Micro Project 2: Open Source Artwork (Bridgel, Viena, Clarita, Ling Ern)

For this micro project, we created our open source artwork using Processing which is an open source software!

We appropriated a code from an open source website (https://www.openprocessing.org/sketch/168432) which allows us to input images and text, and it will use the text to re-create the image.

To source the image and text, we used different social media and communication platforms. So the images were sourced by crowd sourcing on Instagram, and the texts were sourced by asking friends on messaging platforms (Whatsapp and Telegram).

And here are the results of the photos from people on Instagram:

So when we randomly input someone else’s chosen text along with a photo someone else has contributed, the resulting image is an artwork which has been collectively created by the 2 people!

Photo from King, text from Darryl

Photo from Xinyi, text from Andree

These platforms encourage communication between us and our friends/audience and it is really easy for people to contribute to this piece. As the artists we took a step back and all we did was use the platform (Processing) which was obtained from open source and we “gave” it to the audience as a platform to show their chosen/contributed pieces.

Week 3 Sketch

Tutorial: https://maker.pro/arduino/projects/touch-controlled-light-using-arduino

By: Bridgel, Viena, Clarita, Ling Ern

Research Critique: Open Source Studio

The open source system is a godsend for many artists and designers, keeping us in the loop on methods and topics that other creatives are touching on as well as helping us draw inspiration from the works of others. A misconception that many creatives have which pressurises them is that creativity is all about creating something that’s all new and never been done before. In reality a huge part of being creative is also about taking existing ideas and seeing them in different contexts and combinations. By exposing us to a plethora of concepts and ideas done by other creatives, the open source system also aids in our own creative inspiration.

Pinterest logo over home page, obtained from pinterest.com

However, as a human race our relationship with the Internet is a young one which dates back only 2-3 decades. Packer describes open source as “a quasi-utopian form of peer production”. As the term “quasi-utopian” suggests, there are cons to the open source system and one example is the lack of credit or outright stealing of artworks or collaterals. The imageboard Pinterest is an example of a widely used open source software and while it makes for easy sharing and compiling of images, there are numerous cases of people merely citing “Pinterest” as the image source rather than the actual artist or designer. While Packer states that artists must commit to releasing their art “not necessarily for profit, but for the common good”, how can we expect the general public to treat art with respect and dignity if we allow it to be manhandled like this? We definitely have a lot of learning to do as a internet explorers before we can fully utilise open source software to its best.

“Pinterest didn’t make that”, created by Eleven Gables

Video Double

Ever since I was in JC, my secret fantasy was to become a youtuber because I wanted to be famous for doing nothing. People are always crticising youtubers for having content that is too mundane and don’t understand why the audience would want to watch videos of them just doing everyday things. This video is my response to these people: what do you really want to see in a video?