Distilled "Word"

The word I chose is "control". The Idea came to me quiet naturally, I felt like it represented control, but I couldn't explain why. After I looked at it for a while, I realized that I was trying to represent 2 different types of control within one image by using 2 symbols. I wanted to represent the hand as a more aggressive and active type of control, while the eye is a more reflective, passive control.

Therese pointed out the hand because it seems to continue out of the frame does not create as much impact as I wanted it to. By centering it & closing the image It would create a stronger symbol. Also, the use of red in the eye makes it very aggressive which was not the main purpose of this part of the image.

When I think of control, I immediately think of "1984" or "The Matrix". Two stories representing control very negatively, I believe. So that is probably why the entire image came out to be more aggressive than I wanted it to be.

Futuristic Interface

This is the "futuristic" interface I handed in as a home assignment. I think it would be better if you take a look at it, before reading what my intentions about it were.

My concept was to represent a headgear device worn like glasses and headsets. The device blocks the natural vision of the user & transmits the information records by the device directly into the user eyes with the use of lasers. All sounds from the user surroundings are filtrated to diminish sound pollution; also some sounds can be deleted, while other amplified.

The device can also diffuse TV, radio and also journal and magazines articles. Since, this interface is directly sent on the user retina, each eye can observe at different content. For example, an article could be displayed in the right eye & a second article in the left one. The Device also give extra possibilities like zooming, reducing light refractions (on the snow for instance), calculating trajectories of objects in movement, also speed & distance of the object. Also the device can be linked to a terminal, where files can be downloaded or files recorded by the device can be modified, just like using a computer.

Finally, I added one of the Star Trek characters wearing a device similar to the one I wanted to represent. While my device should enhance the user capacities, the V.I.S.O.R (star-trek device) is used balance a eye malfunction of this crew member. Also, both those device can bring up the entire issue of dependence over machines & the modification of our reality through technology.

Also here is a previous interface I did that I discarded.

The concept was a part Biologic, part mechanic nano-sized device. It would be introduced inside a human body where a symbiotic relation would start. The symbiotic would warn his host whenever he is endangered physically as well as mentally. I also tried to place the "device" in the context of it's time (space exploration). I dismissed this work, because I had so much to say but so little to represent visually, since the "device" in progress would function inside the human body at nano-scale. I tried to make the 6 lasts shots look like a User's guide for the consumers who bought the product. The Bio-Remora (that’s how I called the product ^_^) was suppose to also improve the host heath, longevity and alimentation, because the Bio-Remora's health is linked to his host's health.

I wanted to bring up the issue of symbiosis with the machines.

|| Pause ||

In today's class, we worked on the word " pause". It's meanings, his functions, in which spaces can we see it etc. The work I did was 3 dimensional so I can't scan it.

So I will quickly describe it:
It was a piece of paper partially rolled up & taped to the rest of the page, so half of the page was attached to the other half by a piece of red tape. Also I continued the same line on both sides of the paper but with black tape, giving enphasis on the red part of that same line.

I tried to represent a material gap. Althought the paper was an entire structure the only thing holding it together was the thin rep tape. It created a tension & a sence of weight to the piece that 2d could not have achieved. The structure seemed quite fragile wich I belive represents well the state of pause.

I was unsatisfied by my 10 images of a futuristic human/computer interface. So, I will be working on it more extensively this week, since we have the permission to do so.

Human computer Intetaction Discussion

The 1st topic discussed in the text is the lack of originality in the futuristic representation of interfaces. The "operation Swordfish" is a good exemple, the hacker is operating a multi-screen (nothing new) computer. The hacking process is done in a 3d environment represented by cubes attaching to one another ... if hacking was as easy as it looked in the movie any one could do hack. The process representation is quite simplistic & was more intended to appeal visualy not mentaly. But this represents well the ongoing interest of our society for visually appealing products. Wich is in itself not a bad thing as long as content come with the contenant. For exemple the MAC laptop new design.

It seems that interfaces are getting more & more user-friedly, I guess that is why StarTrek episodes uses voice regonition on their ship. Althought many research are working toward that, we are far from the Startrek technology. Also, what has not been discussed or shown in any movie, at my knoledge, is the sight recognition. An interface capable of locating where the user is looking at & to open a file/folder, that would be quiet user-friendly & effortless.

A device that attracted my attention is the eye scanner in "Minority Report". It is used to greet clients getting in stores & also for security measures. This brings of course a personal privacy issue. If that device shall eve come into existence one day, I think it would be of great benifit to use in in public spaces since it is public, but no such device should be used in private spaces such as homes.

What I'v been familiar with because of my long standing roleplaying knowledge is the "Cyber Jack", a socket behind the skull alowing the user to connect any computer directly to his brain. Both movies "The Matrix" & "Johny Mnemonic" posses this concept both developed differently. Some researches with animal wetware are currently in progress.
http://www.fishandchips.uwa.edu.au/project.html
I seems kind of odd to think that the brain could speak to a computer & vice-versa, well both fondementaly work the same way with electric transmission.

The Final subject, I would like to approach is the use of transparency in the displays. On most of the interfaces shown the display used transparency.For Instance in "Minority Report", "Operation SwordFish", "The Matrix" & "The Matrix: Reloaded", "Forbidden Planet", "Star Wars", "StaTrekEnterprise", "The Time machine", "Total Recall" etc . I wounder why ? It is because there is so much information that the use of transparency is absolutly needed to see what is happening being the transparent objects or is it just used as a more visual appealing element. Also, the hologram in most representations is represented as transparent, with the only exeption of the StarTrek holodeck, wich in this case it can also create the illusion of being a real object enabling to interact with it.

Collage

Ok, I really liked the collage concept, I never used this method of creation before & I think it's quite interresting, for 2 main reasons:

1- It gives access to high quality pictures symbols
2- It brings the whole issue about copyrights & other people work's reapropriation.

Lets go directly to the works done in class

This is my Self-portrait, the television/technology represents well myself aswell as my generation. I used a lot of repetition in this work (BUY!, a big tv & a small one, 2 motions colling together, the "scrabble" like words), because the television is all about repetition: Publicity, similar shows often rebrroadcasted, news all the same on different channels.

The next one is my 32 greater than 12. I did this piece with a scientific & numerical concept in mind, by sometimes agreeing with sometimes not ( like my 0=1 ).

The last work done in class is my Monkey piece, my personal favorite. I simply took an article about darwin's theory of evolution, cut it into multiple pieces & rearanged them in a different way, with text upside down.

All the other works were done at home, here is the last one of the 1st serie "I want to fly". I seems quite empty, but that is what i wanted to represent, the lonelyness of the picture far away from healing (represented by a cross symbol).

Now, lets move to the emotional collages, the following is happyness. I tried to represent the girls desire throught drawing symbols of happyness, i noticed curves are often used to represent in a certain way happyness. But in this collage, hapyness is not necesseraly reached, its more somthing to person craves for. I scaned in black & white since i thought make the picture fit better with the rest of the montage.

Angry Collage. I mainly tried to represent the possible consequences of angryness, in this case violence, with the Nuclear Bomb, blood, Manson, explosions, etc. There are lots of cliche, I don't think it's really interresting.

Finally, that is the "hungry" piece. I like it's simplicity, 2 items a predator & a prey. Isn't what it is all about when we talk of hunger. Life eats life, herbivores plants, carnivores eat herbivores/carnivores. Also, the 2 images are so detailed that they speak for themselves.