This research functions as material studies for creating responsive environments, using light that is shaped by movement and gesture. Ambient lighting and projected video are explored. In the case of projected video, in general, the video is not to be viewed as a framed image object, but as illumination.
Erik Conrad (video), Freida Abtan (sound) and Harry Smoak
Topological Media Lab
Exhibited as part of Journées de la culture at Place des Arts Hall des Pas perdus, Montréal (Sept. 29-31) images on left.
This project was envisioned as one state of a responsive media environment, such as tgarden. The video would be projected on the floor where players would rip trails of fire when they walked.
This light control system (created with Max/Jitter) was used in Troglodyte. It uses movement, detected by an overhead camera, to feed a simple game of life system, which is then used to determine the brightness of the lights illuminating the installation. Click the image for a larger view.
This sketch combines caligraphic video work by Yoichiro Serita of the Topological Media Lab (GT) with DMX light control. Movements trigger simulated water ripples, which are used as a brightness map for a room full of lights... allowing one to create waves of light across a room. Implemented during the TML Hexagram Black Box residency, May 2006. Click image for larger view.
This installation, exhibited at The Beall Center for Art+Technology in Irvine, California as part of Hybrid Vigor 2004, also falls under the general category of gestural light. However, in this case, a physical substance - water - is manipulated to vary the illumination. Follow the links to the project page.
© Erik Conrad 1998-2006