Windfield No.1

UPDATED: 12/16/2023

…I wanted to do something a little different with this article. I’ve decided to turn it into a “living” article post, continuously updating it details of my process as I design and construct a sculpture. Come January 2024, the sculpture will be installed at Creative Pinellas…

Link to the original post on Creative Pinellas

code repository for this artwork

Intro

This year, I had the privilege of receiving a professional artist grant from Creative Pinellas. I was also honored to be named their artist laureate. As a grant recipient, I’ve been given the opportunity to contribute articles to the Creative Pinellas website, where I can share my passion and knowledge of new media art and technology, specifically in the realm of computational design and the creative use of code. You can find a list of the articles I’ve written on my profile page here.

My exploration has taken me deep into the world of algorithmic art and the significance of grids in art, nature, and design. I’ve also delved into my personal artistic journey, where I utilize code as a medium for creativity. In previous posts, I’ve discussed how these techniques come together to create intricate systems, as seen in my three-part series on the intersection of art, computers, and systems. Building on that foundation, this post aims to unite all these ideas by describing my process of creating a wind-driven sculpture that embodies the concepts explored in my previous articles.

But I wanted to do something a little different with this post. I’ve decided to turn it into a “living” blog post, continuously updating the details of my process as I design and construct a sculpture. Come January 2024, the sculpture will be installed at Creative Pinellas. My aim is to capture and transform real-time wind data from the gallery’s surroundings into a visual and sonic experience. The sculpture aims to capture a delicate, poetic, and contemplative essence, forging a connection between the gallery space and nearby nature.

In this article, I will explore my creative process, delving into the challenges of crafting something intriguing and functional while adhering to tight time and budget constraints. By sharing this piece, my intention is to provide a glimpse into this process, revealing both the setbacks and successes of this project.

Concept

One of my profound interests lies in our perpetual integration with nature as a living system. Specifically, I am captivated by how the built environment can authentically embody the essence of natural phenomena. As an artist, I find great fascination in portraying forces and phenomena through captivating motion design. As an artist I’m interested creating sculptures that come alive through data-driven processes, connecting them back to their living origins.

Ent “Windfield No.1,” I have envisioned a large data-sculpture to serve as the focal point of my upcoming solo exhibition at The Gallery at Creative Pinellas in January 2024. The overarching concept for this exhibition, aptly named Nature Pix, delves into the intriguing notion of pixelation. It seeks to explore not only the literal sense of dividing the natural world into neatly arranged units, much like their constructed counterparts, but also offers a critical perspective on this inherent human tendency.

By artfully employing a grid-like layout, both visually and conceptually, I aim to evoke a profound connection between the individual pieces in the exhibit. Each artwork will serve as a highly abstracted expression of nature, meticulously crafted to convey a sense of conformity, juxtaposed against the boundless free-form expression of the natural world.