video

Still Life in Real Time

dfodel — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 07:53:45 -0700

Still Life In Real Time

The traditional still life has been examined for the nature of its surface, and its symbolic content. In a highly technologized and mediated culture, how has our relationship to stillness changed? Has this change informed our relationships to things and to each other?

This interactive audiovisual performance presents 3 vignettes, each utilizing custom technological configurations, and incorporating live embodied interaction with the assistance of dancers from 3rd Law Dance/Theater Company.

1. Still Life And Zoom

Things “out there” are not always what they seem. Our brains construct boundaries between inside and outside, objects and their edges, sounds and their causes, movements and their natural consequences. The closer we look, our probing technologies reveal a dynamic surface upon which we perform everyday life.
Technologically, the piece used the physical objects of the Still Life arrangement as wireless controllers, manipulated in a real-time improvisation by dancers.

2. Still Life In PVS

A permanent vegetative state is a syndrome that is related to a coma. Misdiagnosis of PVS occurs on a disturbingly regular basis, leaving many “trapped inside” a seemingly still body, while continuing to experience a rich inner world of dislocated consciousness. Memory and imagination blur, distort, and drift into a remix of experience and fancy.
The interface for this piece consisted of an augmented graphics tablet and pen, and a live camera, which became a live "instrument" for manipulating sound and image in real-time.

3. Still Life With Solar Wind

We are continually bathed in shifting, invisible currents of subtle forces, even as we contemplate the possible meanings of a seemingly static object. The interference patterns that emerge in this dance of forces create a rich, dynamically
intertwined tapestry of call and response: communications that succeed and fail, connections made and missed.
In this piece, ultrasonic proximity sensors were embedded in the flower arrangement, which mimics Van Gogh's Sunflowers. Dancers move around the flowers which translates position into controller data for the audio. Real time visuals are controlled via wireless joystick, and are generated using the UniView platform's model of the magnetosphere.

Stills from the show:

Following the performance there was a reception at Object+Thought, located at 1430 Delgany (across the parking lot from the MCA). A series of mixed media monoprints titled "Stills", was generated from project studies and documentation, and were on display, courtesy of a collaboration with artist Paco Proano.

The show was free and open to the public.

Technoetic Rainforest -Gallery 023, Denver

dfodel — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 14:13:34 -0700

An interactive installation work by David Fodel and Sarah Soriano at Gallery 023, University of Denver, Denver, USA on May 9th, 2009.

The title of the work is taken from two previous ideas.
Technoetic is a word coined by Roy Ascott in 2003 and meant to denote a path by which we might understand the effects of technology on consciousness.
Rainforest is a work created by David Tudor which dates back to about 1965. In Tudors work physical objects and sculptural forms are activated using audio transducers, causing those objects to resonate. The objects themselves modulated the incoming audio, transforming the sound, based on the material.

In the Technoetic Rainforest, we introduce human consciousness into the feedback loop that is created between materials and electronic signal.
A system is constructed which exhibits certain sonic and visual behavior in its undisturbed state. The system consists of cameras, computer vision software, and a multichannel sound creation and distribution matrix.
Simple tones create vibrations and modulations by exciting audio transducers, attached to large sheets of plate steel.
A small vessel, filled with water, is also activated by an audio transducer. This causes the water in the vessel to create patterns and distortions in the waters surface. These patterns are analyzed using a camera and blob detection software.
Blob detection is typically used for extracting usable information from image data, normally object recognition and object tracking. The association of this technology and its visible activity on the projected screen serve to foreground an implied "intelligence" within the system.
The intelligence gathered on the incoming image is further used to modulate the audio signals, creating a subtle yet sophisticated, ecologically balanced feedback loop.
Once a person enters the room, their presence begins to intercede into the variations in the audible sounds, their bodies serving to absorb or reflect certain frequencies within the space. Their shadows in the space, or the interruption of the camera's view of the vibrating water further disturb the modulating steady state of the system.
These subtle interactions and their results become part of the feedback system which drives yet further variations into the system. In this way the system becomes an analog for basic consciousness, in that it is self-reflective.
In decoding the phenomenal world through technological apparatus, we externalize the process of modeling experience, of our own construction of consciousness. As the system evolves, our impact, understanding and actions evolve with it.

Solar Wind Harp Live at Anderson Ranch

dfodel — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 13:30:44 -0700

A live presentation / experiment with the Solar Wind Harp I built. Projected onto the Aspen trees at Anderson Ranch, in Aspen Colorado, in August of 2009. The software is a custom Max patch which reads solar wind data from the NASA ACE satellite in real-time, subsequently sonifying that data. I was attending a workshop led by Andrea Polli, called Sound Space and the Environment. Performance and documentation assistance by Sal D'Angio, and Yoon Chung Han. The harp was developed in conjunction with Dr. George Millward of LASP in Boulder, CO.
More info about the Solar Wind Harp here.

Aurora's Aeolian Harp

dfodel — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 20:03:12 -0700

Overview
Aurora’s Aeolian Harp is named for Aeolus, an ancient god of the wind, and Aurora, a goddess of the dawn.
An Aeolian Harp (or wind harp) is a musical instrument that is "played" by the wind. This hardware/software “instrument” is an Aeolian Harp that is played by the solar wind.
In the software version, the "strings" of the harp are digitally synthesized using physical modeling techniques, and the "wind" is real-time solar wind data streamed from the NASA ACE satellite. Science consultant for the project is Dr. George Millward of the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) / CU.
The hardware is based primarily on the Arduino platform. The physicalized output hardware is currently under development (see videos). This hardware controls the tensioning of multiple strings, attached to lengths of sheet metal, for pitch adjustment, using small motors. An audio transducer is used for controlling the excitation of the assembly. All of the electro-mechanical activity is controlled through Max / Arduino software. The instrument runs in conjunction with a simultaneous live performance, or as a stand-alone installation. The software version is built with Max/MSP and the base version will be available for free download and use.

Concept
By re-framing natural phenomenon as communication processes we can re-contextualize our place in the world in an effort to formulate appropriate design strategies. Re-engaging these processes as nodes in the living social network establishes those processes as contributing elements in the dialog with our past and future. By giving voice to these processes, a sonic voice, this dialog can be imagined.
Recognizing these natural phenomena, listening to the sonic fingerprints, and immersing ourselves in this aural architecture, connects us to the natural world in unexpected, subtle and sometimes spectacular ways.
Connecting a living process, by transposing its activity into an accessible perceptual realm, allows this voice to sing, and helps to tell a story, a story of our relationship to our own perceptions, and to the natural world.
Our engagement with the invisible forces around us radically affects our relationship with the culturally and historically constructed world. By framing these processes within a communications context we situate our humanity within a more inclusive sphere.

Deployment
The platform is meant to be extensible and already consists of several iterations. One iteration will be installed at the Denver Art Museum in November 2009 as part of the EMBRACE show, in collaboration with Timothy Weaver, Brigid Mcauliffe, Josh Fishburn and Nick Meyers. Another iteration will be performed as part of the Communikey Festival of Electronic Arts in Boulder, Colorado in April 2009. This will be a mobile audiovisual performance utilizing a custom mobile hardware platform (see images).
The Harp has also been informally performed at Anderson Ranch Arts Center in August of 2009.

David Fodel & Brian Kane – Signal to Noise (untitled analog #8)

dfodel — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 13:19:30 -0800

An immersive audio visual environment exploring the surrogate sensory perceptual systems implicit in the recording medium. Originally performed live during a recent residency at the Experimental Television Center in New York, Signal to Noise is a series of multi-channel audiovisual installations which induce alternating currents of sensation, approaching our perceptual field from the perspective of signal processing and the subtle states of consciousness we share with the natural world.
Three related looping sources are set in motion. Of differing durations and composed of visual and audio material which has been time and pitch shifted, the sources drift in and out of phase with one another, creating an ever-changing audio visual composition.

More photos here

David Fodel is a new media artist whose practice combines aural, visual and physical phenomena to create subtle and spectacular immersive environments. His work has been screened and performed internationally. Fodel has a background in media and interaction design, and as a community arts organizer. He teaches at the University of Denver, where he is currently earning an MFA in Electronic Media Arts Design.

Brian Kane is a media artist and designer living in Cambridge, MA, USA. A graduate of Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), he invented of one of the world’s first VJ software tools, Vujak, and was a founding member of the multimedia group EBN. He has had a distinguished career as a creative director and game designer, and has taught interaction design at Emerson College in Boston.

Residency at Experimental Televsion Center

dfodel — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 11:38:49 -0800

In December of 2008 I did a residency at the Experimental Television Center in Owego, New York. I invited artist and long-time collaborator and friend Brian Kane to explore the center's vast collection of vintage analog video gear. The video below is a quick attempt at documenting the experience. Excerpts of some of the raw material are included. Some of the resulting material is included in a 5 DVD boxed set which chronicles the activities of the ETC from 1969 to 2008 and includes the work of 75 artists. The documentary footage will also be archived at the Rose Goldsen Archive of New Media at Cornell University. Special thanks to Hank Rudolph and Sherry Miller Hocking.

The "full project" doesn't really exist in any substantial form. The project WAS the residency I guess, which according to their guidelines merely consists of creating raw material, which may or may not get used in a finished "piece". The ETC intends the space and equipment to be used in that way, as opposed to a place to come and fine-tune/edit/finalize work.

That being said, what we were aiming for was raw material that was improvised live performance, which in some cases is finished as soon as it hits the eyeballs, eardrums and hard drive. So we have a bunch of that in the can, so to speak.

What I put together for the "documentary" is intended to describe the whole experience to put it into context for someone who might be interested in showing the work. It also seems to work to highlight the history and operation of the ETC itself. Which is really great.

As for the technical interactions occurring in the audio, video and control paths:

The center is almost entirely control voltage based. By using envelope followers one can feed audio in to a module and "extract' a CV signal, which then can be used for manipulating pretty much any aspect of the video gear. We worked primarily with the Dave Jones 6 channel colorizer, and also the Nam June Paik built "Wobulator" which is basically a huge electromagnet wrapped around a CRT and controlled by varying the voltage along several axis of the magnet(s). So that was one way of "syncing" the signals. Since we are using the envelope follower method, the signals fed into it tend to need to be relatively simple... tones or simple beats. We also managed to get the MIDI to CV module running which allowed for a simple way to get note on and off, and a single CC out to the CV stuff. It's a frikkin patchers heaven, if you have patience, and a lot of coffee. The cool thing is that in essence, the audio IS the video and vice-versa. The original practitioners and designers of the center's equipment (and I would encourage anyone interested to explore these folks) were basically just fascinated with the formal aspects of the electronic signal, and were the (dare I say) original transmedial artists. They were patching audio into video and extracting signals in both directions, deconstructing the television into its constituent elements and then rebuilding signals from the ground up.

The 3-screen work I include in the video doc is all raw captures from the center, with some augmentation to the audio. There are digital oscillators feeding the analog controls on the Dave Jones Colorizer, through the MIDI to CV module, as well as similar control running the analog Proc Amp. This is where one can control the final pedestal, chroma, gain and clipping of the video signal before digital capture. I also was doing some stuff feeding the centers signal into my laptop running VDMX, and then feeding that back into the centers system, with some gorgeous results. We also did a lot of weird stuff with live YouTube feeds etc to get that real vintage vs. contemporary thing going on. I was most fascinated with the things that were happening in these loops, the evolving pattern and color, that responded over time to subtle manipulation. That level of performative engagement in a real-time unpredictable environment is to me just irreproducible in the digital realm, but I don't want to start any arguments on that. Something about those soft analog edges and rich colors. Clearly, a lot of what VJ software does is based on how this early analog processing works, so you see a lot of familiar motifs emerging from the gear. Which is really cool to me... like a flash-back of a beautiful moment in ones past.

Anyway, enough of the prosaic rambling. The "studio time" was approx. 4 and a half solid days on site in the studio... sleeping there, eating there, drinking there etc. Immersive for sure. The 6 hours is raw... very. I am hoping to get 4 of what I think are pretty solid installation works out of the material. Slowly evolving large scale "immersive" audio-video works. There might be more in there... Not sure yet :)

Home; Away from Home: Installation at Denver International Airport

dfodel — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 10:40:05 -0800

Home; Away from Home is a time-based visual exploration of movement, pattern, trajectory, transition and migration. Video imagery based on simulation and mimicry of natural patterns of organic movement, such as flocking, schooling and migration are layered with simple marks reminiscent of flight patterns and topographical surveys. These lines on paper could be directions home, or routes yet to be explored; trajectories that navigate through layers of emotion and memory; connections made and missed; always already arriving, and constantly coming home.

Portions of the piece are realized using modified versions of Andy Polaine's 2000 Particles, a piece of open source code written in Processing, that utilizes the Traer Physics library, created by Jeffrey Traer.

Recent press in USA Today here.

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November 2008 - February 2009

DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT | GALLERIES OF DENVER
Terminal East | Sixth Level

http://www.co-lab.info/noplacelikehome

NO PLACE LIKE HOME an art exhibition exploring memories of transition, comfort, farewells and returns

Featured Artists: David Fodel Brigid McAuliffe Allie Pohl Sarah Soriano

NO PLACE LIKE HOME is a multi-faceted art installation that explores memories of transition, migration, journey, comfort, farewells and returns. Four individual artists intertwine their experiences, thoughts, concerns, and reflections about traveling to and from home. Layers of imagery, maps, movement, and playful objects illustrate the transition from one home to the next, the illusion of home, and various notions of what home is, was, or will be. Each artist explores these notions in unique ways with individual attention to media, materials, and their own specific approach to the theme. A cohesive whole emerges from these disparate elements in much the same way that our memories of home blur, soften, expand and remix themselves over time.

This exhibition is the result of a collaborative project between Denver International Airport and the graduate Installation Art course in Electronic Media Arts Design, led by Professor Laleh Mehran at the University of Denver, School of Art and Art History.

"Your Secret Here" - Myhren Gallery, Denver, CO

dfodel — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 19:05:25 -0700

"Your Secret Here"
One night only at the Myhren Gallery
Opening reception: September 25, 2008 | 6-8 PM

The School of Art and Art History's "Installation Art" course presents work by emerging artists:

Adam Butler
Alicia Chee
David Fodel
Brigid Mcauliffe
Allie Pohl
Sarah Soriano

"Your Secret Here" is a representation of the confidential nature of coded, encrypted, and interpersonal communication and the growing concern about privacy and protecting our identity. This interactive installation urges the viewer to participate by writing or speaking their secrets, which will be shredded physically, visually, and aurally eliciting an act of absolution.

Show review here

Wind on Wind / Water on Water - Denver Botanic Gardens: Digital Nature

dfodel — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 13:39:27 -0700

The Digital Nature show sought to showcase the work of artists working in digital media, incorporating elements from the natural world via process, subject, aesthetics, or interactivity. Curated by Rachel Murray of the Denver Botanic Gardens and housed in the York Street Pavillion, the show incorporated interactive installation art, and live performances.
I had two interactive works selected, Wind on Wind and Water on Water. Each of the pieces were explorations of the metaphor of natural movement as subtle form of interspecies communication.
Sensors were suspended from tree branches and submerged under a waterfall, translating the motion of wind and water into malleable data which served to modulate video imagery projected in real time back onto the tree branches and waterfall.
More photos here. Wind on Wind statement here. Water on Water statement here.

coinOp(); - Center for Visual Art, Denver

dfodel — Thu, 29 May 2008 14:54:24 -0700

coinOp(); is a method for engagement with notions of "play", non-teleological gaming structures, and improvisational collaboration. This interactive "instrument" is built into a heavily modified vintage Galaga game console. Inserting a coin allows 2 participants to "play" audio and video, expressively manipulating the individual components of the AV mix. The audio mix is monitored via 2 sets of headphones, and the resulting video mix is projected from the interior of the console onto a large wall surface behind the console. Mixing controls appear on the console's built-in screen The idea was to explore the interplay between modes of database and narrative, by engaging players with collections, tools, time, and a personal investment in the process.

coinOp(); was installed at the Center for Visual Art in Denver, Colorado from May 9th to May 15th, 2008.

An extended description/statement is available here. More photos here.