Creative Musings

Artists and techies have more in common than one might expect, with both groups putting a high value on creativity, ingenuity and imagination. (Although it may not be immediately apparent to ordinary folk, designing hardware and writing software (“code”) can be a highly creative process.) The community I want to address in this piece is the community of individuals who produce microcontroller-based art. Let me elaborate.

The advent of inexpensive computer chips has provided technically-inclined artists (and artistically-inclined techies) with a relatively new and surprisingly inexpensive medium in which they can exercise their inventiveness and creativity: computer-based art. Based on low-priced and readily available microcontroller technology, such objects d’art might entail designs that change character or form over time (dynamic art), sculptures that move (kinetic art), or art that interacts with the viewer (interactive art). (These are, of course, not exclusive categories).

Figure 1 shows an example of one such project, a table that that changes color under the control of an Arduino microcontroller, a particularly popular product used by hobbyists. (The Arduino is one particularly popular form of microcontroller family, as it is easy to program and surprisingly inexpensive (for example: the Arduino Pro 328 costs only $15 plus shipping ). Another popular microcontroller for hobbyists is the Raspberry Pi, which is considerably more powerful yet not much more expensive. Extensive free documentation for both products is really available from a variety of online sources.)

Another example of a microcomptroller art project uses a long string of individually controllable multi-colored LEDs that (depending on how programmed) blink randomly, blink in a deterministic pattern or (in a more advanced, interactive project) blink synchronously with any ambient music that might be playing. The last of these variations requires a sensor on the form of a microphone and accompanying software to characterize the transduced sounds and to subsequently use this information to control the LEDs.

For yet another fascinating example, consider Rob Serward’s “Four Letter Words Project” , which consists of four fluorescent display units, each capable of displaying all 26 letters of the alphabet. The system is designed to generate a series of four-letter words in a sequence that is limited only by the creativity and imagination of the designer.

Finally, loosely related to the Words Project is the “Word Clock Project”, which displays time using words rather than numbers (Figure2).

How might we go about developing this hybrid community? One possible stating point would be to develop a web site where interested parties would be able to learn more about the above. To this end I have designed a skeleton of a web site to be launched at http://microcontrollerart.homestead.com. This (currently unimplemented) web site could eventually serve as a valuable resource to individuals seeking to develop their own artistic vision.

Another possible means of information dissemination is to make explanatory postings to various Web sites and discussion forums for technical and artistic communities maintaining a presence on the Internet. Table 1 provides a sampling.

Who could you partner with for this project? One especially promising option might be to involve high school and college students, either by explaining to teachers / instructors how artistic applications of microcontrollers might be integrated into the curriculum of various art and computer courses, or alternately by making these same students aware of how they might enjoy working on such projects on an extracurricular basis, for example as part of a school activity or college club.

What symbol or metaphor might be used to represent this hybrid community of artists and techies? I suggest the mythological Chimera of Greek origin might be an appropriate, worthy choice. With a lion's head, a goat's body, and a serpent's tail (Figure 3), I propose that the Chimera represents a fitting metaphor for this amalgam of two usually distinct groups (three distinct groups if one includes educators into the mix).

What common goals do I and the people in my proposed community share? I would summarize the key goal shared in common as “learning about art and computers by having fun”, with secondary goals being the sharing of experiences, ideas, and technical information in the realm of computer-based artistic projects.

What are the shared experiences and events in this community? While there are a number of specific events that would appeal to this community (an example being the increasingly popular Maker Faire) for most individuals Internet-based communities such as those included in Table 1 will be particularly valuable.

What stories in your community need to be told? While a political or religious community may have a central narrative that simply must be told, this is not really the case for my proposed community, other than to let potential new members or supporters know how much fun and learning can be involved in building novel, clever or imaginative crafts and objects d’art using micro-controller based methods.

Are there opportunities for you to support and expand upon local craft traditions? Yes, a number of communities have art shows, county fairs and similar venues where artists can display their work. The art products from my proposed community would be expected to be welcome additions at such venues. Exhibits at schools, community centers and public libraries are other possible venues.

Finally I would like to mention the notion that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” For example, one can imagine that some projects such as the “Word Clock Project” (which displays time using words rather than numbers - Figure 2) might fail to ignite the imagination of some troglodytes who might ask “What is the point?”) On the other hand, some techies might marvel over the beauty and cleverness of a segment of Arduino code whose inner beauty might entirely escape the notice less technically inclined folks (Figure 4). Such issues raise the associated question “Just what is art?”, an issue that has long vexed art critics as well as philosophers specializing in the field of aesthetics.

http://www.digitalarti.com/ [General]
http://www.digitalartistdaily.com/ [General]
http://www.artistcommunities.org/ [General]
http://www.siggraph.org/connect/digital-arts [General]
http://www.promotingart.com/resources-amp-tools/list-online-art-communities [General]
http://www.creativebloq.com/digital-art/10-top-digital-art-resources-5131223 [General]
http://www.creativeapplications.net/tag/arduino/ [Arduino]
https://plus.google.com/communities/112845006884148391862 [Arduino]
http://mylifescoop.com/2013/06/05/5-amazingly-cool-arduino-projects/ [Arduino]
http://www.nycresistor.com/2010/03/21/art-design-and-the-arduino-a-lineage/ [Arduino]
http://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/geek-life/hands-on/showing-off-diy-arduino-art [Arduino]

Table 1. A sampling of Web sites for technical and artistic communities maintaining a presence on the Internet.

Figure 1. A coffee table with multiple colored Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) that change color under the control of an Arduino micro-controller. A video demonstration of the project is available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IO5Y13S4rsU. Technical details (including software) are available at http://forum.arduino.cc/index.php/topic,8664.0.html Image Credit: http://www.geeky-gadgets.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/rgb-led-coffee-table.jpg

Figure 2. This clock tells the time in words. Based on an easily programmed Arduino micro-controller, instructions concerning its construction are available at http://www.instructables.com/id/The-Word-Clock-Arduino-version/ Image Credit: http://hacknmod.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/word-clock.jpg

Figure 3. The Chimera is a mythological hybrid organism with a lion's head, a goat's body, and a serpent's tail. Image Credit: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/79/Chimera_%28PSF%29.jpg