Day: November 21, 2017

4D Final Project: Evocative Objects- Can you hear your image?

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CAN YOU HEAR YOUR IMAGE?

By Qian Yin, Rui Meng and Joey.

1st Part: Concept

For this interactive installation, we aim to target people’s attention towards what they are wearing. This is because it has been officially proven that many Singaporeans are not mindful about their dress codes whenever they go, leading to improper dressing a lot of times. It is to be noted that we are not stereotyping anyone, nor are we discriminating against people who are wearing a certain type of attire. This project only aims to remind people to pay attention to how they look to other people, and what image they give off to them. Furthermore, we narrowed down our analysis towards very generic physical appearances such as spectacles, hairstyles and types of shoes.

The point of this project is to remind people about what they are wearing, and for them to reflect about how they want to portray themselves to others. Ways of dressing and outfitting is important because when done deliberately, it can potentially spell out our personalities and individuality. This is because what we wear essentially reflects our own styles most of the time. While it should be noted that this may not be an accurate description of oneself nor stereotyping, this analysis of one’s portrayal is simply an impression others may have on the targeted audience.

While seemingly superficial, it cannot be denied that in many parts of society, people are concerned about appearances, be it at work, school or socializing. A reminder is that this project does not aim to make anyone feel good or bad. Rather, it is simply to act as a catalyst for people to be attentive to what they are wearing.

Description and Equipment needed

2nd Part: Equipment and Setup

We will be needing an array of equipment. The following equipments are;

  1. 2 Speakers
  2. 4 Cameras
  3. 1 Motion Sensor
  4. 1 Music Player
  5. 1 Screen
  6. 4 Projectors

The speakers will be situated at the top of the entrance, beside either sides of the door.

The cameras will be situated at the following areas:

  1. One facing outside school at the entrance
  2. One facing inside school at the entrance (Back to back with 1)
  3. Two cameras facing towards the entrance, one on each side.

The motion sensor will be situated at the side of the door.

A music player will be attached and linked to the cameras.

A screen will be hung in front of the stairway on the 1st floor, while the 4 projectors can either be hung up on the wall, or on the ceiling.

Set-up and Walkthrough

Projector placement

First, the targeted audience will walk into ADM via the main Glass door entrance. The movement will trigger the motion sensor, which will send signals to the cameras. The cameras will subsequently capture the audience in 4 perspectives, ideally emulating a 360 degrees view. The targeted audience’s frontal, back, and side view will be captured by the 4 cameras respectively. Upon capturing the target’s appearances, it will then trigger off the music player, which will select the appropriate track matching the person’s attire. The speakers will then blare the music selected, while the person walking in will be able to see himself or herself captured on the screen, and on the floor. The screen will be displaying his or her frontal view, while the floor will be depicting a large projection (emulated by 3 projectors) displaying the person’s left profile, backview and right profile from left to right respectively. This gives the impression of both a grand entrance and 360 degree mirror. The attention the person receives from the giant projections and loud music will make him or herself more self conscious, eventually taking closer look at their own appearances.

 

3rd Part: Identifying types and accompanying soundtracks

We decided not to complicate things too much. Hence, we started out with 8 different types of outfit, and did research about what kind of personalities they would usually emulate. Then, we paired a mini soundtrack to each appearance to match the atmosphere the people give when they stalk in. It is to note that this is merely an example, and that it may not entirely agree with your taste buds. After all, we do not have professional surveys and research undertaken. Should this project be pulled on to a larger scale, more variety of appearances and music should be researched.

First, we have someone with glasses with covered shoes and long hair. The impression given is usually someone who is clever, smart and disciplined. The soundtrack we have selected is Star Wars’ Imperial March.

Next, we have someone with Glasses with covered shoes and short hair. This person usually emulates qualities of being quiet and reserved. The soundtrack we have selected is Harry Potter’s Theme Song.

For someone with no glasses, covered shoes and long hair, we associate qualities of being outgoing, jubilant and cocky with them. The music we paired with these qualities is Ouverture by Carmen.

Someone who has no glasses, covered shoes and short hair is usually adventurous and humorous. Hence, we used the Pirates of the Carribean theme song to portray this.

We identify someone with glasses with non-covered shoes and long hair with being not very sociable yet easy-going at the same time. They are also usually gentle and soft. We decided to go with Studio Ghibli’s Kiki’s Delivery Service’s song; If I’ve Been Enveloped by Tenderness.

Someone who has no glasses with non-covered shoes and long hair are usually more sociable and easy-going. We paired the Tom and Jerry Theme Song with these qualities.

On the other hand, someone with glasses with non-covered shoes and short hair are identified as being determined and firm. We paired the German Song, Guren no Yumiya with it.

Finally, someone who has no glasses, non-covered shoes and short hair is usually sporty and loud. We paired this up with the song Jump Up, Super Start! By Super Mario.

To conclude, paying attention to what we wear is usually something that has been taken for granted a lot of times. Little do people realize how much self-image and appearances matter to our society, especially these days. Hence, we want to bring attention to how impressions are important in socializing with others.

 

Note Improvements that could be made:

  1. Use actual mirrors instead- more personal touch.
  2. Let people select their own music and play it, while the one the camera identifies also play its own music. Compare differences.

Final Project: Rube Goldberg system

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For this project, we were required to make a Rube Goldberg system based off the most significant scene in a narrative that we picked. I selected The Picture of Dorian Gray, a classic by Oscar Wilde.

The Story of Dorian Gray:

It is a story where a painter painted a portrait of the beautiful Dorian Gray, who later meets an aristocrat with a hedonistic worldview. He declares that beauty is everything in this world, yet is not immortal. Dorian Gray truly admired this perspective, and sought to sell his soul to the devil. In exchange, he would be able to commit any sin for eons without his appearance changing at all. Instead, the portrait which he keeps locked up in his own privacy will age and fade in his stead. After committing a lot of sins, Dorian Gray decided to repent and do charity in an effort to make the portrait revert some of its ugliness. However, the portrait only becomes uglier and it is at this where Dorian realizes that wanting to make up for his sins was another way of his vanity and curiosity. In order to end things, he decided to stab the portrait once and for all. In the end, the portrait transfers its age and ugliness onto the real Dorian Gray, while reverting back to its previous, flawless beauty. Dorian Gray then dies on the spot.

Rube Goldberg System Video:

There are two sides of this project, separated by the Acrylic piece. The first side represents the Portrait, while the second side represents Dorian Gray.

The Portrait Side:

The Portrait is represented by the white marble. It is white because it was still pure and beautiful until tainted by Dorian Gray.

First, the structure starts off with books. Leather-bound, but faded. Books portraying good qualities too (Diligence). This represents the aristocrat Dorian once was, which was also expressed in the painting. It is faded and tattered, because it is already beginning to be tainted by Dorian’s sins (reflected on the portrait as a result).

Next, the foam stairs. It is the descending of the portrait into ugliness and sin, based on what Dorian has done. The material Foam in a sense is tough yet malleable at the same time, which shows that it can be molded and shifted based on the amount of force exerted, in this case Dorian’s sins. Hence, it ‘melts’ or ‘sinks’ lower and lower. Each “step” is a representation of each major sin committed by Dorian; selling his soul to the devil, hurting people and finally, committing and triggering multiple murders and deaths.

The cup represents how the portrait is overloading with sin and ugliness. It spills over, unable to withstand the quantity of the sins. This is also when Dorian Gray wants to end everything soon.

Then, the Wood Trial. Wood has multiple meanings to it. According to the Bible, one of the first times we see wood is when man is committing sin and making all people born sinners. Then, we see wood being used to save man in the Great Flood. The Ark of the Covenant was also made in the desert as Moses was instructed. In it was the law. The Law brought death, serving and acting as the Ministry of Death.

The Ark of the Covenant contained the Law and Jesus contained the effects of the law when he was crucified as us for our sins.

On other words, wood represents salvation, and the humanity of Jesus. God in His infinite wisdom and use of irony has turned bad into good.

In other words, the wood represents Law, Justice and Karma crashing down on Dorian Gray. It is the “Gates of Justice”, where the portrait, acting as the punisher, reforms Dorian and punishes him for the sins he has committed. This setup ends in a black test-tube, representing that it has now turned ugly in a sense because it punished Dorian.

The Dorian Gray Side:

Dorian Gray is represented by the black marble. He may have stayed beautiful, but innately, he is ugly and warped.

This starts off with a long winding trail of aluminium path. The path is unobstructed because Dorian Gray never suffered the consequences of his actions. It is all reflected on the portrait instead. hence, it is shiny and silver-clean. However, it is crumpled. The wrinkles represent the stains on Dorian’s personality. Even though his outer appearance remains beautiful (credit to the portrait), his personality gets more and more warped, something the portrait cannot salvage. Hence, the wrinkles represents Dorian’s innate ugliness while the clean silver represents his beautiful outer appearance.

The comb is representative of Dorian’s Seduction. He uses this Charisma to get away with all his crimes by seducing people to believe in him.

Then, we have a toilet roll. Toilets are usually associated with uncleanliness i.e. you would not go there to eat if you could choose to. A toilet roll is also something that is usually discarded, hence being a waste material. This represents how dirty Dorian becomes due to his sins.

Finally, Dorian wants to end it all. He stabs the portrait, signified by the knife being plunged into the picture of the portrait. It is to be noted that this happens at the same level as the Portrait’s Judgement i.e. Judgement by Wood (on the other side). Judgement is delivered as Dorian stabs the portrait. Same as the portrait’s marble, this marble undergoes the same twirling effect down into a test-tube. However, this time, the test-tube is white, signifying that he is now the victim.

By both the portrait and Dorian gray’s marbles undergoing the same twirling effect in the end, it is representative of how they have exchanged places. The opposite colours of black and white interchanging (marbles into test-tubes) also reinforces how the portrait and Dorian gray have now traded places.

It is also to note that both marbles end up in a test-tube each. This is to sum up the entire experiment, highlighting how in the end, Dorian’s life was simply an experiment he has orchestrated himself in order to explore how far human limits can go (inspired by the decadent French novel À rebours, by utilizing the portrait.