Portfolio 2016

Portfolio 2016 Gerry Straathof

1

Page 4 8 10 12 16 17 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29

1.Digital Photo Archive 2.Transitions 3.Single Kinect Explorations.

4.Stacked Images and Video 5.Kinect Silhouettes with Stacked Videos 6.Multiple Kinect Explorations (Thesis) 7.Interactive Pilllar 8.Projection Mapping 9.Personal Work A. Self-portrait a day (personal project B. Projection mapping with pico projector C. 1:12 Model moving light test D. 1:12 Model Pepper’s Ghost test E. Homesteads prototype F. Interactive Video Decay (in development)*

Portfolio Project List Arranged by order of inspiration (what came first)

2

Page 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

Digital Photo Archive - analog and digital photo holders Lost Archives 1 Lost Archives 2 Lost Archives 3 Transitions - two transition images 6 images from Transitions collection Single Kinect Explorations - silhouette as image mask Multiple image masking with silhouette Stacked Images and Video - stacked image printout size tests Stacked Images by highway - correct order Stacked images from Blackfoot Farmers Market - reverse order Graffiti van installation Kinect Silhouettes using Stacked Videos - sample from screen grab Multiple Kinect Explorations - ACAD installation and result image Detail image of clarity and graphic test with triangles Graphic explorations during thesis project Final tracking of presence, hover and touch example Interactive Pillar - in galleryFM and installed in TFDL Projection Mapping - installation in galleryFM Projection mapping with pico projector on children’s blocks Personal Work - before and during renovation images of galleryFM Self-portrait a day images 1:12 Model and moving light test 1:12 Model Pepper’s Ghost test in two areas of model Homesteads prototype from front and from side Interactive Video Decay - inspiration from polaroids and film* polaroid ‘errors’ comparison to reaction-diffusion modelling screen grab examples of programming progress * (I just really like how this has turned out so far)

Portfolio Images List

3

Digital Photo Archives The premise of the Lost Archives references the value we place on printed photographs versus the value we place on the means of storing digital photographs. I suspect this potential fetishizing of the container comes from the complications for retrieval, and the difficulty for perusing the sheer amount of images stored.

Traditional and modern image storage techniques

4

Lost Archives 1 2009

5

Lost Archives 2 Marion Nicoll Gallery 2010

6

Lost Archives 3 galleryFM 2014

7

Transitions Transitions is a series of photographs taken of locations undergoing renovations, demolitions or, simply those which are closed for the evening. They are transitioning between clients or from one use to another. Their haphazard state and transitionary nature seem like temporary installations of contempt.

8

Transitions Since 2008

9

Single Kinect The Microsoft Kinect is a depth camera, and one can choose to use the depth information of a person as a mask, choosing a range of distance where a person’s silhouette will be used by the program.

Kinect depth information used to create silhouette mask.

10

You can also use the distance as ranges, and change the image within a silhouette differently based on where a person is in front of the Kinect.

background image (nothing seen)

screen

Kinect distance of viewer from Kinect

Single Kinect Explorations Since 2010

11

Stacked Images I have used Multiple images from webcams and digital cameras for several years. The Stacked Images are a process which captures images and video with five cameras placed from ankle high to twelve feet high. These were originally intended to capture images of artifacts and foundations where homesteads were.

The scale of presentation was explored, from easily viewed 4x6 inch arrangements to a strip ten feet high.

4x6 prints of stacked images

five foot high strip of stacked images

12

Stacked Images and Videos Since 2012

13

Stacked Images and Videos Since 2012

14

Stacked Images and Videos Included in The Act of Looking, galleryFM, 2014

15

https://vimeo.com/46457139 Link to video of test using footage from Vermillion Lake, Banff.

Closer silhouette uses lower video

Enhancement showing where silhouette is

Single Kinect Silhouettes and Stacked Video 2012

16

Multiple Kinects Multiple Kinects were first explored at ACAD, originally facing the screen from across a room and capturing silhouettes. The changing heights of people depending on their distance from the Kinect was problematic. They were eventually mounted above a screen, and the points observed resized to fit the screen. This was a blunt way of creating interactivity and was difficult to set up.
 Further refinement while enrolled in the CMD program made it more accessible for others to develop with.

Kinects mounted above screen facing down

point cloud representation of people

17

Point cloud from combined Kinects has been reversed to demonstrate detail.

Depiction of several people directly in front of screen

Multiple Kinects and Large Screen MSc Thesis project from CMD Program

18

Exploration of multi-frame graphics techniques

Exploration of multi-frame graphics techniques

Multiple Kinects and Large Screen MSc Thesis project from CMD Program

19

https://vimeo.com/126288730 Link to video of Thesis Presentation

Image showing depiction of silhouette, presence and touch.

Multiple Kinects and Large Screen MSc Thesis project from CMD Program

20

Interactive Pillar Installation https://vimeo.com/129241366 Link to video of interaction from outside of galleryFM

Pillar installed in galleryFM, ICT

Pillar installed in TFDL

Interactive Pillar Created for The Act of Looking in galleryFM. Installed in TFDL for eight months.

21

Projection Mapping Installation https://vimeo.com/113115463 Link to video of projection mapping

Animated projection mapping over magazine pages mounted to wall.

Projection Mapping over Magazine Pages Created for galleryFM to showcase CMD Journal

22

Projection Mapping Experiment Early tests to see if a pico projector could be used inside architectural or 1:12 models. The distance required is too great to allow it’s use in these circumstances.

Projection Mapping on Children’s Blocks Created using a Kinect and a pico projector

23

Personal work and experiments These are projects which have been in progress since graduating in April, 2014. They are uncategorized and cover a wide range of explorations. I include them to indicate that I have not stopped working, and continue to use the skills learned from my BFA and MSc every day.

Family Mart in November, 2013

Family Mart in January, 2014.

24

Self-portrait a day Originally started as a photograph series of masks, I eventually used a CNC head. (shot only with hipstamatic on an iPhone) 25

https://vimeo.com/150926676 Link to video demonstrating moving light falling inside model (altered colors)

Simple model at 1:12 scale

Screen grab of controlled light falling inside model

Exterior lighting moving test in 1:12 model Experiment for controlling light falling inside model

26

https://vimeo.com/152148425 Link to video of Pepper’s Ghost model test.

Test with Kinect model in front space

Test with Kinect depiction in back space

Pepper’s Ghost test in 1:12 model Prototype for including movement in architectural models

27

Homesteads is a work that implies recreating the occupation of a homestead on the prairies when the original buildings may be dilapidated or missing. This is done by using only lit windows, the only thing one would see when driving at night.

Reflective tape test using remote flash, front.

Reflective tape test using remote flash, side.

Homesteads (test) Prototype testing reflective tape for implying occupied windows

28

Inspired by observations of similarities in expired film polaroid images and poorly developed/stored videos. This is intended to allow viewer interaction while watching video.

Polaroids from expired film

Frame from personal super8 video (1973)

Decay (in development) Prototype allowing user control of degradation over playing video

29

Film decay is similar to Reaction-Diffusion computer simulations of mixing chemicals, or Alan Turing’s work on animal patterning.

Closeups of expired polaroids

Parameter mapping image of Gray-Scott diffusion model From: http://mrob.com/pub/comp/xmorphia/ also see: http://www.karlsims.com/rd.html http://www.karlsims.com/rd-images.html

Decay (in development) Prototype allowing user control of degradation over playing video

30

Image colour and growth patterns are done in openGL resulting in smooth growth in accordance with hand movements over a video camera. Secondary viewer-controlled alterations for light leaks using a Leap Motion is still in progress.

Examples of results using images and video

Branching patterns and solarization over video

Decay (in development) Prototype allowing user control of degradation over playing video

31

Thank you for taking the time to consider this portfolio for the program.

Gerry Straathof

http://www.gersart.ca https://vimeo.com/user3227295 gstraath@ucalgary.ca gersart@gmail.com