Xref: utzoo alt.emusic:729 comp.sys.amiga:44569 comp.music:366 alt.cyberpunk:3098 rec.music.synth:10020
Newsgroups: alt.emusic,comp.sys.amiga,comp.music,alt.cyberpunk,rec.music.synth
Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!shadooby!csmil.umich.edu!root
From: root@csmil.umich.edu (Zurich Operator)
Subject: Re: Performance Art Project Appendum
Message-ID: <1989Nov28.230917.13157@csmil.umich.edu>
Reply-To: chymes@csmil.umich.edu (Charles Hymes)
Organization: The Cognitive Science and Machine Intelligence Laboratory
References: <1213@amethyst.math.arizona.edu>
Date: Tue, 28 Nov 89 23:09:17 GMT
--------------
To: hicksm@spock
Subject: Re: Performance Art Project
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga,alt.emusic,comp.music,rec.music.synth,alt.cyberpunk
In-Reply-To: <1211@amethyst.math.arizona.edu>
Organization: The Cognitive Science and Machine Intelligence Laboratory
Cc: 
Bcc: 
---------------
Well Ive done 2 performance art peices in L.A with the Amiga playing some part
in the peice.
The first peice I used the computer passively, it was mostly a prop, it
sat on a table, looking like a computer, with test only on the screen,
then as the peice progressed, it startd to show progressively more realistic
and complicated images on the display ( a vedio camera was progecting a 
close-up to the amiga on a screen) until it was showing full color digitized
imagry of death and mayhem on the screen. At the same time, it was producing 
sounds that progressed from AppleIIesque beeps and buzzes to Mars The God of 
War. This was just sort of a computerized allegory to what the rest of the 
actors were doing on the site. There was no interface really, just timeing.
The second peice had the computer in a more central role. I used the speech 
device and the say program, along with some ray traced pics of various mystical
and technological objects to present a kind of Faustian peice about some
wectched beast who had made some sort of un-natural union with a computer. I 
used a button on a long cord attached to the joystick port to control the 
action. The button was disguised and conneced to my body like a symbyotic 
organism, and I preformed in a round space, surrounded by the audience.
Both peices were well recieved, but the second peice was very striking, mostly
because the computer was displayed in a central role as is, not as a prop or
a controler, and yet it was doing things, "computers don't do". I made it
clear that the computer was talking and reacting, not some off-stage special
effects, and this added to the surreal aspect. The audience responed very well.
I would suggest that you dont hide your computers, but show them in a very 
novel role. People are used to music and imagry on computers, but when these
features are used to put the computer into an active role, it is unusual.
People expect computers to sell stuff, or merely react to input, not to
accuse a prerson of sacralige or torture someone for intercource with its
sister. Talking still takes them by suprise, especially when its apparently of
its own violition.
I have started thinking about mass input devices, where many people influence
one computer. One can make things like giant track balls or joysticks, or wire
a floor to act like a graphics tablet. The technical stuff is simple, and
can almost allways be obtained from local hackers.
I would like to be kept informed about your progect, as I have a strong 
interest in the use of computers as computers in art. I could give you more
detail about my peices if you are interested.
From: chymes@zug.csmil.umich.edu (Charles Hymes)
Path: zug.csmil.umich.edu!chymes


Charles Hymes

 


Brought to you by Super Global Mega Corp .com