Looking Back on This Term –

It’s not actually that long since I reflected on my work. My last analysis was for the final learning objective of Unit 2.  A recap of everything that I did for this unit can be found here.

Following on from Unit 2, below are my thoughts from the start of Unit 3.

Below are a set of questions that I use to help with the reflective process:

1. What have you done so far?
2. What have you discovered so far?
3. What will you change because of what you have discovered?
4. What will you do next?

WHAT HAVE I DONE SO FAR?

Since the end of last term, I’ve been acutely aware that time is slipping away.  Therefore, as soon as Unit 2 was complete, I began thinking about Unit 3. My primary aim was one of consolidation.  In Unit 2 I had been exploring so many ideas that I felt now it was time to bring everything together.  Here is a short recap of what I’ve been doing since the beginning of this year up to this point in time.

• Right at the very end of term I was already thinking ahead as to what I might like to do for my final major project.  I knew that I would like some form of collaboration.  Therefore, I began to explore some of the possibilities that my workplace could offer.  I started by approaching one of my colleagues and we discussed potential opportunities.   In the end, I felt that this was definitely something that I wanted to explore, but it possibly wasn’t quite right for me at this point.
• After a really positive tutorial with Jonathan, I was keen to take on board what we discussed. One of points raised in my Unit 2 assessment was about deciding exactly how much agency I wanted over my work with regards to AI generated art usage.  I needed to approach this from a different perspective.  Therefore, in my feedback blog I take a look at how I could train my own AI models.  This really was a fun to do activity and it helped me to gain an insight into the world of machine learning.
• During my tutorial we also discussed the possibility of me making a large mobile.  I really like this idea having explored the work of both Calder and Tinguely.  I wondered if I could generate any ideas using AI.  I used text to image generation and I managed to produce a variety of ideas which I covered in my Mobile Making Ideas blog.
• One thing that I knew for sure, particularly after my tutorial was that I wanted to build a mobile. In order to do this I needed to find a variety of materials.  In Unit 2, I had already experimented with cardboard which I felt was a pretty good material to use for prototyping. One of the first stages in the process was to stack all of my cardboard.
• After quite an amount of procrastination, I finally began exploring what type of mobile I would like to make.  However, I couldn’t resist some digital experimentation too.
• Although, at this stage I had a rough idea of the kind of mobile that I wanted to make, I still didn’t have a clear concept.  I had numerous questions that I needed to answer.  For example, what will be the shape of the mobile, what will it represent and ultimately why even make a mobile at all?  At this critical point I began to realise that my research paper and pretty much the whole of Unit 2 was about how humans perceive AI art.  I felt I needed a slightly different angle and consequently I posed the question ‘how do computers see art?’  In my blog I made some amazing discoveries about how pixel data is recorded and how an image can be boiled down into a simple set of numbers.  I felt that I could actually be onto something here.
• After changing my perspective from a human view of art to a computer’s view of art, I decided that binary code and pattern recognition were two key ways in which computer’s ‘perceive’ art. So, at this point I began to explore the idea of binary code and explore the idea with some experimentation.
• I wanted my mobile to be so much more than just a binary code mobile.  For me it had to have meaning and be a part of a wider much wider concept.  In my blogpost ‘first letter’ I discuss this in more detail. I’m still not quite ready to unveil my full concept yet but it will be coming soon.
• Thinking more strategically, I thought now was a good idea to set up a ‘proposals and planning document’.  Since setting up this document I have pressed ahead with a number of enquiries which I will continue to add.
• Finally, after much deliberation I set out on a long journey to producing my first working prototype.  The mobile making part was by far the easiest part of the process.  What was much more difficult was working out how to hang the mobile.  I began to experiment with a wide variety of stringing methods.
• Amongst all of my work, luckily I managed to apply for the ‘Mattering Life’ residency from the 18th till the 22nd of March at CSM.  I also entered an AI film making competition.  Please wish me luck!
• Blogpost number 200 finally arrived (not that I’m particularly counting) and this for me was a milestone.  Although I completely acknowledge that it’s quality and not quantity that counts. I’m hoping that I’m getting the balance right? I held off blogging for a little while so that I could showcase the finished prototype and put it on my 200th blogpost.  I added two short videos of the mobile, these were shot on my smartphone.  I have ordered some silver ends to cap off the mobile stringing rods to finish the off the look. So until they arrive I won’t shoot any presentation level photography/videos until then.  Hopefully the quick videos will give some idea of what I’m trying to achieve.
• Finally bringing my work up to date is my ‘concept’ blogpost.  I feel that I now have a clear vision moving forward.  I just hope that I can pull it off?

WHAT HAVE I DISCOVERED SO FAR?

Oh my goodness what have I discovered.  Even in this short space of time since Unit 2, it was been an amazing journey!  Never ever in my life have I ever produced a work of art larger than A0.  I actually never thought myself capable!  Yet using my research and with much determination I actually managed to produce something that is standing around 6ft tall!  Maybe I’m not as useless as I think?  What is even better is that my prototype is actually only the small one.  My actual mobile will be much bigger!  For the first time in my life I feel as if ‘I’ve got this’.  I’ve always worked small and now I’m way out of my comfort zone but I’m going to keep trying.

On a slightly less positive note I have discovered that hanging mobiles is difficult, time consuming and requires ‘the patience of a Saint’.  I’ve had so many trials and tribulations with working out how my mobile will hang.  I discuss this in my blog posts ‘Hanging Around’ and ‘Stringing Along’.

Finally I discovered that it’s always worth asking.  Indeed if you don’t ask you don’t get.  It’s a bit cryptic I know but I’ll reveal all shortly.

WHAT WILL I CHANGE BECAUSE OF WHAT I HAVE DISCOVERED?

I have already begun to make changes because of what I have discovered.  I found that trying to string my mobile using thread alone was an absolute ‘non-starter’.  I quickly discovered that if the mobile had any chance of success then I needed to ensure a level of consistency across all of the materials that I’m using. I discuss some of these issues here.  As a result I have had to bring in items such as jump rings, mobile phone charm strings and keyring swivel heads.  I actually feel that this has in some way enhanced the more industrial look and feel of my prototype.  Therefore, I’ve moved away from thread to more uniform stringing items.

WHAT WILL I DO NEXT?

The plan for the next two weeks is to complete my large mobile.  The physical mobile plays only a tiny part in my overall concept but it serves a pivotal role.  I will continue to search for a suitable venue to showcase my work.  I will also shoot some higher end video clips of the existing prototype as soon as the silver ends have been added to the hanging rods.   Believe it or not the mobile is only the start of this journey and there’s so much more work to do.

 EXTRA QUESTIONS

1). What was the best thing I did? Why was this the best thing I did? How do I know that this was the best thing I did? – with this project.

By far the best thing that I did was complete my mobile prototype.  I know this was the best thing because I learned so much about mobiles, balancing mobiles and stringing mobiles.  This information will be invaluable going forward.

2). What worked least well for me? Why did this not work well for me? What have I learned about the topic concerned from this not having worked well for me?

I learned that thread does not really work when hanging a mobile because it is very difficult to get uniform lengths. I’ve learned that it is much better to use pre-cut lengths of string (I used phone charm strings).

3). With hindsight, how would I go about this activity differently if doing it again from scratch? To what extent will this activity influence the way I tackle anything similar in future?

With hindsight I would have spent more time planning and researching. I think what I found during the later stages of of the prototype regarding stringing and hanging would have certainly speeded up my process.

4). What did I find the greatest challenge in doing this work? Why was this a challenge to me? To what extent do I feel I have met this challenge? effectively.

Without a shadow of a doubt the most challenging part was hanging and balancing.  However I also found pushing in small hooks into the dowelling rods what also really frustrating.  My fingers became sore trying to force the hooks in.

5). What was the most boring or tedious part of doing this particular task for me?

Pushing the hooks into the dowelling rods was by far the most tedious part of the process.  Even more tedious than the cutting and sticking of the cardboard.

DID I MEET MY CHALLENGES FROM LAST TIME?

Here’s what I said I would do – the green tick ✅ indicates what I actually achieved.

1. Buy and read ‘Steal Like and Artist’ and finish reading my current book about Ai – stalled
2. Contact galleries – currently doing this ✅
3. Resume Touch Designer and Processing tutorials – loosely working on this ✅
4. Contact the MACBA with a view to showing them my series of three books and video that they inspired – I really need to do this!
5. Become expert in making mobiles – getting there! ✅
6. Keep evaluating augmented reality software – stalled
7. Think of new ways of utilising augmented reality software – getting there ✅
8. Initiate a collaboration with my college to hang a giant mobile – tentative enquiries have taken place ✅
9. Contact artists and manufacturers to discuss potential mobile making collaborations – still to do.
10. Make an amazing kinetic piece of human, digital and AI augmented reality art – still working on it!

CONCLUSION

I still want to achieve all of the listed items that I didn’t manage this time round.  Therefore, I will carry them over into the task list for next time.

My coming task list for the next few weeks is as follows:

1. Continue my creative coding journey with Processing.
2. Try to record a 12 hour working clock animation.
3. Add the working 12 hour clock to a variety of animations and footage and upload to YouTube for use as a clock.
4. Work with both ChatGPT and Touch Designer to make more generative digital art works.
5. Buy and read ‘Steal Like and Artist’ and finish reading my current book about Ai.
6. Contact the MACBA about my Barcelona Graffiti project.
7. Contact more galleries.
8. Resume Touch Designer and Processing tutorials.
9. Update my Zentangle gallery
10. Finish my large mobile