Interactive Animation as Fine-Art

[PROMPT: USC MFA Animation Seminar for Fall 2013 focused on Animators who crossed-over to Fine-Art. Professor Christine Panushka introduced us to a wide range of success stories, from the seemingly untouchable heights of Ric Heitzman (of Pee Wee Herman fame) to the emerging Alison Schulnik, whose work (and being) temps you to touch. For the final assignment Panushka asked us to make Art inspired by a seminar speaker and/or their work.  I attended Jodie Mack's show at RedCat, as an extension to her lecture* at our Seminar. ]

Here's the comment I posted on the seminar blog about Jodie Mack's Lecture:

How much more proof do you need to write/animate what you know. Jodie Mack's anti-animated musical awesomeness is Jodie Mack. Thank you, Ms. Mack, for telling the tragic story of another mom (yours!) and pop business failing in the age of the internet. Dusty Stacks of Mom, the Poster Project is at once deep and whimsical. Jody sugar coats the hard reality of her mother's failing business, while celebrating her (and her obvious influence on Jodie's aesthetic sensibilities.) When not telling stories, Jodie Mack's abstractions may be better suited in an environment surrounding the audience, rather than on a single screen where staring at her rapid-fire images feels like its damaging my retina.

Viewing "Let Your Light Shine" through spectrum glasses gave me a rush. The effect of white lines animating across a black background, projected on a large movie screen in total darkness, alongside a theater full of the like-minded/sighted, was euphoric. I wondered if I could control the dosage of excitement by adapted it into an interactive installation.
This frame from Let Your Light Shine shows how spectrum glasses separate white light into its component colors. But the image does not fully represent the effect, as the color seems to fill the theater. This volumetric effect surpasses stereoscopic images (S3D) as it also extends past the edge of the screen.

During the winter break I used the lobby of the new Interactive Media Building as my studio, as I needed the extra room to whip a 15 ft. silk ribbon in front of my Body Scrub device.

Here's what I made:
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55 Powerful Symbols 

A Serious Tongue Lashing is a virtual funhouse mirror reflecting the world as the icons of religions and regimes, of the logos of capitalism and consumerism, and of symbols that mean-well or are just simply mean. 

User/participants can stop for a moment to see their reflection as they deconstruct the mechanics to understand the algorithms at play. 


Or they can  simply play by picking up the included whip made of two 15 ft. long x 4 in. wide heavy silk ribbons,  Slightly longer than the 12 ft. viewing-range of the device, swinging the whip will slowly push the user-participants out of the picture where they see the whip looks like the forked tongue of a snake. 

Closeup view next to full shot of user-participant as they move in and out of the viewing range

Compilation of video captured during development

A Serious Tongue Lashing was made with the Body Scrub device. 
Full credits and exhibition history can be found here.

Video recording from the security cameras in the lobby of the Interactive Media building of USC Cinema

The initial test for the title sequence Tongue Lashing:

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Dancer/Choreographer Stephen Hues sets the screen on fire with new experiments for Firebird Rising. His use of fabric to mimic fire motivated my use of silk ribbons in Tongue Lashing.

Special thanks to Marientina Gotsis for access to the Creative Media and Behavioral Health lab and its dancer-friendly floor.