“Art Computer”- Hiroshi Kawano

Hiroshi Kawano (*1925) was a Japanese philosopher and a pioneer of computer arts.  I came across an essay of his at http://www.atariarchives.org/artist/sec33.php in which Kawano argues that computer arts are different than any other form of art. Specifically,  computer art is the only form art where the artist is non-human, the artist is a computer. Kawano doesn’t view the programmer’s role as an artist; rather he views the programmer as a kind of parent or teacher to the computer, who is the true artist.  He calls the computer that generates art, “the art Computer”. He thinks it isn’t important and that it is in fact detrimental for the programmer to have his or her own aesthetic tastes. He says that the programmer must maintain “a rigorous stoicism against beauty”. Instead, he believes that the programmer’s role is to discover the science of aesthetics and teach it the “art computer”.

“an ‘art computer’ cannot simulate a human art until the algorithm of art is found and described as a program.”

We Feel Fine- by Jonathon Harris

http://www.wefeelfine.org/

Jonathon Harris builds programs that creatively utilize the massive amounts of data available on the web. This particular program scans all the blogs across the web, looking for the phrase, “I feel” or “I am feeling”.  It then channels this data into a variety of possible visualizations, that effectively map how the web is “feeling” at any particular moment. It also includes data about where each particular feeling is coming from, like weather, gender and age.  The data is displayed dynamically, so that it interacts with the mouse. The user can also interface with the program by choosing different visualization options.

The resulting program is more playful than artistically moving. However, this project did open my mind to the possibility of using live data from the web and integrating it into a visualization.  In fact the API used to make this site is free online at http://www.wefeelfine.org/api.html.

The Jonny Cash Project – by Aaron Koblin

http://www.TheJohnnyCashProject.com/#/explore/TopRated

the Jonny Cash project is a collectively made music video that memorializes Jonny Cash. Each frame of the video is rotoscoped by a volunteer from the web.  The resulting video is an odd juxtaposition between the feeling of flowing video footage and unique hand drawn frames.  Each frame of the video was rotoscoped several times and the viewer can choose the genera of frames they want to see. For example you can choose to see only the “most realistic” or the “highest rated” rotoscoped version of each frame.

I like the idea of tapping into the potential for audience involvement that the web has to offer. There is an interesting parallel between physical and virtual projects that utilize some sort of participation.