8th Week
[img width=300 height=200]
[/img]
Documentation for the flower project.
Methodology questions
What are the rules, what are the conditions, what are the decision-making processes by which you do what you do?
The first rule I set for this class was to create small complete artwork for the space. Once it turns out good for the space, I was thinking about to develop this idea more. There were a lot of conflict with possibility and desire that develop a huge project. Negotiating myself between the two different goal was hard to decide.
How did you proceed, everyone has certain ways of problem-solving
Not like art students I've met, I usually get more feedback from testing. If I have some idea, I put more time for the actual testing with real material, and build a long term plan for the project. There were certain kinds of problems that I usually face with, such as a technical problem, material research and purchasing, and research budget. I was able to solve these problems, especially, technical matters through many forums in website.
Have specific background, experience that made sense for you to proceed in the direction you are taking
My sculpture background gave me the sense of form. I'm always thinking about making attractive object.
What were the steps taken to achieve/realize the project
Even though I put more value on a hand-on experience, each steps I took for this class proceeded in the Rhino program. Visualization idea in my brain was confirmed by drawing in the program. The mistake from the wiring, I miss the step to draw pin-wire in the program. This ruined entire setting in the house.
How does an artist create their work? What kind of matters and thought affect to the thing. There must be inspiration, knowledge, desire, skill, budget, and sometimes customer's request. When the Kavli Institution was suggested in this class as the mission, I though the space is unusual with the many facts, color of the building, the roof, and the two stories Latin style architecture itself.
After that, Alexander Calder's works were introduced in the class. In fact, the way his mobile series work is mostly doing with occupying the space where his works are installed. Their organic shape plates are changed by the small movements by audiences, and his artwork become clear when it is located in a white cube. Calder's works were results of long time consideration to the balance between the plates. He used iron plates and rods as materials, and the process required him a metal shop. It would be good idea to be a follower with my prior experience.
Reproduction of the Calder's work. Aluminum, Stainless still. 75 inches, 2008.
Considering all the factors, opting traditional sculpture seemed inappropriate. 3D projection mapping was popped up as an alternative, but I didn't have much experience of this.
While I was seriously thinking about "what to do", visiting Weld Lab inspired something in my mind. Put aside his scientific methodology, the arrangement of the lens which is following in the certain logic made an amazing visual effect. Atomic hollow gas felt me like a halo, the gas is trapped inside the delicately fabricated aluminum container. Behind that, there must spend tons of hours to verify their hypothesis.
I decided to do the light installation for the project. A lot of questions were followed after "What kinds of light bulb and which effect will activate the light source?, how will it be changed?". And the type of the bulb is also related the size of bulb too. LED strip or Electroluminescent wire could be a good decision at that time. However, LED 10mm bulbs seems reasonable to complete within a given time. When I ordered 10mm white LED, there was an small debate about the color in class. But the color of existing RGB LED bulbs are too vivid to show the color itself. It is ideal for signal, but it distract aesthetic effect.
The Unity simulation at the beginning of this project was interesting job to find out how it is look like. Frizting drawing could be a good program to give an idea for circuit map too. For the interaction part, using sound was convincible, even there are many variables, such as movement, temperature, and camera capture.
Plan was almost made, ready to go into the jungle. Purchasing materials is the most challenging things in here for me. Compare to Seoul in Korea, the capital city has everything in two hours. I ordered components through the amazon, and something expected to deliver more than a week, I was able to get them from RadioShack or Home depot.
In Chicago, buildings always stimulated me to think new ideas. Observation plants are the new idea source. I built the two stories in the house which is holding LED bulbs, arranged bulbs around from a center point. It was hard to designed space for the protoboard, wire, pinheader, and sensor. Especially, right size jumper wire s were difficult to get. These kinds of small obstacles delayed the progress.
Design the house which is holding the LED bulbs, the concept was came from the flower I met in the mountain.
Not surprisingly, most of plants are having the algorithmic patterns. Arrangement of the bulbs follow the way the flow blooms, I tried to make the house has minimum structure to reduce total weight.
When it comes to decide which material use for the printing, I chose the cheapest one, because even if I'm 100% sure that my design is ready to produce, I definitely will meet many error when it is printed out. As I expected, there was a gap between protoboard and four drill holes at the top. Also, I set the 102mm (4.01 inch) for the rim of the bulb (3.97 inch), it was too loose.
I found that putting movement related to the sound wasn't that impressive, since the up and down movement with same speed seems dull and noisy. I decide take the function out, or design more elegant motion.
The performance in the classroom was failed, the problem was occurred by transistor, I used the female header fin that able to replace transistor when it died.
http://youtu.be/F7DoGCXUroI