Third Pressure Project

The final  pressure project had the least requirements yet. It simply had to involve dice and the computer had to interact with them directly. Immediately my mind drifted to my last pressure project in which I attempted to use the computer to read colors. I felt the dice might have enough difference between each number that the dots would create distinct cumulative colors. I work for a time on using the Eyes actor to track the position of the die and the color calculator to get an accumulative color of the dice. Sadly, even under good lighting conditions there were too many shadows and differences to make a robust system. But in this I realized that I could just use the eyes actor. By creating a patch that cordoned off six areas of the view of the camera and having the audience Rolling dice without telling them I was basically creating a die.

This whole process ran parallel to the content of the work. As you probably have guest I really like talking about my experiences in my work.  the die through me back to playing dice games on long train trips during our vacations as a child. As these train rides were up to three day journeys the potential for boredom and easy entertainment was high. The easiest entertainment was a game at me and my sister would play four hours at a time. We would go back and forth saying “woof” until one of us said “meow” and I would precede to laugh uncontrollably, and to this day still do. I want to share the riveting joy of the game dubbed “woof” with the world.  Thus I came up with the final work.

One out of the six designated areas in the cameras view would make the computer say meow while the other five would say woof. Once the meow was landed on it would appear in another place. It was that simple. The final element and what I think sold the project was my reaction to it. the reward for landing on the correct sector was not only a “meow” but it also my smiling face.

I think there’s something to be said about technologies ability to reconnect us with what we truly feel is important. By making a simple Isadora patch I was able to re-create and experience that is extremely fond to me.