Interactive Media

After reading,"Digital Space", nothing stood out more then interactivity. Interactivity as a type of art form is something that I really believe is a great way to bring in the viewer. The game-like interactivity that took place for Luc Courchesne, "Portrait One" reminded me of the game like interaction that occurs in role playing games. There is a game known as "Heavy Rain" or "Beyond Two Souls" where the main purpose is to interact with the environment and choose the players fate. It is digital media like this that I really believe brings in the viewer into an art piece. One question that came up during the reading is the fact that not everybody likes game interactions. Their are plenty of individuals who rather look but do not have any interest of interacting with an interactive piece. I sometimes wonder why exactly is it that people do not like digital interactions?. Nonetheless I view them as an important medium of art.

Modern and Post-Modern Art

The topic of modern and post-modern art is a rather interesting subject. I feel as I am more in between both modern and post-modern art as a favorite. I love the story telling of modern art but in addition I also love the abstract and thought provoking view of post-modern art. Something that I always felts is that anything and everything has an important value. In post-modern, Symbolism and metaphors are something that I enjoy viewing art. The story telling and ideas that modern art has on the viewer is also effective because it allows a preservation of memory. People, no matter who they are both have their own perspective on life yet I enjoy the openness of being immersed into any style of art.

This photo is of a post-modern artist known as Claes Oldenburg. The reason why I am posting this image is because I personally believe art that stands out really brings in people. Oldenburg is known for his large sculptures(usually representing an item) being displayed in random locations. What I also enjoy about this sculpture because of how the color just stands out in "Cupids Span". The size and color both blend well and how it is in the ground makes it feel as it is part of San Fransico.

"Indigo Lights" is a more modernist artwork by Brian Giberson. The reason why I enjoy this painting is because of how refreshing the colors blend in with each-other. In addition, the painting also does a great job making the city come to life by making some great ratio levels from building to building. Finally, the center of the painting has a moon that really stood out to me because it really draws the viewer in and feel calm.

Film Multimedia

When I look at film I think about the concept, design, and storytelling that a film has. Some of my most favorite films are independent films, horror films, sci-fi films, etc. Film is an important medium to consider in multimedia authoring because it allows the creator to either express emotions, message, or talent. Nonetheless, when I see independent films I feel that the most important focus is the message and the storytelling. Below I have provided an example of a small independent film that is a reference to reality and gaming. The way the director was able to edit the video how it is makes it a haunting yet mysterious film. If anybody knows of half-life, it is a game that tells a story of a world where a scientific experiment has gone wrong and spread into the environment.

Pandemic from anklove on Vimeo.

Environmental Art

 Environmental art installations art is medium that I would enjoy to see more of around the world. In addition, the video I provided is about an installation of "Super Mario Bros." in a regular environment. Art ,technology, and science most likely played an important role in this installation because you have to find a great location in the environment, figure out the right dimensions, know the science of coding, and have some knowledge with the technology.  Furthermore, I feel like the video below shows how interactive and fun an environmental installation can have in an environment. Even if art can be fun their are sometimes environmental art that is disliked by the public. I might post something about the most hated environmental art in a later post. According to the creator, he wanted to create the NES in an environment that is not bounded by the environment

Super Mario Bros. from Andreas Heikaus on Vimeo.

Self Portrait Project

After working endlessly on my pieces I have gathered together two self-portraits that I believe reflect a metaphor of who I am. The first photo that I completed I have titled, “Blu”, because of the blue effect that I was trying to achieve. Metaphorically, this photo represents me as an individual who likes enjoys surrealism, mystery, and futurism. When I was working with Photoshop my main goal was to get my portrait to appear as if it was in the deep ocean. Eventually, I was able to work out my portrait to appear like a water pastel. Some of the techniques that I worked with were the brush, clone stamp, wind effect, and the set of filters. I was then able to capture a portrait that made me look like a mystery, reflected by the water. I was also aiming to make myself appear like I was in a dream world because of the edges of wind that are extending out of my portrait. Something that I found very helpful is understanding how to merge layers and blend colors so that it does not appear as if it were a copy and paste portrait.

My next piece focuses on my interest, being gaming. What I planned was to allow my portrait to express the symbolism of why I enjoy certain video games. When I worked with this portrait I focused on understanding how to compile a set of symbols and merge them with my portrait. Another technique I learned was how to develop my background so that it may appear as a single image. Finally, I ended up using the wind effect here because of the colors that I was trying to evoke with the symbols and the building. I titled this piece, " Dark Wind" due to the fact that the wind appears to be blowing in the city of my symbolism.

Spreading Information With Multimedia

Below I have posted an example of how multimedia authoring is used to spread information through a creative method. The video I have posted is about the difficulties that have been occurring through oil crises. What I enjoyed about this video is that it makes a straight forward animation until the narrator gets to the point. Piece by piece the narrator states statistics, calculations, and methods that will benefit us. It is these small videos that can impact the way people view information.

Oil Wars from Alexander Perry on Vimeo.

The Hurricane Simulator

Recently, I read an article on how the University of Miami is conducting a Hurricane Simulator. The Hurricane Simulator is something that will allow scientist an insight on how strong a Hurricane will be. The name of this simulator is named SUSTAIN (Surge-Structure-Atmosphere Interaction. I am mentioning this simulator because it is something that involves a great involvement of science and technology. I personally think this will be a great innovation because it will allow people to become more prepared for hurricane season. " Peter Sollogub, Associate Principal at Cambridge Seven, says the hurricane simulator is comprised of three major components: The first is a 1400-horsepower fan originally suited for things like ventilating mine shafts. To create its 150mph winds, it will draw energy from the campus's emergency generator system, which is typically used during power outages caused by storms. The fan, sitting next to sensitive instrumentation, must have its vibrations isolated. "It's like your right hand is in a hurricane and your left hand is conducting retinal surgery," Sollogub says. The wind speeds are sensed through laser and sonic wind meters (otherwise known as anemometers). The second part is a wave generator which pushes salt water using 12 different paddles. Those paddles, timed to move at different paces and rates, can create waves at various sizes, angles and frequency, creating anything from a calm, organized swell to sloppy chaotic seas. To reduce wave refraction, the end of the pool has a perforated, parabola-shaped beach to dissipate wave energy. The third aspect of the tank is the tank itself, which is six meters in width by 20 meters in length by two meters high. It's made of three-inch thick clear acrylic so that the conditions inside can be observed from all sides. They've got to create ductwork for the air that creates "well behaved high velocity flow" so testing is accurate. " http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2012-08/creating-150-mph-hurricanes-giant-aquarium-florida