I'm beginning work on a large-scale algorithmically-controlled video and audio project that will use the phenomenon of snow blindness to explore issues related to cultural noise and the way in which we interpret the supersaturation of information in contemporary culture.
Both the audio and video will be composed of prerecorded samples or clips (hereafter "grains") that will be stored in a matrix of data. Quasi-random movement across this matrix will determine the occurrence of the particular grains.
Since I will not directly dictate the sequence of grains, only their content, any sense of narrative or connectedness will be a result of the viewers' interpretation of the resultant sequence. In many ways, this echoes our tendency to interpret TV news reports about the Haitian earthquake in the same way we perceive the late night Conan O'Brien snafu, because they are both conveyed with the same medium.
(While we're on the topic, pay attention.)
This week, I will begin filming the video grains and programming the video mixer algorithms in Max/Jitter. I'll post some sample footage next week.
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Your idea sounds very promising. I am curious to see how your project works out in terms of how much responsibility or ownership balances between you as the creator/composer and the viewer as an interacting or participating audience. I have thought about some similar concepts as having a lot of potential benefits and an interesting relationship like the one mentioned above. I think it is useful in the way that both parties can attain a degree of satisfaction in both creating and enjoying the final composition of a group of grains. I think it is also important that you have already thought far enough ahead to consider terminology. I am interested in some of the internet mashup type possibilities on the internet today as I have discussed in my own blog, but I think that you have a good plan in pursuing your concept, which seems to be an intriuging blend of music and art for all parties involved. Your concept also reminds me a bit like this site: http://www.grotrian.de/spiel/d/spiel_win.html
ReplyDeleteI wonder how the end product will seem in terms of organization or randomness. Will the viewer/listener be completely surprised by the content they find or will they be somewhat aware and able to steer as they go to control the output with their interaction? I look forward to seeing your progress.
This is the job of the artist, to begin to make sense of the snow blindness.
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