Computer art for non-computer people
Agnieszka Pokrywka Department of Computer and Information Science Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim, Norway pokrywka@idi.ntnu.no Abstract—It is common to introduce computer art to people with a background about computer science or art. However, the rising importance of computer-based creativity demands methods of talking about computer art to people who have no professional experience in any of these fields. This paper describes and evaluates “Vanishing Point” computer art workshop, designed both for children and adults with small or no computer user experience. The aim of the workshop was to present in a simple way possibilities of computer technology and advantages offered by open source software in artistic use. The workshop description and reflection are structured according to “Computer art for computer people- a syllabus” (1977) by Grace C. Hartlein. The “Vanishing Point” workshop description combined with this early paper about computer art dissemination allows for a reflective point of view on computer-based creativity in the last thirty years and its practitioners according to their familiarity with computer art. Keywords- computer art; open source software; do it yourself; workshop
I.
INTRODUCTION
A relation between theoretical education and practicebased experience is crucial in interdisciplinary fields which demand a wide scope of knowledge and skills [1, 2, 3, 4]. Building upon interdisciplinarity and the balance between theory and practice, the idea of a computer art (CA) workshop, for people who have no professional experience in any of the component fields, came into being. The basic concept targeted the development of two-hour, do-it-yourself (DIY), art and computing courses for children and adults in which technology would serve human needs. By the use of open source software (OSS) [5], the workshop meant to motivate the participants to get familiar with t h e technical environment in which shareholders function as a dominant factor. Moreover, the workshop aimed to amplify the participants’ desire to create by making them aware about the existence of a supporting community of users around the open source technical environment itself [6]. Nowadays we face two contracting trends. On the one hand, the technical complexity of computer-based creativity makes very challenging the understanding of used tools. On the other hand, the easiness in creating attractive effects without knowing how they actually work stops people's
curiosity. For this reason, it is important to focus on helping people understand tools, motivate them to create digitally and be aware of stakeholder communities. The mentioned workshop has been titled “Vanishing Point” similarly as a famous cult film from 1971 which refers to the illusion of unrestricted, individual freedom which can be reached by rejecting the rules of organized society. The title describes also one of the techniques used during the workshop. The workshop description and reflection are structured (art works, photos, surveys, observations) according to “Computer art for computer people - a syllabus” (1977) by Grace C. Hartlein [7] which discusses in detail a thoroughly class-tested CA course for computer science people. This is not the only one reference from the beginnings of CA. Texts from '60s and '70s are characterized by simplicity, visionary style and ability to ask simple and basic questions. These features are seen as especially encouraged while gaining the first experiences in computer-based art. The paper is structured in the following way. Section 2 briefly presents an intersection of art and computing. Sections 3 and 4 respectively describe “Vanishing point” plan and its realization. Sections 5 and 6 focus on the workshop reflection. II.
THE BRIDGE OF ART AND COMPUTING
CA is based on software. Software is ruled by algorithms. Algorithms are mathematical, strictly defined instructions for functions calculating. Art and mathematics represent two of the most basic capacities and activities of the human mind and practice: counting and drawing. That is why friendship between these two disciplines has existed through the centuries [8]. This simple example shows that borders between fields are rather conventionally established as Bonačic's confirms: “Areas of research concentration are formally limited only by the subjective interests of the research worker, and by the general program of the institution under whose auspices on art and science the program is being carried out [6].” Interdisciplinary research should provide benefits to all disciplines involved [9]. That is why the teaching of CA can function as a bridge that unites art and computer science [10]. This was one of the main aims during planing and performing the “Vanishing Point” CA workshop, designed both for children and adults with small or no computer user experience. The aim of the workshop was to present
possibilities of computer technology and advantages offered by OSS in artistic use [11]. III.
NEEDS OF NON-COMPUTER PEOPLE – THE WORKSHOP PLAN
In connection with the five focuses described in the Introduction (interdisciplinarity, theory - practice balance, motivation to create, OSS, stakeholders as dominant factor), the “Vanishing Point" workshop idea translates a traditional technique of drawing into a digital medium with an emphasis on time-dependent creative act. The main idea is to encourage participants to draw on the special surface which functions as a drawing pad plugged into computer. Thanks to Community Core Vision (CCV), the OSS process of creating each drawing can be watched live as a projection and recorded. The workshop for youth and adults additionally covers a theoretical and practical introduction to the DIY touch technologies and OSS which can make CA even more attractive. A. Technical requirements The main idea of the workshop is to present simple to use and build creative tools. According to this concept the construction of a single drawing pad applied during the workshop demands: • wooden box with three walls and small hole on one side, • picture frame, • piece of clear, flat, sturdy material (glass), • cartoon, • webcam, • computer (with installed CCV) [12], • projector, • light room (with scattered light source). Additionally each participant needs: • drawing paper, • thick marker. To construct “Vanishing Point”, the drawing pad above elements must be joined in the following way (Figure 1.): • Static webcam needs to be placed in the middle of the wooden box. Webcam wire is placed in specially prepared hole on one side of the box and plugged in to computer. • The picture frame with glass must be centrally put on the top of the wooden box. • Missing parts around the frame are covered by the cartoon shape.
Figure 1.
Three stages of drawing pad construction.
B. Planned workshop structure The workshop consists of a presentation part (Presentation 1) interrupted by the survey (Survey 1) which is followed by the two practical exercises (Exercise 1 and 2) and finalized by a repeated survey (Survey 2). The differences and similarities between workshop schedules for children and adults are compared in Table 1. TABLE I.
WORKSHOP STRUCTURE FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS Workshop for children
adults
Presentation 1 The teacher presents advantages of gaining multidisciplinary knowledge and mentions without any explanation the following terms: art, computer, CA, software, OSS. Survey 1 The participants are asked to express their opinions about five words mentioned in Presentation 1. These terms open up for subjective interpretations and give each participant the possibility of personal statement expression. Presentation 2 Presentation 2 The teacher presents basic The teacher presents terms meanings of terms mentioned in mentioned in Presentation 1 with Presentation 1. examples. Exercise 1. “What is your name?” Each child by placing his fingertip on the pad surface is writing letters of his name. Other children observe on the projection formed in this way moving point and try to guess what is the drawing person's name. The exercise makes children more familiar with the workshop tools and help them to feel more relaxed in the group.
Exercise 1. “How to build drawing pad?” According to DIY idea of this workshop participants get an overview on constructing, tuning and recreating the drawing pad.
Exercise 2. Each participant draws by a marker on a paper which is placed on the pad. This process is visible on the projection for other participants and is recorded as the workshop documentation. Survey 2 The participants are again asked to answer the questions from Survey 1. It is helpful while realizing a changeability of pupils' opinion and exploring the workshop influence on the way of considering CA-related terms by participants. Furthermore, both surveys give an overview on the kinds of participants' profiles.
IV.
CHANGES IN CONTENT AND APPROACHES - THE WORKSHOP REALIZATION
The idea of “Vanishing Point” (pl. “Znikający punkt”) was implemented during workshop series titled “Meeting with...” (“Spotkanie z...”) in the “Castle” Cultural Center (Centrum Kultury “Zamek”) in Poznań, Poland [13]. “Meeting with...”, coordinated by Sylwia Chudy, was the title of seven monthly meetings with seven different artists which took place between November 2010 and May 2011. Each one-day meeting contained two, two-hour workshops (one for children and one for adults). The “Vanishing Point” workshop was held on 16 April 2011 and gathered 32 participants: 27 children and 5 adults, mostly girls and
women (there were just two boys during the children's workshop). The majority of the participants were children (without computer use experience yet) and elderlies (only 22% of Polish between 55-74 uses computer) [14]. Therefore, both groups were not accustomed with computers nor with professional art practice, although many of the participants attended previous workshops from the series “Meeting with...”. The workshop realization brought few crucial modifications to the initial idea which are described in this paragraph. A. Presentations Both parts of the presentation varied according to the participants' age and proficiency in the subject. It concerns especially Presentation 2 which was scheduled according to the points below: • history of OSS, • four freedoms of free software (FS), • ten points of OSS definition, • difference between FS and OSS, • examples of artistic OSS, • CCV as an example of OSS, • description of drawing pad construction, • description of CCV interface. The last two points were skipped during presentation for children.
Figure 2. Adults listen to the presentation.
B. Surveys Surveys 1 and 2 were two-sided printed on a single sheet of paper. It assures that each double answered questionnaire belonged to the one participant. The polls were designed in a graph style to rose comfort of the respondents. The surveys were filled by the participants according to their free will.
Figure 3. Children fill the surveys and make sketches.
In the survey, 16 children and 4 adults participated. Six children answered just the first part of the survey and 2 of them the second part. Just 8 of children managed to fill both sides of the survey. With adults, these numbers are classified respectively as: 2 (filled just the first part), 0 (filled just the second part), and 2 (filled the two parts). In the survey, 16 children and 4 adults participated. Six children answered just the first part of the survey and 2 of them the second part. Just 8 of children managed to fill both sides of the survey. With adults, these numbers are classified respectively as: 2 (filled just the first part), 0 (filled just the second part), and 2 (filled the two parts).
Figure 4. Example of a filled survey by one child. The second part of the survey is visibly more complete.
Graph structure of the survey contained the questions bellow: • Do you know what is art? • Do you know what is computer? • Do you know what is CA? • Do you know what is software? • Do you know what is OSS? Reflection about surveys is contained in Section 5. C. Exercises To register movements on the drawing pad, CCV software was applied. Usually CCV is used to take a video input stream and output tracking data that are used in building multi-touch applications. In the case of “Vanishing Point”, the drawing pad was operated only by CCV software without using any additional applications. Because of this, captured events were visible as live screenings of simple black drawings on a white background (or in inverted colors) and recorded in .mov or .avi format. This simplification made the workshop content even more transparent and understandable to the participants.
Figure 5.
Projection during adults' workshop.
The big number of attending children and availability of just two pads made the participants wait for their turn to use the drawing device. Most of the children were spending this time on preparing sketches, observing projected live works and socializing with others. Nevertheless, the created works did not have any common topic.
Figure 6.
Phases of child's work creation. Last frame shows finished drawing.
Surprisingly, Exercise 1, titled “What is your name?”, met with honest enthusiasm from the children's side even that the visual effect of this task was rather poor. The participants were interested to use their imagination while guessing the names of others.
Figure 8.
V.
Adults' workshop. The participants observe the work of each other.
THE OUTPUT OF NON-COMPUTER PEOPLE – THE WORKSHOP SURVEY REFLECTION
A survey in its meaning is performed to obtain the same kinds of data from a group of participants in a standardized and systematic manner [15]. The “Vanishing Point” surveys brought the feedback which can both give an idea about participants' profiles of interests and help to improve the content of next editions of CA workshops for non-computer people. The ability to ask basic questions and establish own opinions is especially encouraged while gaining the first experiences in computer-based art. In this case, the questionnaires collected participant's points of view on art, computer, CA, software, and OSS. This section summarizes gathered opinions in the form of general definitions divided between children - adults and Survey 1 - Survey 2 category. TABLE II.
SCHEME OF PRESENTING THE PARTICIPANT'S DEFINITIONS
Summary of children's opinions Summary of adults' opinions stated stated in Survey 1 in Survey 1 Summary of children's opinions Summary of adults' opinions stated stated in Survey 2 in Survey 2
For a better overview some of the opinions collected in the frame of Survey 1 are visualized as tag clouds [16]. Participants' definitions contained mistakes, misspellings and neologisms which are skipped or corrected in this paragraph because of impossibility of their proper translation.
Figure 7.
Panorama of children's workshop activities. Separated groups around two pads are visible.
During the first exercise for adults, the drawing pad was not created because of time limitations. Instead, its construction was discussed in a detailed way. The main topic of the adults' works created during second exercise was connected with approaching Easter time.
A. What is art? The idea of art is impossible to state so that it can be assumed that there is no such a thing. What is left after creative act is so called the object of art, an oxymoron which substance is something that does not exist after all [17]. On the other hand, this need of creativity can also be considered as an art [18] which mirrors the thinking consciousness by externalizing its content [19]. “Vanishing Point” workshop participants had a bit different point of view on this matter. The children pragmatically considered as art different artistic technics. The adults idealistically focused on values such as beauty, feelings, and imagination.
TABLE III.
PARTICIPANTS' DEFINITIONS OF ART
Art is created by the use of imagination. It can also be a work of a famous person. Art includes ceramics, clay modeling, drawing, literature, painting, sculpture, sketching, and writing.
Art is an undefined term. Art is an ability to express world and feelings by color and image. Art is a field in which by use of imagination and observation something original can be seen and aesthetic values and beauty can be felt.
Art means something what ones can Art is a product of the artist's do very good. Art is creation. Art imagination. includes also pottery.
Figure 9. Tag clouds made out of children (left) and adults (right) opinions on art (Survey 1).
B. What is computer? Computer is a programmable electronic machine for inputting, processing, and managing digital data [20]. Computer incorporates three crucial principles: computability, interactivity, and connectivity [8]. For both age groups participating in the workshop, computer is understood as a device. The children focused on the computer's various uses. The adults concentrated on its communicative functions. TABLE IV.
PARTICIPANTS' DEFINITIONS OF COMPUTER
Computer is an electric or electronic device, a machine which allows CDs and Internet use, counting, information gaining, playing, sending messages, working, and writing. Computer is an object which is killing precious time. Computer can also be a TV set.
Computer is a device created by a human which helps in being in contact with the world. Once computer was a calculating machine, but nowadays it gives far much bigger possibilities, transmitting countless amounts of information from different sources.
Computer is an electronic device Computer is a device created by a which allows communication, human which allows contact with drawing, learning, talking, and the world, and widens knowledge. watching. Computer is a machine plugged to electricity.
Figure 10. Tag clouds made out of children (left) and adults (right) opinions on computer (Survey 1).
C. What is CA? CA is based more on concept than on crafts. This feature liberates the artist from the limits of handicraft skills and challenges an artist's technical ability [8]. Participants' ideas about CA were similar in both age groups, although children much more tended to consider animations, drawings, and films created by the use of computer as CA examples. TABLE V.
PARTICIPANTS' DEFINITIONS OF CA
CA is a science about computers. CA interlinks computer and modern art. As CA, we can consider programs, films, animations, and drawings created by the use of computer (e.g. Paint or Tux Paint).
CA is a sum of art and computer. CA can be considered as an own vision of the world transmitted to the computer by the use of e.g. graphic programs in which or by which it is possible to create images (Paint).
CA is an art made by the computer. As CA, we can consider creation of games, programs, informatics, but also computer painting and picturing. Even presentation in Power Point can be considered as CA.
CA gives the ability to transfer human's imagination and close it in the picture. Besides the work effect, the process of creating CA can also be admired.
Figure 11. Tag clouds made out of children (left) and adults (right) opinions on computer (Survey 1).
D. What is software? Software, also called program code, governs the behavior of computers by a set of formal instructions or algorithms on a logical score [21]. Software interferes with all areas of today's developed societies being used in most of human life areas [22]. Children and adults who participated in the “Vanishing Point� agreed that software is a multimedia application with many possibilities of use. However, adults were more aware about software complex nature. TABLE VI.
PARTICIPANTS' DEFINITIONS OF SOFTWARE
Software is a computer program, multimedia application thanks to which different kinds of works can be created. Examples of software are: computer game, Internet page, and Paint.
Software collects knowledge from the different fields and associates words as system and code. Software is made to use in a more effective way computer possibilities and to record forms of images and animations.
Software is a multimedia application, file or page on which wanted information can be found. Examples of a computer program are game and folder. Software
Software demands knowledge which is difficult to grip, but on the other hand is involving. Software is a big amount of code. By the use of software, one can create, draw, and
functions as a brain thanks to which work. computer works.
E. What is OSS? Software system is open source if its code is available. The source code and certain rights are provided under a license that permits users to study, modify, improve and distribute the software. Results of Survey 2 prove that most of the children and adults, thanks to participation in the workshop, understood the basic concepts of OSS. Several adults notified creative potential of OSS. TABLE VII.
PARTICIPANT'S DEFINITIONS OF OSS
OSS is launched program or software with a free access in which settings and options can be changed.
OSS is something what is able to be produced by the user. OSS is free and designed for non-commercial purposes.
OSS is a software for which one does not pay. There is a possibility to change some options in this kind of software.
OSS may be programmed and used without any restrictions. OSS can be applied for image processing, recording of user's thoughts, sketches, and ideas.
VI.
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THE BENEFITS OF A TECHNICAL ART COURSE
“Vanishing point” workshop encourages creative expression in the intersection of art and computing and supports participants': • interest in computing e.g. OSS, • interest in arts e.g. DIY, • inventiveness (use of very simple materials to construct devices which are popularly considered as complicated), • creativity (use of creative alternatives to popular digital media), • cooperative exchange of divers ideas, opinions, and observations, • verbalization (understanding of popularly used terms), • appreciation of self as a creative person. VII. CONCLUSIONS The first years of CA existence brought many expectations both in the case of developing, popularizing computer technology and rising truly interdisciplinary “new breed of artist-computer scientist [23]”. The dream has just partly come true. Nowadays computers can be easily accessed, and information technology progress is fast and innovative. Nevertheless, the “hybrids that can fluidly cross the chasm between technology and the arts are [still] mutations [24]” in nowadays educational system. ACKNOWLEDGMENT I am grateful to Letizia Jaccheri for valuable suggestions and Sylwia Chudy for invitation and support during the workshop conduction.
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