Please keep in mind that these pieces are not intended for use on the web, and the versions offered
here are excerpts with compromised image quality, frame rates, and sound quality
The works shown here were created using genetic software coded by the artist. The software system used is called GA1 and is described in a paper that was presented at the Generative Art Conference in Milan Italy in 2000. That paper is available in the academia section. The works are intended for installation using floor to ceiling projection and high fidelity sound.
Untitled ( worms )
(V031545) 60 minutes - 1999
In installation the video is projected on a full wall, and is carefully adjusted
to retain a very black background to obscure the video frame. This makes the various "worms" appear
to be wandering freely.
There are four groups of worms, and each group has a unique shared chromosome. The chromosome contains
genes which determine not only the color and style of the worms, but also the way they make sound, and
the way they move. For example, worms of one color make long strides, while others make tight circles,
and yet others make angular turns.
Each group has its own set of pitches, and the 4 groups of pitches have harmonic relationships. When the
worms are tightly bunched the timbres shift to more percussive sounds. Each worm moves and makes sound
independently while cycling through the visual score shown to the right.
Untitled ( blobs )
(V120645) 60 minutes - 1998
This video is also projected on a full wall, and is carefully adjusted to make
the "blobs" appear to be moving freely.
The three blobs have related chromosomes. Each chromosome contains genes which determine not only the color
and style of the blobs, but also the way they make sound, and the way they move.
The three blobs are at the tips of a rotating triangle. Each blob goes through a cycle of growing and shrinking,
moving towards the center as it does so. Because each blob executes a mutually prime number of cycles per
rotation (3, 4, and 5), the phase relationships result in the blobs appearing in various combinations relative
to each other.
Each blob also generates a genetically unique sound related to its growth using granular synthesis.
Untitled ( bubbles )
(V120542) 60 minutes - 1996 This video is also projected on a full wall, and is carefully adjusted to make the "bubbles" appear
to be moving freely.
There are two sets of bubbles, one set moving from top to bottom, and one set moving from bottom to top. As
a bubble enters the screen (i.e. the wall) it makes a unique sound where the pitch is related to the bubble's
color. There are 2 sets of pitches which are harmonically related. Colors closer to primary colors result
in a sound from one pitch set, and those closer to secondary colors result in a sound from the other pitch
set.
There is a color wheel that determines the three complementary colors used by a set of bubbles at any time.
Each bubble corresponds to one of three corners of a triangle slowly rotating within the color wheel. Bubbles
are randomly assigned a corner, but some corners are more heavily weighted than others. The bubbles are actually
slowly changing color due to rotation within the color wheel.
Bubbles are randomly assigned a right-to-left position as well as a velocity. Because the two sets of bubbles
have their own color wheels that rotate at a different speed, the varying phase relationships result in ever
changing color and harmony relationships.
Untitled ( bars )
(V110742) 60 minutes - 1996
Similar to the piece above, this video is designed to be projected on a full wall,
and the dynamics of this piece are driven by two out-of-phase rotating color wheels.
Various "bars" are randomly assigned left-to-right or right-to-left position, width, front-to-back position,
and color wheel triangle tip.
As given bars transition from primary to secondary color sound events are triggered from one of two harmonically
related pitch sets. One set of pitches correspond to primary colors, and the other to secondary colors.
