During lunch Amos Mann performed "ring", a silent performance that connected the magic of illusion with the concentration of experiment. Using the basic tools of newspaper and glue stick Amos turned moebus strips into fluid flexible and unpredictable shapes. (two circles make a square!)
Mike Paulin also used the lunch break to demonstrate another form of magic: robots formed from a toothbrush and cellphone. Dancing their miniature way across the floor the robots gave a literal meaning to the notion of animation.
The next group of presentors engaged the process of making. Dunedin artist Nicola Gibbons discussed her painting practice and the influences of health and medicine on the formal aspects of the surface she creates. Her works oscillate between the marco and micro, cells could be the mooon; the surface of jupiter could be blood within a kidney. Nicola's work suggested that abstraction is a way of knowing. Nicola also introduced the connections she has been making with the Otago Science Festival.
Andrew Last from Jewellery at the School of Art, talked through the complex process of a commission for Octa associates. Initially a direct relationships between on screen imaging and off screen moulding seemed straightforward. After pouring over eleven moulds for a silver 'goblet' based on the digital design, two have been successful. In unpacking the process Andrew highlighted the role that materiality actively plays in the generative process of form. It was a reminder for me that digital materiality holds its own characteristics that do not always translate.
Stu Smith from ARL (Animation Research Limited) was similarly translating ideas from a commercial brief into a visual form. Working on a brief for added information visuals for television coverage of Formula One races, Stu has been attempting to make visual the sensation and feel of the race car. This initially took the form of mapping the G-forces as the car went round and round and round the digital track I couldn't help but feel the forces of movement, however the arrows telling me of it seemed unconvincing. When Stu re-worked the brief to focus on accelleration and braking suddenly the image came to life. Red and green are such clear indicators of momentum, and together with the speeding car visual sensation translated into felt and experienced momentum.
Peter Batson from Deep Ocean Quest Productions has the tools to visualise things that cannot be seen, and that have only been experienced by a very few. Using some of the world's most sophisticated deep sea devices Peter is capturing footage of creatures that maybe mimic those of our imagination, or at least occupy the worlds of Jules Verne. Peter presented some maps of the earth that shifted the idea of a blue planet to that of a black planet where ability to see is limited to our terrestial existence. Although google earth gives us the illusion that there is nothing left to explore, Peter showed that we can only see the thinnest slice of the universe.
Chris Ebbert from Design at Otago Polytechnic showed that computer programmes do not always beahve predicitabily, and demonstrated his explorations of car modelling that involve letting the computer take over some of the 'decision-making' processes. By accepting the conclusions that the computer has come to, Chris showed that the process of making sense is not only a human characteristic. His dream is to generate virtual cars that may be available for purchase in virtual environments such as Second Life.
