LAB 2 assignment by Max Peeperkorn
Description
4P is about making space. An exploration into the viewing of space. Based off by David Hockney's ideas on perspectives. 4P features 4 slightly different perspectives of the spaces. While going one step further and modifying and bending the perspectives in search of new forms of space.
The installation features 3 different approaches to the modifications and bending. One which maps the videos on a moving virtual space, one which layers these perspectives investigating new emerging structures and the final approach can be likened how post-expressionist painters, like van Gogh, created space where there was none.
Tools are an important part in the creation of any artwork. To create the four perspective recordings I have developed a mini video rig which holds four cameras.
Concept / Implementation
Whenever we walking into a room that we never interpret the space from the just one perspective, we move our head and compile multiple perspectives into one. It doesn't necessarily stop here. We can imagine spaces that look vastly different than what a perfect reality presents us.
In an attempt to explore these imaginations I have decided on three approaches. Each of these is an application developed with openFrameworks that morph, restructure, fold, bend and stretch the joined four perspectives recorded using a simple custom video rig that holds four cameras.
PAINTER — This approach is an attempt to open spaces where there seemingly is none. Painters, like van Gogh, were already exploring this using color and brush strokes. This approach is inspired by this post-impressionist painting style. Transforming each pixel into a rectangle that rotates by using a flow field. The flow field changes randomly every 10 seconds slowly rotating the pixels to their new positions.
STACK — The four perspective recordings share a lot of features of the same room, but not perfectly. This approach is a layering of these perspectives, in essence, diffing the perspectives from each other. Each pixel is an average of the values of the RGB values in each perspective. Surprisingly, many of the features of each perspective are still preserved in the combined image.
Process
This page will slowly be filled as I am moving forward with this project. Work-in-progress. Who knows where it will end. Vincent van Gogh noted: "Not everything I do is a success, of course, but the work's getting along."
4th May 2019
This project starts with the following note made by David Hockney regarding space and perspective.
"Perspective is a strangle. It is not really making space it is strangling space."
The current goal is inspired by David Hockney's remarks and work on perspective. He did a similar thing with a multi-camera setup pointed at different angles. For this project, I intend to start out with a similar setup and work with the peculiarities of space. It will be interesting to see and explore how space can be bend and opened up.
12th May 2019
The direction of the project is now a bit more clear on how to proceed as I decided to document the project in the way presented here. The project will be an iterative process slowly filling up this space. In the end, the process is actually where we can see beyond just looking at the final result.
15th May 2019
Today I was thinking about the idea of overlapping perspectives of the same space. When evaluating space do we discard or keep perspectives in our minds? Do we stitch these perspectives together?
18th May 2019
To film four perspectives at the same time I am in need of a video rig which can hold those. For prototyping & budget purposes I intend to build this using webcam. I had another idea for the three approaches I'm considering for the final.
MAPPING — The final exploration brings together space and virtual space. The perspectives are mapped a 3D plane primitive with 5 horizontal and vertical segments. Some of these segments are randomly moved forward and backward using a random function.
Future approaches might be using zoom and individual camera rotation, but not too much.
Documentation
19th May 2019
So there will be three parts of 4P. On inspired by van Gogh, one that layers the perspectives and the final part which applies the perspectives on a virtual space.
22nd May 2019
Production. Production!
23rd May 2019
Shot the videos today. Unfortunately, there was some trouble with the deliveries of certain hardware which meant that I couldn't test anything with the webcams. The thing did arrive after all. Should I set it up tomorrow?
24th May 2019
Presentation.
Future Work -> 4P zip-line in large space.