Month: December 2017

CUNY – QCC – 2D Design Students GIF the Portrait for NET-ART.

CUNY QCC 2D Design Students “GIF the Portrait” for the NET-ART website.

One of the final projects in our foundation 2D design class here at CUNY QCC is a multi-fragmented modular project. It puts a display on the various skill sets acquired through out the semester. With the exception of turning the static exercises into motion graphics. The GIF the Portrait project is a public project that was created on one of my first tumblr blogs (you can view the tumblr archive here) a few years ago. It has grown and expanded over the last 3.5 years into a great ongoing diverse archive of animated GIFs. There are so many ways to put one’s own spin on things, especially in the “how”one may animate a portrait. In this context below, lets put an emphasis on starting with one.

How did we GIF this static Portrait of Pablo?

My QCC 2D design class indulged in the re-organization of a portrait project by using a headshot. The class selects one portrait (or 2 to create a hybrid image) and works with it as its subject. Like many of the previous classes before this one, the class chose none other than Mr. Picasso. Of course Picasso has great context with our foundation art course as his presence was strong in the technique of being one of the main creators of the collage technique, creating variations and constantly reinventing his work. The idea of using a portrait can easily be applied for other courses as it comes down to who inspires you and why? The project executes itself as a full class collaboration and online presentation. I am happy to share the student work and outcomes here on the Net Art website. This blog post serves as a tutorial and iteration for how you may get started participating. Are you an individual student or faculty member who wants to create your own version? Or perhaps you wish to use the project as a part of your up and coming class curriculum? I am happy to help answer questions and also facilitate the project if you wish. Get in touch.

What you see above is actually a stop motion animation consisting of 22 individual frames all sized at the same dimensions of 8.5″ X 11″. This part is important.

For the actual animation we used the ImgPlay app that is available here via iOS or Android

Its a great app that allows first time GIF makers or those interested in creating animations to get their feet wet! The app has several features and capabilities including output to both .gif and .mov video in small, medium and large file formats. This makes it easy to share the works on various web platforms and social media outlets.

Re-organizing the Composition and applying Variety – The steps:

Objectives: Re-organization of a representational image by generating a new series of non-representational variations.

Materials: X-acto knife, pair of scissors, glue sticks, multiple photo-copies of the image above. (You can play with lightness and darkness for print output if you wish to see more value contrasts in the animation.) If you are using an      X-acto knife rather than a scissors for cutting the photocopies, a self-healing cutting matte is recommended (if you have one, if not, cardboard works).

Size: Each new iteration should be sized at 8.5” X 11” for a smooth output.

 

Process:

1. Collect 5 or more of your photocopies.

2. Begin cutting and fragmenting the images into several pieces and parts by showing different shapes and form variations (see the image above).

3. Arrange and organize your pieces and parts by recomposing a diverse series of new compositions. Finalize the artworks by pasting down your pieces into place. You may work directly on one of the un-cut versions of the original image if it helps you keep with in the sizing format. The outcomes should be subjective and show variation in style and composition.

4. Gather all of the completed new works and lay them on top of each other. Photograph each completed artwork one at a time in the same position – remember keep them all at the same size (the viewfinder on a mobile device works very well!)

5. Download and open the ImgPlay app and add the images in the sequence that you would like to see. Toggle the animation speed and save your files – The App is available here via iOS or Android

6. Send your outcomes here! We would love to showcase your individual, class & student work in our growing archive of cross CUNY campus participants.

Enjoy.

All of My Memories are Becoming Electronic..

Electric CITY

2017, Digital Photography Manipulations & Mini Zine.

Electric City is the start of a series of digital photographs taken in NYC between the years of 1999–2004. The images have been re-photographed from screen shots taken from my damaged iMac computer purchased in 2002. The images above and in the zine below were taken this past week. The screen shots are printed, scanned and rephotographed with my iPhone 6 & 8. Over the years the failing LCD monitor on the apple machine began breaking down and generating a common glitch in this series of computers. I really love the effect and the ever changing range of vertical linear lines that appear and disappear each time the computer is turned on and off. The glitches are not static on screen. They twitter and vibrate and an animated GIF series will soon follow. How can it not.

There is something utterly poetic about capturing the awareness’s of our ongoing moments with a camera. Today, and for many years now, I take most of my pictures with my iPhone(s). An integration has happened by default. I haven’t yet challenged why I have bought into this idea so fluidly, but I shall. I see a metaphor in this process.

 

The Zine below is a single edition ephemeral example of the quickly fading photos albums we used to keep and cherish. No longer do we print photos out the way that we used to. The zine has been fabricated together only using a glue stick. It is not permanent by any means, it too will change. It too will loose its ability to adhere and stick together the way it once had known so well. Or so it thought.

Is there poetic sadness in this idea? I think not. Only the constant reminder of the evolution of time as we change and grow. Objects and things that we interact with become the metric system that we often share and discuss to feel connected again.

All of My Memories are Becoming Electronic..

 

Interface Metaphors

Interface Metaphors, 2017 – GIF – An Animated Metaphor

Day in and day out we are interacting with both software and hardware interfaces. Most of us don’t understand how they work, or care to, we just expect them to work, and work well on our command. Perhaps the overall concept behind what an interface is, is simply another metaphor? A spiritual metaphor about ourselves that we continuously overlook.

(I just saw your right eyebrow raise slightly as you read that).

An interface is a conduit! Just like we all are!

It is a connection point between two or more “things”. Of course in this context it is computers, smart phones or other pieces of electronic communication equipment. Hmmm, more metaphors?

An interface is a means of communication!

The word communication can be broken down to three interesting parts to further explore:

  1. Comm, as in Commune = group = sharing equally.

2. Uni, as in One = Oneness.

3. Ca-tion = “tion”, which is a suffix used to connect nouns.. CONNECT.

 

So an Interface can be understood as a: Shared Connection with Oneness…

 

Lets look at it this way, an interface connects a user (you) to your device (your computer or smartphone) and assimilates the source of interaction. The interaction itself is varied into infinite examples over time. Duration plays a role as it easily illustrates the evolution of how humans have used technologies to interact with, but perhaps there has always been a deeper meaning.

An interface is a partial solution to a desire(s) as it connects the user one step further along in what it may be seeking.

Interfaces are mobile, and have been for quite some time.

Interfaces are getting physically smaller and smaller yet they allow for us to do more and more.

Interfaces now allow for us to exist and participate in augmented and virtual realities of existing and expressing ourselves.

I made this animation above with three different interfaces (including my inner-self). Software interfaces like Adobe Photoshop allow a user to create with an infinite number of layers. Layer upon layer of fragmented content can be built as they sequentially create timelines of the users history to achieve its goal. Which is really the creation and transference of a mental image, series of feelings, emotions and sentiments into reality.

Much more to come on this.