Processing

Sophie Taeuber-Arp's Untitled (Composition with Squares, Circle, Rectangles, Triangles) is a piece of cloth woven with a large red square in the center. Along the lines of the red square are other colorful shapes such as a black square on the top left, smaller squares and a rectangle on the top right, a large light blue circle on the bottom right, and three different colored triangles on the bottom left. This piece of art was chosen to be in the MOMA exhibition because Sophie and her companion, Hans Arp, extended the boundaries of art by weaving tapestries. They made mostly decorative pieces such as painting pottery and weaving. Sophie and her companion would frame and hang their needlepoint works which resisted the traditional canvas painting and expanded the concept of art.

Here is a picture of the original composition:

I thought this composition was interesting. I liked how it had many colors with different shades. At first glance it looks simple, but with another look one can see that it is not a traditional piece of art. When closely examined, the grid-like lines of the cloth comes out. I think it would look a lot more cool if the whole thing was filled with various shapes with different colors. I think the positioning of the shapes make this piece fully open to an individual's interpretation. I don't think the aesthetic experience you have when looking at this piece is very intense since it is so simple, but this makes it more open-ended when trying to interpret.

Below is my attempt of mimicking Sophie Taeuber-Arp's work with Processing. I added an interactive aspect by randomizing all the colors with the click of the mouse. Check it out!




My code for the Processing.js file:


float w = 700;
float h = 750;

void setup() {
size(700,750);
smooth();
fill(0);
background(25, 20, 100);

fill(255, 0, 0);
stroke(255, 0, 0);
rect(w/2-100, h/2-100, 200, 200);


fill(100, 149, 255);
stroke(100, 149, 255);
ellipse(w/2+168, h/2+115, 135, 135);

fill(0);
stroke(0);
rect(w/2-177, h/2-176, 75, 75);

fill(255, 175, 15);
stroke(255, 175, 15);
rect(w/2+151, h/2-200, 50, 50);

fill(255, 255, 150);
stroke(255, 255, 150);
rect(w/2+101, h/2-151, 100, 50);

fill(255, 105, 0);
stroke(255, 105, 0);
rect(w/2+202, h/2-100, 50, 50);

fill(255, 255, 175);
stroke(255, 255, 175);
triangle(w/2-151, h/2+152, w/2-101, h/2+102, w/2-201, h/2+102);
fill(105, 105, 105);
stroke(105, 105, 105);
triangle(w/2-151, h/2+203, w/2-101, h/2+153, w/2-201, h/2+153);
fill(205, 140, 0);
stroke(205, 140, 0);
triangle(w/2-151, h/2+254, w/2-101, h/2+204, w/2-201, h/2+204);

}

void mousePressed(){
fill(random(255));
background(random(255));

fill(random(255), random(255), random(255));
stroke(random(255));
rect(w/2-100, h/2-100, 200, 200);


fill(random(255),random(255),random(255));
stroke(random(255));
ellipse(w/2+168, h/2+115, 135, 135);

fill(random(255));
stroke(random(255));
rect(w/2-177, h/2-176, 75, 75);

fill(random(255), random(255), random(255));
stroke(random(255));
rect(w/2+151, h/2-200, 50, 50);

fill(random(255), random(255), random(255));
stroke(255, 255, 150);
rect(w/2+101, h/2-151, 100, 50);

fill(random(255), random(255), random(255));
stroke(random(255));
rect(w/2+202, h/2-100, 50, 50);

fill(random(255), random(255), random(255));
stroke(random(255));
triangle(w/2-151, h/2+152, w/2-101, h/2+102, w/2-201, h/2+102);
fill(random(255), random(255), random(255));
stroke(random(255), random(255), random(255));
triangle(w/2-151, h/2+203, w/2-101, h/2+153, w/2-201, h/2+153);
fill(random(255), random(255), random(255));
stroke(random(255));
triangle(w/2-151, h/2+254, w/2-101, h/2+204, w/2-201, h/2+204);

}

Three Artists

Robert Hodgins
 I really like the work of the artist and coder, Robert Hodgins. Some of his projects can be found at http://roberthodgin.com/. I think the work he did with visuals during music performances are super cool.  I really liked the "flocking" technique he used in Processing to make this clip: http://vimeo.com/8607624. He is a co-creator of the Cinder C++ framework and he seems to be a pro with Processing. I really thought his Planetary iPad App was a nice idea. I do not care for iTunes that much so I think making a new way to look through your music library is a cool concept. You can find his App project at http://roberthodgin.com/planetary-ipad-app/. I believe users would be able to relate to a more catchy theme other than the Planetary one. This idea could expand into something fun which could help users have a better experience when browsing all their music.

Copressorhead
A project that really stood out to me was the Robot band Copressorhead.

 This video shows a complete musical band made up of robots that play the guitar, bass, and drums. Their website can be found at http://compressorheadband.com/. I think they sound pretty good and whoever created/ programmed these robots did a great job. The drummer, Stickboy, has 4 arms, 2 legs, 1 head, and plays with a double kick drum kit. The guitarist, Fingers, has 78 fingers which is enough to play the entire fret board and the bassist, Bones, rocks like a pro. Together they form a pretty awesome combination of music, robotics, and programming. They not only rock out in practie but they also play gigs! Check them out!

Rafael Lozano-Hemmer
One last new media artist that I like is Rafael Lozano-Hemmer. I really like his project called "Open Air," which can be found at http://www.lozano-hemmer.com/open_air.php. Short voice recording clips were submitted and used to create this piece. The amplitude and frequency of the audio files changed the brightness and position of the 24 spotlights. I find this concept to be cool because music synced with visuals creates a very aesthetic experience. They are used in large music festivals with massive stages and displays. A video of this project can be found here : http://lozano-hemmer.com/videos/open_air_rawbenduffield_hd.mov

ISTA 401 Introduction

Bryan LaFrese
ISTA 401

I have some previous programming experience with java since I took a Computer Science class (CSC 127A) in the Spring of 2011. I recently took a Web Design class and learned how to make functional websites with HTML and CSS. In Professor Kelland's Computing and the Arts class (ISTA 301) I was introduced to Processing. I created a colorful and interactive piece of art that can be found here.

I work at the Office of Student Computing Resources's (OSCR) multimedia labs as a Multimedia Consultant. I assist people with video editing programs such as Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere Pro, and iMovie. There is a wide range of software offered at these computer labs. My passion within the multimedia programs are Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) which can play a major role in audio production. I like to use Ableton and FL Studio but I am currently in a class called Technology of Sound (ISTA 302) which will give me hands on experience in the latest version of Reason. Here is my soundcloud with some beats I made: http://www.soundcloud.com/lafreseb.

One of my passions in life is to create music and beats with computer programs. At home I have the equipment to record, edit, and produce music. I have studio monitors, a bass, a guitar, a violin, a clarinet, a microphone, an 88 key keyboard functioning as a MIDI controller, a laptop with audio editing programs installed, and an audio interface connecting everything to the laptop. You could consider it a home studio.