I m obsessed with making art work through programming. That means, not a single pixel is drawn by hand, everything is accomplished by programming which gives result in the form of visuals. I love the colors,the forms, the tremendous aesthetic pleasure which images bring to the heart of the observer. Being from an engineering background, I want to channelize my existing skills in merging the fields of art and code.
I m currently using some open-source applications to fulfill my desires of producing images through use of code.
Industrial Design happens to be field explored by homo‐sapiens to make their llives more comfortable and objects which they use more functional, efficient, ergonomically sound and of course aesthetically appealing. This is a field where human with various expertise ( viz. science, art, engineering, design, sociology, etc) come together for a common sake of fellow human beings. The visual, inspired by Ouroboros, represents the cyclic and non‐extinguishable relationship between human and various forms of learning. Human acquire some knowledge, put it to application for their benefit and then acquire more knowledge. This continues as a never ending process. I have basically worked with 2 colors – 1) Shade of BROWN ‐ to depict human beings 2) Shade of Green – to depict the green revolution in contemporary times and the shift in mindset towards the eco‐friendly and sustainable designs.
This installation was accomplished using webcams,projectors,and LDRs. The motion was detected using LDRs and then drawing projections were made corresponding to the motion, on the canvas. The drawings are made in flash and represent Goan architecture. The softwares used are Flash and Visual Basic.
We are having a course named CRAFTS. In this course we r expected to have a "hands on experience" of various materials.We were required to select different materials and then explore them. I chose fabrics.I was assigned to make a cricket bat for children using fabrics. I tried many fabrics,many methods. In the process I learned BRAIDING technique from Mr. Vivekanad, (M.Des. from IDC, IIT B ).
The process left me with bruised fingers and hands, but the end result was pleasant. After braiding, I cross-stitched 9-columns of the twisted-cotton fabric. I also put a bamboo stick running through the handle into the body to give it strength.
I got a chance to participate in an international workshop organized by IDC, IIT Mumbai. It was titled "In a Planet of our own", dated 3,4,5 November,2009. Entry was through competition in which participants were required to design anything in a circle of diameter 1200 px.
Following was my entry-
Here's a small explanation of what I designed -
I have tried to depict the concept of Sustainability through the chinese symbol of Yin-Yan.Yin-Yan is the symbol of balance between the positive and negative energies in the cosmos. Nature also works on this principle. The destructive processes are counter balanced by perpetual creative processes.But nowadays, due to humans’ indiscriminate use of resources and everincreasing exploitation of Nature, the balance is disturbed. The malignity of human acts is overshadowing the purity of Nature. In such a scenario, Mother Nature can do nothing, but to regret of her own fate and helplessly see her own sons, exploiting her.
In the workshop we were divided in groups dealing with sustainability issues in different areas-
Trash and Consequences Principles
Water and Sustainability
Sustainability and Indigenous Cultures
Sustainable packaging
Innovation and Sustainability
Materials and Sustainability
Sustainability Principles
Product Sustainability
I was in the group " Product Sustainability".
We had to come up with a product/presentation at the end of day 3. We had to deal with the sustainability issues of food. I worked on the redesign of "Gujia", a sweet/food prepared during the festival of HOLI. I prepared a poster to be dispalyed -
The process of making this animation was an interesting one.
I wanted my experimental animation to contain different techniques of representation. I used stills, video, artificially generated scenes etc.
I m posting content which are intended to reflect the process of its making.
I did some photoshop editing for this purpose-
My animation contained stop-motion content also. I captured these frames using NIKON D60 DSLR camera.
TheBLUE andRED "elements" which I used to represent 0 and 1 bits or metaphorically Hindi and English, were actually thermocole balls, colored with acrylic color.
The paths which these balls traverse is actually a transparent plastic pipe. I suspended the balls in water, and sucked them ( with my mouth ) to make them move.
The raw videos are posted below. I used Adobe Premier Pro for editing these videoes -
The video of zoomed "English" & "Hindi" -
Following is a edited clip which I used in my Experimental animation-
Following are two clips. One is raw (original), the other edited.
I had decided the structure. I had decided what it will do.Now the challenge was completion of the task. The greatest hurdle was the motion of the platform in the vertical axis. I tried to do this motion by following how a piston work i.e. transforming circular motion to linear motion.
The making of the piston mechanism was an iterative process. Subsequently, I realized that it needed acute precision which was becoming hard for me to achieve. So I devised another method to do this. I used a screw attached to the motor axis. As the screw rotated, the nut attached to it moved up/down (depending on the direction of rotation). THIS WORKED !
The MDF boxes, of which the structures of the installation were made of, were made using Laser Cutting machine, by me. The screenshot of the corel file used is as follows-
Following are some snaps of the mess created when Laser Cutting was in process.
I had a little stablity in concepts but explorations ceased to cease. It was clear at that stage that I was going to do something with magnets and iron-dust. But, the question was WHAT? There were a lot of ideas storming my mind. But obviously, I had to fix on one.
I made an interesting exploration. The basis of my installation was the fact that the particles of iron-dust become magnetized when a magnet was brought near them. Each particle magnetized in turn, hence resulting in a structure in 3D space. I was of the view that if the particles are given some sort of support, so they will not fall under their own weight, and therefore can result in a larger structure. I thought of achieving this by use of some viscous fluid. I did the following experiment, trying to achieve a structure of iron-dust in the cylindrical tube when magnets were applied at both the ends.
This, however did not worked out !
I also tried to used electromagnets. With them, I tried to generate different shapes by changing the shape of the solenoid, This too did not worked well, as I realized that iron-dust magnetized along the magnetic lines of flux and not on the body of the solenoid.
As the installations were to be transported from Ahmedabad to Goa, it needed adequate packaging to survive the journey. My installations were "bubble-wrapped" with their corners protected with jute,card-board.
The installation largely depended on electronic components for its functionality. Broadly speaking, the installation had two aspects-
1) Act as a piece of art, aesthetically sound
2) Interactive, capable of providing people with a engaging experience
The functionality was as follows-
Proximity of an observer was detected through Passive Infrared Sensor ( PIR, incorporating an Fresnels lens and a motion detecting IC )
PIR sent a signal which was received by the IC ( made by me)
The IC in turn triggered a DC motor ( 100 rpm ) to rotate.
A limit switch was incorporated to limit the height of the platform housing another "motor-magnet" setup.
The limit switch triggered a signal, which caused the DC motor to stop rotating.
At this point, the stepper-motor,kept on the platform started rotating, in pre-programmed fashion.
In case, no-motion was detected for some pre-defined time, the PIR resets, sending a signal.
Receiving this signal, the IC made the stepper-motor to stop.
Then the DC motor starts rotating in the reverse direction, hence the platform came down.
Another limit switch at this point is used to limit the minimum height of the platform.
A AC-->DC (12 V , 1.5 A) adapter was used to supply power.
Initially there were a lot of ideas storming in my mind. The challenge at that point was to effectively present my idea to the concerned person so that it gets conveyed in its full form. My software skills helped a lot in it. I used Google SketchUp for quick 3D prototyping of my ideas and Adobe Flash for animating my concepts / presentations.
Listed below are some of my initial ideas-
1). I wanted to make an installation at the main entrance, which consisted of an array of bars ( of hight more than ~11 feet). These bars will rotate ( 180 degree rotation in y-axis )as a person crosses in front of it. These bars will have some print on the back side of it ( may be some branding for IIJS ). On rotation the print on the back will be revealed.
2). I wanted to do something with water. As the site had a beach just in its back-compound, I thought an installation with water will more connect to the environment. Since, the event was of jewellery, I felt a shape of some gem will complete the picture. So, I decided of having pipes, in polygonal shapes, in horizontal axis. Jets of water, will fire from these, thus making the shape of a diamond.
3). Another concept, which I put forward for the main entrance was of having interactive moving arcs. The installation will consist of circle, with a few arcs concealing a text ( possibly, IIJS Welcomes You). As people will approach it, those arcs will start rotating, revealing the message.
4). Yet another installation for the main entrance was - the installation will be height more than ~11 feet. It would have a structure in the shape of a wave ( as suited to the location of the site in Goa). It would have a series of panels, made up of some reflective material. When a person will move across it, his/her motion will be sensed. The panels will rotate in response to his/her motion, subsequently revealing some message printed at the back side of the panel. Motion could be detected through some webcam or some Infrared/Laser sensor.
5). I had many ideas of engaging visitors by installations on ground. I wished to do something aerial. I came with a concept which had a shade kind of structure, starting from the main entrance of the campus and going all through to the entrance of the building. It may have some hanging elements which react to motion of people. To the least, it will act as a shade for the visitors.
6). As the sites location,Goa, is synonymous to water and enjoyment, I wanted to do something with water in my installation. This was another concept. I proposed a setup which will have a device in the base, to produce vibrations. When some visitor approaches it, it will produce vibrations, and liquid in the transparent confinement will make forms, due to the vibrations. Some wordings can also be formed with transparent structure ( IIJS ).
7). I wanted to make a clock with water jets. There would be 3 jets of water. Initially I thought of having colored water, but then it would not have been possible to prevent these colored water from mixing in each other. So I though of artificially coloring them with some light source, placed at the point of their emission. The motion of these jets would be controlled by some IC / mechanism. Hence, the hands of a DIAL of a clock could be replicated.
8). This installation was interesting in the way people perceive it. When looked from a distance, it would look as jumbled up / random arrangement of "crescent" shapes. When viewed from top, it would form a complete disc, thus revealing some message printed on it, or just some colors.
9). Following was a proposal for a indoor cafeteria which the exhibition at the site hosted. I proposed to make it interactive. Since, it was a Business-to-Business event, people come there for social / business networking. My installation was aimed at being a sort of ice-breaker for a conversation to start. When somebody occupied a table, that table will be highlighted with some interaction on the floor. When somebody else occupied some other table, that table also highlighted, and these two tables connected to each other, with interaction on the floor.Thus people may feel amused, engaged and may get a reason to talk to strangers.
As I was exploring the shape of the installation, I was also keeping in mind the "space" and "nature" of the site where I was going to have my installation. A significant point which the space had was that it was equally divided into 16 squares. There were embedded lights at the points of grids formed in the site. This gave us the opportunity to use the native electricity network there ( which supplied power to the embedded lights ). Hence, the headache of concealing wires in the site, which will be required to supply power to my installation, could be avoided. In the first visit to the site, I took measurements of the site. This helped me when I came back to NID, to prototyping the patterns of arrangement.
I used Google SketchUp to do my 3D prototyping. This saved me a lot of time and also saved a lot of material which could have been waste in the process.
Once we fixed upon the basic concept of what the installation will do ( for the interactivity part ) we tried to explore various shapes which the installation could have. We used thermocol to explore different patterns by arranging blocks cut in it. It was 4 inch thick thermocol.
National Institute of design has a fantastic provision of "open electives" in which students are open to choose ANY of the modules offered irrespective of their streams of studies.
My open elective was Objects of Desire:Writing instruments. We were given the brief to design a fountain pen, adhering to some theme, which has some characteristics to elevate its market value( in simple terms, increase its cost ). This characteristic could be its genuineness, uniqueness,handwork,concept... etc. I made a fountain pen out of rosewood. It was a nice experience working in the workshops. I made the carvings with hand,searched the entire market for a few days for just a small green colored bead... which i did not got till end ! My theme was INDIAN OCEAN. The characteristics which I tried to hightlight through my pen are as follows-
1. Indian ocean is the 3rd largest ocean. 2. It is the only ocean named after a country. 3. It is the only ocean with green waters. 4. The ocean has plenty of CORALs and splendid life forms.
I initially wanted to show the above stated characteristics in acrylic, but found that it was not feasible to work with acrylic for 3 reasons-
It was costly
I wanted to drill an acrylic rod to make a hollow cylinder, but that was supposed to render it opaque ( if not done some post-process)
Limited time of one week
Another option was softwood, which was easily available in the workshop; but then I stumbled upon rosewood. It looked much richer in quality than its counterpart and I had to make a pen that looks expensive.So I decided to go for rosewood.
Interpretations that can be drawn-
The carvings represented CORALs
The liquid represents ocean.
Green liquid represents green color of Indian Ocean.
"Rudraksh" on the Clip stand for India.
The carving are 3 in number, which stand for " 3rd largest"
his was my final project for Semester 1 of New Media Design at National Institute of Design,Ahmedabad.
In this task we were expected to move away from conventional animation and explore the territories of experimental animation. We were required to work on the concept of HINGLISH i.e. Hindi + English.
My take on HINGLISH was that we basically listen sounds of various kind.It is our surrounding, upbringing, education etc which coins words out of sound. I took the metaphor of - 0 & 1 , i.e. bits used in computer to represent my view.
I tried to show that 0 & 1, the bits, have no individual identity in themselves. A collection of the same, such as "010" means nothing till somebody has the knowledge to interpret that it represents "2" in Decimal notaion. This knowledge is acquired by education.
In a similar fashion, our environ is filled with a multitude of sounds. It is our "surrounding, upbringing, education etc" which make us identify word from those sounds... words which are part of the languages which we know.
Another example- Assume a song being played in a digital speaker. The speaker does not understand the song, for it, the song is just a collection of signals ( analog/digital ). But when we hear it, we can figure out words from these mere signals.
My experimental animation file( .swf ) can be downloaded from the following link -
I just love ActionScript. For almost one year, I had been using it to produce games( Flash Games, to be played on web) and interactive websites/ presentations . Slowly, my interest shifted to produce artwork using this magnificent tool. I coded this small generator, obviously not of pro quality, as my first step into this field. Using it, I generated some nice looking patterns.
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