Week 2 Wed August 31, 2016 | 3 Artists Research Homework

Find three artists whose work with physical computing and whose work you find interesting and post links and reflection about their work on the blog. Be prepared to talk about one of them in class next Wednesday (no class on Monday)

1. Sabrina Raaf

Dry Translator, 2002

-LINK-

Sabrina Raaf is an artist who focuses on interactive sculpture, robotic art, photography, bio-art, and installation pieces.  This work, titled Dry Translator, is a sculptural installation piece focusing on the topic of 'smart technology'. Visitors who flock to the gallery are inviting to put on one of the two vests she created. Depending on which room they are in, the vest is touch sensitive to the walls around them. The visitors sense something different whether they touch, pat, scratch the walls etc. Whatever they do to the walls, the touch is mirrored back into their body by the vest. I thought this was a really cool concept. When I think about interaction, the last thing on my mind is interacting with a wall.

2. Nam June Paik

Electronic Superhighway: Continental U.S., Alaska, Hawaii

-LINK-

Nam June Pail is a Koren born artist. This installation piece is a large outline of the U.S., with neon lights outlining each state. Monitors can be seen inside the states as well. As a child, Paik was amazed when he first got on the interstate and with this installation's scale, he tried to mimic the feelings he experienced such as feeling small compared to the rest of the country. The colors he used outlining the states represent that each state has it's own identity and culture.

Excerpt:
"Paik augmented the flashing images "seen as though from a passing car" with audio clips from The Wizard of Oz, Oklahoma, and other screen gems, suggesting that our picture of America has always been influenced by film and television."

3. Bill Viola

The Crossing, 1996

-LINK-

This installation/ performance piece is composed of a large two sided screen in a large room. On each side the videos start out the same, a man walks towards the camera and stares into the lens. A flame engulfs the man's body yet his facial expression remains bare. The other side of the screen, instead of a fire, his body is engulfed with rain; first starting out calm then turning into a storm. The body on each side then disappears once both the fire and rain consume his body.