Last weekend, we attended the opening reception for “interactivity: artists working technology, technologists working with art” at McLeod Residence, a new-ish art gallery in Belltown. Dipika and I managed to talk to the the team of uber-nerdy artists behind some of the works presented.
Quite a charming bunch. The Barbarian Group created some of the most sensational interactive-based campaigns from the last five years or so, such as Burger King’s infamous “Subservient Chicken”. You’d expect a bit of chest-beating from such high-profile designers, but not really. They talked about how they love working there, and talked amicably about each other. They were mostly quite laid-back and understated. The way we like people to be, in other words.
Of course, they didn’t have to brag much — their creation on display spoke for itself. The back-lit photographs of computer-generated organic/origami-like abstracts were stunning, frosty yet warm (the images were generated from electro-magnetic fields and processed through filters in Maya and some custom-made software used for CG simulations in movies). The mechanical butterflies (powered by magnets) were simply beautiful. The show-stopper, though, was the video-feedback installation in the bathroom called “McLeod mirror: see yourself in others” (above). The dresser-length “mirror” shows what the tiny web-cam style camera on top sees, with time-delay tricks so you are seeing yourself, juxtaposed with frames taken minutes/seconds ago of people who stood in front of the mirror before you.
Capitol Hill fabric master Maggie Orth also contributed interactive felt makings (lamps, color-changing tapestry), and there are all in all six artists/group featured in the show. It runs through September. Go see it! –AM
0 Responses to “Interactivity”