The creative interface: connecting art and computer science | Cole Wiley | TEDxLSU

Summary

The speaker, with a background in sculpture and computer science, shares their journey of blending these fields to create new media art and interactive installations. They discuss their first project, 'Riverless Walk,' which allowed exploration of the Chicago Riverwalk through various mediums, integrating traditional art forms with technology. The speaker's work in human-computer interaction and natural user interfaces led to a software job at a startup, Kenobi, developing an innovative app for real-time kinesthetic activity feedback. They encourage finding connections between unrelated interests, as these can lead to unexpected and rewarding outcomes.

Takeaways

• 🎨 The speaker has a background in both sculpture and computer science, and found success by integrating these fields.
• 🤝 Professors played a crucial role in encouraging the blending of computer science and art, leading to the creation of new media art and interactive installations.
• 🚀 The speaker's first interactive piece, 'Allies', was a pivotal project that taught them more about creating a minimum viable product and software than any computer science class.
• 💡 A 'eureka moment' during a critique session led to the realization that the practices in software development, like the two-week agile development cycle, mirrored those in art.
• 🗣 The speaker emphasizes that 'art' is a verb, representing the act of creating, rather than the static pieces found in galleries or museums.
• 🌊 The project 'Riverless Walk' was an extensive installation that allowed exploration of the Chicago Riverwalk through interactive and traditional media.
• 🖼️ The use of black and white photography in 'Riverless Walk' served as an accessible entry point for viewers to understand the subject matter before moving to more abstract elements.
• ✂️ 3D printed sculptures were created using a depth extruder algorithm that translated pixel brightness into 3D space, drawing from landscape painting techniques.
• 🏙️ The interactive installation space in 'Riverless Walk' used a rotating projector to map physical movements to a virtual space, creating a dynamic experience.
• 💻 The speaker's experience with interactive art and natural user interfaces led to a job opportunity at a startup, showcasing the practical applications of their artistic and technical skills.
• 🌱 The speaker encourages finding connections between seemingly unrelated aspects of one's life, as these intersections can lead to innovation and personal growth.

Q & A

What was the speaker's initial struggle before combining sculpture and computer science?

The speaker initially struggled to make real strides in sculpture and computer science until they started mixing the two disciplines.

What did the speaker learn from creating their first interactive piece called 'Allies'?

Creating 'Allies' taught the speaker more about creating a minimum viable product and software than any computer science class they had taken.

What does the speaker mean when they say 'art is a verb'?

The speaker means that art is the act of creating, not the finished piece displayed in a gallery or museum.

How does the speaker relate the two-week cycles in software development to art?

The speaker relates the two-week cycles in software development, known as agile development, to the bi-weekly critiques in art, suggesting both fields benefit from regular cycles of goal setting and evaluation.

What was the concept behind the speaker's installation 'Riverless Walk'?

The concept of 'Riverless Walk' was to allow people to explore the architecture of the Chicago Riverwalk through three different mediums: an interactive installation, traditional media, and black and white photography.

How does the speaker use technology in their artwork?

The speaker uses technology by creating 3D sculptures from photographs using a depth extruder algorithm and integrating interactive elements that respond to physical movement.

What is the significance of the depth extruder algorithm in the speaker's work?

The depth extruder algorithm is significant as it transforms 2D photographs into 3D space based on pixel brightness, allowing the creation of sculptures and interactive installation elements.

How does the speaker's interactive installation 'Riverless Walk' translate physical actions into virtual interactions?

In 'Riverless Walk', physical actions like walking and moving are mapped to virtual interactions, affecting the viewer's navigation through an abstract representation of a physical space.

What was the speaker's goal for the interactive portion of 'Riverless Walk'?

The speaker's goal was to move viewers past instant gratification to a deeper engagement where they understand how their physical presence affects the artwork and can then focus on the content and interactions.

How did the speaker's experience with 'Riverless Walk' lead to their first software job?

The speaker's experience with designing natural user interfaces in 'Riverless Walk' led to a job offer from a startup that needed a developer familiar with cutting-edge technology.

What was the concept of the web app developed by the company Kenobi?

The web app developed by Kenobi allowed users to get real-time feedback for learning kinesthetic activities by overlaying their skeletal data with an instructor's, to correct posture and prevent bad muscle memory.