"The Void and the Cloud"
a virtual & pop-up exhibit
Urban Foundation Gallery
December 2017
a virtual & pop-up exhibit
Urban Foundation Gallery
December 2017
“Nothingness is really like the nothingness of space, which contains the whole Universe. All the sun and the stars and the mountains and rivers and the good men and the bad men and the animals and the insects, the whole bit: all are contained in the void. So out of this void comes everything, and you’re it." - Alan Watts
Quantum mechanics is founded on a duality; two contradictory descriptions, the mechanistic nature of reality must be described in both wave and particle terms. Human existence too is founded on a duality; coming out of nothingness, it is human nature to combat this state and evolve complexity, build civilizations, and imagine our futures. Yet the nothingness is always there, our universe ever-expanding into the uncharted void. And the void is where we may return, as T.S. Eliot describes, through a bang or through a whimper.
Far before our poetic cosmic end we may find ourselves abandoning physical reality for another: the digital ether. As we lose touch and control of our changing natural environment, we are building digital stand-ins of our physical lives. Not a void of nothingness, but an endless data cloud, digital platforms and devices like social media, smart phones, GPS, and FitBit are where and how we increasingly live. Disconnected and hyperconnected at once, the balance of our physical with our digital state is at a tipping point.
Is human nature moving to a state of the non-physical? Will this non-physical state expand endlessly into the digital ether, as our physical universe expands into the void? What happens to the physical world, the physical self, in a digital-dominated era? Can we exist in a dual state of being and non-being?
Curated by Marnie Benney with guest juror George Musser, author of Spooky Action at a Distance
Far before our poetic cosmic end we may find ourselves abandoning physical reality for another: the digital ether. As we lose touch and control of our changing natural environment, we are building digital stand-ins of our physical lives. Not a void of nothingness, but an endless data cloud, digital platforms and devices like social media, smart phones, GPS, and FitBit are where and how we increasingly live. Disconnected and hyperconnected at once, the balance of our physical with our digital state is at a tipping point.
Is human nature moving to a state of the non-physical? Will this non-physical state expand endlessly into the digital ether, as our physical universe expands into the void? What happens to the physical world, the physical self, in a digital-dominated era? Can we exist in a dual state of being and non-being?
Curated by Marnie Benney with guest juror George Musser, author of Spooky Action at a Distance
Curator/artist talk
ADAM CROWLEY
I draw ideas from monasticism, penance, and asceticism. I also work on the impressions I draw from contemporary life, the absence of restraint, and questions directed toward the downfall of holy places, devotion to higher sources, what the void of these once revered parts of our lives looks like. I use early renaissance geometry to divide the canvas, giving order to the picture plane. I then subvert that order by manipulating the image, or lack there-of, using various techniques both culled from art history and from my own experimentation. Utilizing and examining these now archaic ideals that once held such high esteem allows me to pause and ponder the aspects of life now deemed unnecessary.
"Black Rain" (2017). 30" x 22". Charcoal, gesso, oil on paper.
"Arch" (2014). 44" x 31". Charcoal, house paint, spray paint, oil on paper.
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"Stars" (2014). 30" x 22". Charcoal and spray paint on paper.
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ALAN MACDONALD
Field Notes Of A Terranaut represents an attempt to visualize in prosaic terms the ground state of existence in the tradition of Da Vinci like field notes.
It questions the assumption of so-called objective science that consciousness is epiphenomenal, and assumes we dive to the local material plane from another non-local field, known variously as God’s realm, the void, cloud, quantum field of probabilities - depending on the era and selected discipline of the observer.
Like Da Vinci, I am compiling a set of clues derived from observations of the objective realm in order to arrive at a set of principles that will explain the subjective realm.
It questions the assumption of so-called objective science that consciousness is epiphenomenal, and assumes we dive to the local material plane from another non-local field, known variously as God’s realm, the void, cloud, quantum field of probabilities - depending on the era and selected discipline of the observer.
Like Da Vinci, I am compiling a set of clues derived from observations of the objective realm in order to arrive at a set of principles that will explain the subjective realm.
"Field Notes of a Terranaut" (2015). 40.5" x 27". Pen, pencil, guache on Fabrino paper.
ALAN SINGER
As an artist I explore the realm of physics through visual metaphor and I hope to spark the imagination through my efforts in the studio. It all starts with light, color, and measurement. A process of creating an image that I then could paint or print out starts on my laptop with software like Cinderella, a geometry toolbox you can download for free. The visualization continues by writing instructions in the form of algebraic functions that are then rendered on paper in color. I am often surprised by the impact of the forms I have brought into existence, and I think that there are distinct relationships that circle back to the forces found in nature and astronomical space. These prints are like answers to problems that have yet to be posed, and at this point they have drama, color, and loads of energy.
"Spinner" (2016). 16" x 23". Transfer print on paper.
"Comprehension" (2017). 22" x 14.5". Transfer print on paper.
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"Re-entry" (2016). 12" x 18". Transfer print on paper.
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ANNA FINE FOER
"En Cherchant Pokemon sur la Promenade des Anglais" (2016). 30" x 27". Watercolor, collage.
Searching for Pokemon, the augmented reality game became a world wide sensation at the same time as there was a violent attack in Nice, on the Promenade des Anglais. This collage was inspired by a non-extant casino on the promenade and by games, such as roulette and chess.
"Spooky Action is Real" (2016). 18" x 26.5". Collage.
The title was borrowed from a New York Times article about recent discoveries in quantum mechanics; that two previously entangled particles, even if separated by the width of the universe, could instantly interact.
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"Entangled Particles" (2016). 24" x 24". Collage.
This collage is part of a series inspired by recent discoveries in quantum mechanics, proving Einstein’s theory that separate particles could be “entangled” so completely that measuring one particle would instantaneously influence the other, regardless of the distance separating them. Sparks of light jumping from one square to another in the center depict this phenomenon.
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"Garden of Quantum Delights"
APRIL TRACEY
These works are part of a 12 piece body of work entitled “Template Series - Finding Spirit in the Cloud.” The structure of each painting in the aforementioned series is the same. The Internet, a box shape placed in the center of the composition is surrounded by elements from the physical world extending to the borders of the canvas. The paintings are filled with symbolism pertaining to the subject matter explored. Realistic rendering of shapes surrounding the box then become broken down into bits and bytes of information within the box/internet area. The subject matter ranges from technology companies to objects in nature.
"The Purple Project" (2013). 4' x 5'. Acrylic and colored pencil on canvas.
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"The Network View" (2013). ' x 5'. Acrylic and colored pencil on canvas.
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"Templates of the Human Soul" (2008). 4' x 5'. Graphite on canvas.
"Eucalyptus" (2012). 4' x 5'. Acrylic and colored pencil on canvas.
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"Amaryllis" (2013). 4' x 5'. Acrylic on canvas.
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BRENDA PERRY
From ether to matter, this work examines both the corporal and non-corporal relationship we have with our digital and tangible environments. Here, artificial systems assist natural systems to propagate as a reflection of our own intimate consciousness with technology. Relational Sustainability is an interactive installation in which gallery visitors are encouraged to assume a role within the immediate ecosystem by sending a tweet, as each tweet feeds the plants in the project space. From digital clouds to real clouds, the connection is created between data and water molecules.
Water drops are released from a cloud structure in the gallery space every time a participant sends a tweet. Twitter messages with #releasetherain (along with a personal message) can be sent by anyone with access to Twitter from anywhere in the world. This makes participation possible from inside or outside the project space. As ‘rain’ droplets fall directly onto the plants below the cloud structure, this gives participants the power to determine the fate of the plants via the digital cloud of Twitter.
Water drops are released from a cloud structure in the gallery space every time a participant sends a tweet. Twitter messages with #releasetherain (along with a personal message) can be sent by anyone with access to Twitter from anywhere in the world. This makes participation possible from inside or outside the project space. As ‘rain’ droplets fall directly onto the plants below the cloud structure, this gives participants the power to determine the fate of the plants via the digital cloud of Twitter.
"Relational Sustainability" (2014-present). Dimensions variable. Interactive multimedia installation.
CHRISTOPHER R. H. HANUSA
"The New Normal” is piece of generative art based on the two-dimensional 'normal' probability distribution. As you approach this sculpture from the side, this artwork appears to be whole, comprised of sturdy geometric columns. However, upon standing up close and overhead, the viewer realizes that a fair number of columns are missing, especially with the contrast between the multicolored columns and the black base.
This duality of projecting a tangible whole while at the same time not being complete is situation to which many of us can relate. Often one projects an exterior image that is strong, yet one’s strengths and weaknesses are readily apparent to oneself, as well as to an intimate companion. It is in this way that the cloud of the colorful pillars can obscure the various voids that exist within us all.
This sculpture was created using the mathematical software Mathematica. Five hundred random points were chosen in a circle, from which the two-dimensional polygonal pattern called a Voronoi Diagram was generated. These polygons were then raised to the height prescribed by the two-dimensional normal distribution, except for certain polygons that were prescribed to have no height to represent the void.
This duality of projecting a tangible whole while at the same time not being complete is situation to which many of us can relate. Often one projects an exterior image that is strong, yet one’s strengths and weaknesses are readily apparent to oneself, as well as to an intimate companion. It is in this way that the cloud of the colorful pillars can obscure the various voids that exist within us all.
This sculpture was created using the mathematical software Mathematica. Five hundred random points were chosen in a circle, from which the two-dimensional polygonal pattern called a Voronoi Diagram was generated. These polygons were then raised to the height prescribed by the two-dimensional normal distribution, except for certain polygons that were prescribed to have no height to represent the void.
"The New Normal" (2017). 8" x 8" x 2.4". 3D printed full color sandstone.
DANIEL HILL
“Nothing exists except atoms and empty space; everything else is just opinion.” - Democritus of Abdera
Physicists have stated that the solid objects around us, including the floor that is currently supporting us, are made of mostly empty space and it is the geometry and motion of molecules and subatomic particles that gives rise to our experience of solidness. This notion of a delicate, unobserved field exerting tangible influence is one that has always interested me. Where does the edge of a “thing” end and the field of “no-thing” begin?
Democritus proposed that the universe is comprised of the smallest indivisible component and called them atoms. We have looked deeper into the atom and and just keep finding smaller and smaller particles. As I understand, these subatomic particles appear as wave packets of interference patterns blinking in and out. My paintings manifest as interference patterns and are an inquiry into the nuanced structure of fields which happens to also mimic structures found throughout the natural world.
Physicists have stated that the solid objects around us, including the floor that is currently supporting us, are made of mostly empty space and it is the geometry and motion of molecules and subatomic particles that gives rise to our experience of solidness. This notion of a delicate, unobserved field exerting tangible influence is one that has always interested me. Where does the edge of a “thing” end and the field of “no-thing” begin?
Democritus proposed that the universe is comprised of the smallest indivisible component and called them atoms. We have looked deeper into the atom and and just keep finding smaller and smaller particles. As I understand, these subatomic particles appear as wave packets of interference patterns blinking in and out. My paintings manifest as interference patterns and are an inquiry into the nuanced structure of fields which happens to also mimic structures found throughout the natural world.
"Untitled 1" (2015). 18 ½ ” x 29 1/2”. Acrylic polymer emulsion on paper mounted to panel.
"Untitled 9" (2016). 30” x 22”. Acrylic polymer emulsion on paper mounted to panel.
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"Untitled 3" (2016). 30” x 22”. Acrylic polymer emulsion on paper mounted to panel.
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ED GRANT
There is an absolute flood of images on social media, everyone is a photographer. While such ubiquity isn’t a problem in itself, the transitory nature of how these images are experienced is. We scroll by, “like” or not, and then move on. To remove images from this transitory flow, to isolate and make physical, will strike some as anachronistic. However, I am of the belief that doing so has the potential to be transgressive. The ability to contemplate an image, again and again over time, to actually consider it, is something that is largely anathema to our disposable, “Whats next?” culture. One of the great strengths of the static visual arts (painting, photography, drawing, etc) is their ability to slow people down; to look, to reflect, even to enjoy. Their’s isn’t the burden to keep up with amusement parks, journalism, polemics or television. There is a certain freedom in that.
These pieces continue my exploration of manipulated photography. Typically, photography’s power lies in its ability to mimic what we see. We are predisposed to allow the photographic image a validity of truth that other forms of representation, such as painting, are not so afforded. Using glitch and generative scripts/apps, the source images are altered, freeing them from their expected role. By subverting expectations, the images are then opened up to a wider range of expressive possibilities. Digital technology is a tool not unlike the pencil or brush. I consider this work to be informed as much by painting as photography.
These pieces continue my exploration of manipulated photography. Typically, photography’s power lies in its ability to mimic what we see. We are predisposed to allow the photographic image a validity of truth that other forms of representation, such as painting, are not so afforded. Using glitch and generative scripts/apps, the source images are altered, freeing them from their expected role. By subverting expectations, the images are then opened up to a wider range of expressive possibilities. Digital technology is a tool not unlike the pencil or brush. I consider this work to be informed as much by painting as photography.
"Linings" (2016). 40" x 90". Ink sublimation on aluminum.
Haven (2016). 24" x 24". Ink sublimation on aluminum.
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Manhattan (2016). 24" x 36". Ink sublimation on aluminum.
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EKATERINA SMIRNOVA
Even though it seems to many of us, that the digital technology will swallow the physical existence, it (technology) might be necessary to human for further future development. Scientists of the European Space Agency, in collaboration with NASA has been working on an ambitious space mission called Rosetta. This mission, even the thought of it, would not be imaginable without the technology involved in order to explore the distant fast moving comet 67P. Social media enabled many to study about it, including myself. As an artist, inspired by science, I have created a series of artworks in different media (large scale paintings, music/video collaboration, sculptures) inspired by Rosetta.
Chosen by George Mussser:
JONATHAN FELDSCHUH
This series Particles is an investigation into the interactions of subatomic particles inside an accelerator. I am attempting to depict the super-small world of high energy collisions, filled with virtual particles, quantum loops, and hadronic jets. Virtual particles are the void making itself manifest - spontaneous arising, incipient decay. Some of the paintings depict particle interactions that can be described with simple Feynman diagrams. Particles #20 (Beta Decay) shows a neutron decaying into a proton plus a short-lived W - particle, which nearly immediately decays into an electron and an electron neutrino. Other paintings suggest much more complex processes that might arise in the extremely high-energy collisions of an accelerator like the LHC, where the huge energies of the collider particles can allow the creation of many virtual particles, which then spawn jets of subsequent particles as they decay to more ordinary matter.
"Particles #20 (Beta Decay)" (2017). 48" x 42". Acrylic on mylar.
"Particles #2" (2016). 54" x 42". Acrylic on mylar.
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"Particles 3" (2016). 48" x 42". Acrylic on mylar.
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"Particles #7" (2016). 48" x 42". Acrylic on mylar.
JOY PENG
There are a lot of virtual worlds rising due to the technology development. People spend more and more time in these virtual worlds, especially in social media. Our society has different opinions about the impacts of those virtual worlds may bring us. Some of them think it is a platform that allows us to share love and care; other think it is a platform that spreads rumors and bad influence.
Gardener is an installation exploring the energy flow of twitter environment. It gathers the data from twitter api and uses the data to trigger two different pumps. Both pumps are triggered in real time. “Love” presents by clear water and ”Hate” presents by blue water. After operates for several times, audience can observe the living plant as how the virtual world influence us.
Gardener is an installation exploring the energy flow of twitter environment. It gathers the data from twitter api and uses the data to trigger two different pumps. Both pumps are triggered in real time. “Love” presents by clear water and ”Hate” presents by blue water. After operates for several times, audience can observe the living plant as how the virtual world influence us.
KAREN FITZGERALD
The artwork that I am presenting here strikes a balance, a touchstone, between the scientific and the imaginative realm. This idea has already been somewhat embodied in the Buddhist concept of “mu”. The Mu is a “pregnant void” - it is the void that is filled with the potential of energy and life. In my painting, Mu, I invoke the deepest philosophical meanings of that word. One cannot present an image of the void, except by making a form. It contains, but doesn’t contain anything. This paradox is a wellspring that does not empty itself out. With contemplation, we can discern a depth within this idea, an awareness of the emptiness that is filled with so much. The subtle qualities of the fluid paint reflect a quietness at the center of the image, an area empty of paint: a void.
The Night Sky contains a similar quality. It is an opposite in that it does not have a visually “empty” center. The center of this round place is filled with the deep blue-back of space, what the night-time sky allows us to see in to. It is a presence that is empty.
Finally, clouds offer us a parade of the Mu. Diaphanous and never still, their embodiment of the ether is a complete mystery and delight. The quantum duality that we’ve found in the essential nature of the atomic world is writ large in the world of clouds: waves and particles simultaneously forming, unforming. What did the first cloud of Earth’s atmosphere look like? Wind Visits the Aetherium, and Watching the Sky, both offer visual mediations on the movement of air and the clouds that help us see this moving air.
The Night Sky contains a similar quality. It is an opposite in that it does not have a visually “empty” center. The center of this round place is filled with the deep blue-back of space, what the night-time sky allows us to see in to. It is a presence that is empty.
Finally, clouds offer us a parade of the Mu. Diaphanous and never still, their embodiment of the ether is a complete mystery and delight. The quantum duality that we’ve found in the essential nature of the atomic world is writ large in the world of clouds: waves and particles simultaneously forming, unforming. What did the first cloud of Earth’s atmosphere look like? Wind Visits the Aetherium, and Watching the Sky, both offer visual mediations on the movement of air and the clouds that help us see this moving air.
"Watching the Sky" (2016). 15" diameter. Oil with 23k gold on panel.
"Night Sky" (2016). 31" x 28". Oil with 23k gold on prepared paper.
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"Mu" (2015). 37" x 32". Oil with aluminum on prepared paper.
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"Wind Visits the Aetherium" (2016). 41" x 30". Oil with aluminum on prepared paper.
NILA ONDA
"Form is void and void is form"
Enso, the Zen circle, represents an absolute state of non-duality, the point where opposites meet, the void, the "no-thing", the circle of infinity, the oneness of the universe, the beginning and the end of all things, the cyclical nature of life.
The images in the series "As Above So Below" combine a free interpretation of the Zen circle with the visual poetry of mathematics. Fractal patterns propagate from a symbolic quantum vacuum like life impulses coming into existence from nothingness. These ever expanding, seemingly random abstract forms are manifestations of a "thinking"; universe powered by a boundless creative and self-organizing force. As humans, we are an expression of the same force, constantly creating our reality through our consciousness. Trapped in an illusionary state of separation, we have a fundamental need to tap into the void in order to exist in a state of inter-connectedness with each other and oneness with the whole.
Enso, the Zen circle, represents an absolute state of non-duality, the point where opposites meet, the void, the "no-thing", the circle of infinity, the oneness of the universe, the beginning and the end of all things, the cyclical nature of life.
The images in the series "As Above So Below" combine a free interpretation of the Zen circle with the visual poetry of mathematics. Fractal patterns propagate from a symbolic quantum vacuum like life impulses coming into existence from nothingness. These ever expanding, seemingly random abstract forms are manifestations of a "thinking"; universe powered by a boundless creative and self-organizing force. As humans, we are an expression of the same force, constantly creating our reality through our consciousness. Trapped in an illusionary state of separation, we have a fundamental need to tap into the void in order to exist in a state of inter-connectedness with each other and oneness with the whole.
"As Above So Below #1" (2017). 28" x 29". Photographic print of ink drawing.
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"As Above So Below #2" (2017). 21" x 28". Photographic print of ink drawing.
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PHIL HASTINGS
SIGINT - derived from Signal Intelligence which is the act of intercepting and collecting information and communications, often undertaken covertly by governments, for a multitude of reasons, but we can also consider our search for worlds beyond our own, our search for communications from the heavens. SIGINT takes an interstellar journey through the void of space using the microscopic image as proxy for the exploration of other worlds. Is there information beyond our immediate understanding that can be collected from beyond our world? What will that information bring? How will we use it?
I am often straddling the line between perceived and known, of subjective and objective. I am interested in creating work that draws as close as possible to a phenomenological understanding of the work even when that work cannot be experienced by any other means than its creation.
I am often straddling the line between perceived and known, of subjective and objective. I am interested in creating work that draws as close as possible to a phenomenological understanding of the work even when that work cannot be experienced by any other means than its creation.
SAMUEL PELLMAN & MIRANDA RAIMONDI
In our time we have become increasingly aware of phenomena that are almost incomprehensibly small as well as structures that are immensely greater in scale than what we experience in the daily course of living. The nebula NGC 1999 is such an immense object. But at its heart is a void that beckons us. There in this void we might find a sea of virtual particles, momentarily emerging into existence and then vanishing, perhaps retreating to the platonic realm of ideas. In this sea we might find holographic traces of all of the events and companions who have ever mattered to us, somehow entangled with our memories across the light-years.
This brief work NCG 1999 (2009) was inspired by a Hubble telescope image of the nebula NGC 1999 and is a piece of visual music in which the processes for synthesizing the sound and the video footage are closely linked. The pitches are tuned in a 7-limit just intonation. The visual imagery was synthesized by mapping the sound synthesis control contours to various attributes of a virtual video synthesizer.
This brief work NCG 1999 (2009) was inspired by a Hubble telescope image of the nebula NGC 1999 and is a piece of visual music in which the processes for synthesizing the sound and the video footage are closely linked. The pitches are tuned in a 7-limit just intonation. The visual imagery was synthesized by mapping the sound synthesis control contours to various attributes of a virtual video synthesizer.
SARAH EAGEN
Technology has long played a third party to close interpersonal relationships. It is almost impossible to discuss intimacy without also referencing the role digital devices play in orchestrating these private relationships. My artwork explores how the power of desire for connection can be found in a simple touch or the fragile unity of a fleeting moment. My work examines the tension between an individual’s private identity and public persona, as self-portraiture and self-representation in contemporary society is mediated by digital skins. This body of work creates a dreamlike and uncanny environment that is inspired by the digital realm as it is refracted onto to the physical. The delicate silk photographs gently sway in the wind as viewers pass by, while the photographic details invite the viewer to look closer. This immersive installation encourages the audience to confront notions of narcissism, affection, isolation and instant gratification in relation to their private selves.
"Eyelashes" (2016). 36" x 36". Photograph on silk.
"Reach" (2016). 36" x 36". Photograph on silk.
SIERRA ORTEGA
We are all already living in an indeterminate state of non/being. We emerge from the void through catastrophe and one day we will all return. We are always already returning. We are always already emerging. Chaotic ephemerality is the only ontological constant. This piece is an exploration of digital indeterminacy. It gestures toward my eventual dissolution at the hands of entropy and chaos. Glitch aesthetics becomes an interesting method by which to explore these concepts. The glitch is always indeterminate. It has no inherent form. No necessary manifestation. But even in its non-existence, it sits waiting as potential inside the code. The glitch rips. It disintegrates. It returns an apparent eternal digital form to the nothingness (re: potential) of the void. It disrupts the cloud. It is the breakdown that heralds reemergence.
"d1s1nt3grat3" (2017). 4.6" x 6.5". Digital image.
SILJA SELONEN
I am thinking how poorly we sense the surrounding reality, noticing only things that are vital for our existence and procreation. How fragile and temporary we are in the world of reflection by photons, such void molecule-machines dancing between order and chaos - like every other living organism.
I am now trying to visualize the ever lastingly changing energy, how it is all basically same kind of wave and particle, though generally profiled as internal, potential etc. form of energy. How we all are filled with knotted energy, rushing through quantized space.
The deeper I go in examining physic, the more incredible life seems to me. How we as form of life are copying ourselves, living a short life and then disintegrating into particles and radiation. And yes - nowadays we also are spreading electromagnetic radiation passing and saving information about our being.
When more and more living in digi-world we are forgetting our animalism, which I search and long by portraying native person.
I am now trying to visualize the ever lastingly changing energy, how it is all basically same kind of wave and particle, though generally profiled as internal, potential etc. form of energy. How we all are filled with knotted energy, rushing through quantized space.
The deeper I go in examining physic, the more incredible life seems to me. How we as form of life are copying ourselves, living a short life and then disintegrating into particles and radiation. And yes - nowadays we also are spreading electromagnetic radiation passing and saving information about our being.
When more and more living in digi-world we are forgetting our animalism, which I search and long by portraying native person.
"Feelthepresent" (2017). 31" x 31". Oil and pastel on wood.
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"Feelthelambda" (2017). 31" x 31". Oil and pastel on wood.
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"Feelthespace" (2017). 31" x 41". Oil and pastel on wood.
STEPHEN HILYARD
The piece Always originated with the song, in particular the lyrics which seem to me to describe a relationship that is far closer to reality than is normally found in a love song, this is a song steeped in regret, rather than passion or pain. I wanted to create a piece that deals with the ways that we fail to achieve the ideal of romantic love, whilst at the same time recognizing the beauty and pathos of this essentially human impulse. In this sense I created the kitsch-sublime synthetic landscape and the cloud as visual equivalents of the song. From the beginning I wanted to create this piece in a way that reflected a sense of emotional failure, the 3D digital animation process that I used to create the dancing cloud is particularly laborious and requires meticulous mathematical manipulation of a series of algorithms to create the illusion of a living cloud. This forced me to work in a way that was completely at odds with the kind of impulsive expressionism so often associated with the artist, whilst at the same time attempting to create an emotionally engaging image of regret personified.
Always from Stephen Hilyard on Vimeo.
UDIT MAHAJAN
The consonance and dissonance of reality becomes visible only when time pauses, and it is only in these pauses that reality happens.
Ad Infinitum is an audio-visual morphogenetic artwork representing emanations flowing all around us with our every moment of existence. It provides an immersive and engaging experience for the audience, in order to awe and self-reflect; by inducing a sense of physiological resonance, as the patterns of eye movement synchronize with patterns in the audio-visuals.
Morphogenetic studies in cellular biology suggest that complex life-forms develop and evolve from simple beginnings via certain rules and conditions. An effort to realize this computationally lead to a form of generative art known as digital morphogenesis, with applications prevalent in art, design, architecture, modeling etc. Another, more recent study came out on existence of microbial clouds, composed of biological particles emitted by the human micro-biome. The study suggests the distinction between different microbial clouds of different people and ability to quantize and understand the distinctions between their characteristics.
The concepts of human genetic make-up, evolution as well as microbial auras, transcend notions of connections between humans and nature, not only over geological time (incorporating hereditary past and in-the- moment present) but also perception. The way we see reality, follows its own fractal patterns. Our brains are used to observing complex patterns that exist in nature such as water, clouds, trees, galaxies etc. Some fractal studies have shown release of alpha brainwaves as well as activation of areas in the brain (Ventrolateral, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, parahippocampus) corresponding to high visual processing, spatial long-term memory, emotions and music. Ad Infinitum is a computational effort to present this evolving complexity yet uniqueness that we all possess. The visuals have been created via GLSL shaders and audio via Ableton Live and Max for Live.
Extrapolating concepts from morphogenesis and morphogenetic waves in cellular biology, and from studies on existence of microbial clouds in proxemical physics, Ad Infinitum presents the evolving and unique signature, of us and the space we live in, through visual mathematics.
Ad Infinitum is an audio-visual morphogenetic artwork representing emanations flowing all around us with our every moment of existence. It provides an immersive and engaging experience for the audience, in order to awe and self-reflect; by inducing a sense of physiological resonance, as the patterns of eye movement synchronize with patterns in the audio-visuals.
Morphogenetic studies in cellular biology suggest that complex life-forms develop and evolve from simple beginnings via certain rules and conditions. An effort to realize this computationally lead to a form of generative art known as digital morphogenesis, with applications prevalent in art, design, architecture, modeling etc. Another, more recent study came out on existence of microbial clouds, composed of biological particles emitted by the human micro-biome. The study suggests the distinction between different microbial clouds of different people and ability to quantize and understand the distinctions between their characteristics.
The concepts of human genetic make-up, evolution as well as microbial auras, transcend notions of connections between humans and nature, not only over geological time (incorporating hereditary past and in-the- moment present) but also perception. The way we see reality, follows its own fractal patterns. Our brains are used to observing complex patterns that exist in nature such as water, clouds, trees, galaxies etc. Some fractal studies have shown release of alpha brainwaves as well as activation of areas in the brain (Ventrolateral, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, parahippocampus) corresponding to high visual processing, spatial long-term memory, emotions and music. Ad Infinitum is a computational effort to present this evolving complexity yet uniqueness that we all possess. The visuals have been created via GLSL shaders and audio via Ableton Live and Max for Live.
Extrapolating concepts from morphogenesis and morphogenetic waves in cellular biology, and from studies on existence of microbial clouds in proxemical physics, Ad Infinitum presents the evolving and unique signature, of us and the space we live in, through visual mathematics.
