Code Abstractions

Inter/Act: mind's eye

by John Marie Andrada

Description

Centered around the premise of code having limitations in the field of imagination, 'Inter/Act: mind’s eye' aims to express the liberty and limits that coding simultaneously offers by creating a space for the work and the viewer to interact creatively. Limitations are set in place through a calculated series of constraints which are not privy to the viewer until after a few moments of interacting with the work. Withholding information and giving the viewer little to no instruction keeps the element of playfulness as the engagement would have to primarily come from the viewer in order to discover and create.

This project is a response to a text titled "The Umwelt of the Unanswerable" by Maria Popova from 2015.

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Bio

Based in Singapore, John Marie Andrada (b. 2001, Philippines) is currently pursuing BA(Hons) in Fine Arts at LASALLE College of the Arts, Singapore. Keen on working with various mediums, she approaches art-making with an open, critical and inquisitive mind. She aims to challenge preconceived ideas and explore notions of time, identity, existence and perception through her works. She recently participated in a collaborative group show with Sabancī University which featured her works at FassArt Gallery in Istanbul, Turkey, and recently participated in the 9th Dali International Photography Exhibition (DIPE), “Life is Elsewhere- Reconfiguration and Distance” in China.

Concept

Entitled “Inter/Act: mind’s eye”, it points to what lies between (‘inter’) the materialisation (‘act’) of the imagined (‘mind’s eye’). At the same time, it serves as a prompt for the viewer to interact with the work. An icon which resembles a closed eye functions as a brush which traces what has been drawn by the viewer. After interacting with the work for some time, one might realise that hovering over the area with the open eye reveals a series of visuals which have been set in motion unconsciously whilst drawing with the closed eye. Masking the making of the hidden visuals reflects the limitations of code as its generated visuals are calculated, unlike the viewer’s drawings which are not constrained to a set of written code. The irony in the traces of the closed eye being seen, is to say that imagination is a quality unique to the viewer—humankind.

Thoughts

This project is a reflection of my thought processes in learning to read and write code. Prior to this module, I had no knowledge of using code to generate visuals which inspired some level of curiosity. Although there were a number of moments of frustration for not always knowing where I went wrong, being able to solve the problems that arose and make sense of the logic and math involved was quite rewarding—maybe enjoyable even. Of course, it required that I stayed long enough to reach a point of comprehension. In the same way, my project offers hints through the icons present and its title but the rest is up to the viewer’s engagement to complement and reach the work’s full intent. When tested with friends and family, the element of surprise upon hovering/tapping the eye icon was evidently expressed. Overall, the work received a good reaction and it was fulfilling to learn that they found it, in their own words, 'cool' and 'intriguing'.

Achievements

A complete beginner to p5.js, I find that having been able to code that very first sketch on my own was an achievement in itself as it spurred me to want to create and discover more. Understanding and applying what I have learnt from looking at examples and following tutorials has enabled me to truly consider this medium as a tool to express my ideas which I would not have otherwise seen as a possibility if not for this elective. The need for accuracy, applied logic and problem-solving in the process of creating a sketch has increased my attention for detail and actively engaged my mind.

Future Work

I imagine that the work could be expanded with more features and a larger variety of illustrations in the future. Additionally, I am keen to explore the aspect of the in-between more extensively through a progressive revealing of the ‘underpaintings’ whilst keeping the element of surprise. This artwork could also be extended to a series whereby each part of the collection would display different elements—not limiting to visuals but possibly including sound, as well as incorporating the use of a webcam within the work to add another dimension and layer of interactivity.

p5js Sketches

Code Abstractions

2021