Kayla Evans 12/18 Final Project Documentation

Documentation and images of my final project (crit set-up, overall set-up, and documentation of how it works):

Documentation of crit set-up:
https://vimeo.com/149399889
https://vimeo.com/149399888

Documentation of how it works:
https://vimeo.com/149399981
https://vimeo.com/149399976
https://vimeo.com/149399972
https://vimeo.com/149399906

Images of overall set-up:

For this project, I was originally interested in having the act of sifting through evidence or scraps of a story written on burnt paper affect the quality of light/images from a projector. In this piece, an alternate version of my second mini-project, the projector functions as a light source; the heart of this version involved the light moving via a reflective piece of metal to illuminate different portions of the paper as the viewer sifts, tying into the concept of secrets.  This piece also builds on a project I created in my Experimental Drawing course, taken during spring semester.

My original design for this alternate version involved secrets written on the horizontal piece of paper that were revealed as the light moved; after receiving feedback from crit, I feel as if the piece would have benefitted from the inclusion of this text.

FINAL PROJECT: Mixed Signals - Jen Herrera

-MIXED SIGNALS-

Photos:

       

Video Documentation:

Description:
This piece is about interspecies communication/human-animal communication. The interface is a handmade cat plush with an LED matrix head. Inside the head is where the arduino/protoshield is housed, and a long-life battery is housed in the body in a hidden zipper pouch. Embroidered into the plush's back are rows of conductive thread that serve as one big capacitive touch sensor to trigger the matrix. At first I thought of programming the matrix with 'faces' or recognizable symbols like letters or numbers, but then decided it might be too cliche and too embedded in human communication to be animal communication. I chose to instead create abstract compositions that would be displayed when the cat was touched, the thinking being that they would invite interpretation by the viewer, just as animal communication invites interpretation. In critique, one of the first things my classmates began discussing was whether one reaction was a 'good' reaction or a 'bad' reaction, so I was really pleased with that! This lends to my concept being that whatever the animal's intention behind it's communication, we only take away our human interpretation of it.

Process Posts:
[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]

Code (through 'read more'):

Mini Project 2: Impact

Impact --||

My second mini project, a metaphor for human impact on an environment and how intervening in one area can can cause a chain reaction throughout an ecosystem. This project is composed of hand-crocheted flowers laced with conductive thread, a plush fabric landscape, and a lilypad arduino. When the first flower is touched, it 'dies', the light in it's center going out and causing a chain reaction throughout the other flowers.

Video of the project in action:

Code (Under Read More):