saturday, March 2 – Project Proposal due (upload here)
• Wednesday, March 6 – Progress Update and work in class
• Wednesday, March 13 – Project 2 due
• Wednesday, March 20 – Documentation Blog Post due

In the below three groups, create a 2-minute composition using the assigned DMX fixture(s) and the Arduino DMX Shield. Explore the full range of possibilities of your assigned fixture(s) and consider including physical objects to enhance the composition. Keep in mind the concept of composing musically over time in light and space (and motion) and make considered choices in terms of colors.

One composition per group is preferred, but two will be allowed if the logistics of getting everyone organized get too complicated.

GROUP	LIGHT	MEMBERS
Group 1	3 x PAR Lights	Nadine, Charlotte, Ricci, Melanie, Ashley, Lexie
Group 2	Moving Head Spot Light	Snow, Angy, Raphael, Zora, Freddie
Group 3	6 RGB Laser Bar	Wes, Santiago, Xiao, Ninj, Ting

Due: March 6 (in-class critique, fog will be provided)

Note: Assignments in this course (different from Projects) are meant as a quick way to explore ideas with the materials and technologies introduced that week. While thorough experimentation is highly encouraged, you are not expected to deliver a completely polished piece for these assignments. The goal is to explore the materials and make discoveries, while learning the technologies.

In groups of 2 or 3, create a sculptural object using one of the light sources covered in class today: LED Neon Tube, Analog RGB LED Strip, or Halogen Lamp. Use one type of light source or a combination of multiple types of light sources, but make sure that your choice is considered and appropriate for the sculptural object that you are creating. The size of your object can range from table-top to room scale; try to think in 3 dimensions; consider making use of shadows as part of your light sculpture. Write a simple Arduino program that changes the light of your sculpture dynamically over time.

When building your project, keep in mind the total power consumption of it and power it appropriately.

Due: February 28 (in-class critique)

Note: Assignments in this course (different from Projects) are meant as a quick way to explore ideas with the materials and technologies introduced that week. While thorough experimentation is highly encouraged, you are not expected to deliver a completely polished piece for these assignments. The goal is to explore the materials and make discoveries, while learning the technologies.

In groups of 2 or 3, create a 2 minute composition in light & objects using individual RGB LEDs or LED Strips or LED Matrices or a combination of all three. Make use of the FastLED library and explore its possibilities, use the wiki and the documentation as your reference, as well as the Class 03 slides.

A composition means a well thought out development of light in space over time. Think about how a song is structured with a beginning, middle, and end or a chorus and a verse or with moments of high intensity and low intensity. Try to approach your composition in light, space, and time from a musical mindset. Also think about the the ideas of perception and synesthesia as we’ve discussed in previous classes and try to take these into consideration while developing your composition.

When building your project, keep in mind the total power consumption of the LEDs and power it appropriately.

Due: February 21 (in-class critique)

Note: Assignments in this course (different from Projects) are meant as a quick way to explore ideas with the materials and technologies introduced that week. While thorough experimentation is highly encouraged, you are not expected to deliver a completely polished piece for these assignments. The goal is to explore the materials and make discoveries, while learning the technologies.

Read, in this order:

• Jack Burnham’s chapter on Light as Sculpture Medium from Beyond Modern Sculpture (1969)
• Robin Clark’s introduction to the exhibition Phenomenal: California Light, Space, Surface (2011)
• Dawna Schuld’s accompanying essay Practically Nothing: Light, Space, and the pragmatics of Phenomenology (2011)

Write a 4 to 6 paragraph response to these readings in which you reflect upon how the artistic lineages in the first two readings are interconnected and how the phenomenology of light and space, as discussed in the third reading, is prevalent throughout the exploration of light as a medium by the various artists that are discussed. Select one or two artists from Light as Sculpture Medium and one or two artists from Phenomenal, research their work and practice, and use their art works as examples to expand upon your own ideas about what role light and space (can) play in the creation of media arts projects.

Quote relevant sections from the readings and add relevant images from your own research.

Due: February 7 

Your Project 1 documentation blog post should (at least) include:

Title
The title of your project.

Project Description / Introduction
In one (or two) paragraph(s) write a description of your project. What is it about? What is the concept behind it? What is your intention behind it? What inspired you to make this?

Perspective and Context
In one (or two) paragraph(s) describe how your project fits into the context of art and perception as we discussed in the first week. Reference relevant ideas, quotes or concepts from the reading by Irwin or the video about Merleau-Ponty. Show that you have an understanding of how to discuss your own work within a larger cultural context.

Development & Technical Implementation
In one to two paragraphs describe how you developed your project and how the final result works. What was your research and creation process like? Which things did you try out before arriving at your final result? Describe the final implementation of your project and how it functions. What are the different components? How do they interact with each other? How does a person interact with them? Include sketches, pictures, diagrams!

Presentation
In one to two paragraphs describe how the presentation went during class. What was your experience and the participant’s experience like when engaging with your project? What went well? What could have gone better? What was unexpected? Include photos and/or videos!

Conclusion
In one to two paragraphs write a reflection on the research, creation, and execution of your project. In a general sense describe issues related to the project such as: What did you learn? What did you discover? What did you fail at? What did you succeed at? What can you improve? What would you want to do in the future? Be critical!

The conclusion should wrap up your final thoughts on the project in a coherent and concise statement.

Due: February 7

For Project 1 you will invent a device or performative action that amplifies, distorts, expands, switches, and/or modifies one or multiple modalities of our perception. Remember, there are more than the basic 5 sensory modalities, see slide 8 and 9 from Lecture 1. Pick one or multiple of the sensory modalities and create a device or performative action that does something to that mode of perception.

Read Robert Irwin’s essay “The Process of Compounded Abstraction- Notes Toward a Model“ (starts at page 25) from the catalog accompanying his 1977 exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art. Reflect on his thoughts and process when developing your concept and your device or performative action, and keep in mind the ideas of synesthesia and the philosophy of the primacy of perception as defined by Merleau-Ponty.

Construct your device out of any material you like, but try to avoid very high-tech solutions.

After presenting your project, write a detailed blog post to document the research and development of your device or performative action. Blog post guidelines will follow.

SCHEDULE

• Wednesday, February 1 – Project 1 Due 
• Tuesday, February 6 – Documentation Blog Post Due

Please read the course Description and review information on the Syllabus, Schedule, and Resources pages!