light / time / seeing —

fluidity of light (refraction through crystals)

shadow and perspective (buildings / shadow box)

light and space (fred sandbank)

animation and perception (strobe light effects)

Assignment: Make a controller for a DMX-based lighting plot.

For the assignment I tried using both node.js and Arduino, and found the Arduino (Arduino MRK1010 board and Arduino MKR485 shield) to be much easier in terms of programming.

To start off I connected the DMX cable to the shield.

I then set the channel on the DMX and tested the light using the ArduinoDMX library’s example and tested a few effects to see the light’s speed – I was surprised to see that it was very fast to turn on/off, much like a strobe effect.

 

Having worked a lot with audio and visuals on Max/MSP, I wanted to try using the program to control the light. The three main effects I wanted to explore where panning, rhythm and synchronisation/desynchronisation nature of audio and visual.

I started off by trying to send multiple data from Max to Arduino through serial communication (panning experiment).

Sending data from Max: convert all integers to ascii (using atoi object)

Receiving data from Arduino: convert characters to strings (using subString) to integers (using toInt) — StringSubstring and StringToInt examples on Arduino.

After I was able to run the serial communication smoothly I started building the sound files and the controls. These were the results.

Control interface:

Max patch:

Max/MSP patch and Arduino code: https://github.com/hellonun/dmx-control-maxmsp-arduino

I am very happy with both the control functions and the light quality. I hope to experiment with other sounds and visual effects in the future (as well as making the control more user-friendly)

View this post on Instagram

#lightandinteractivity #itp . Dia Beacon Sunday, January 13, 14.16 This is a photo of Fred Sandback’s art piece, taken facing east on a very sunny day. Sandback explores the sense of space using strings and light. At this particular moment the photo is taken, the sun is shining through different window glasses creating reflections of different textures. These reflections move as the sun moves through the day creating different spaces and an almost playful experience for the audience to observe and walk around. The white strings help us see the contrast between them and the white wall behind. . A very minimal installation can be very powerful when placed at the right angle relative to light. And a space can be defined using only strings.

A post shared by Nuntinee T (@nun.tinee) on Apr 13, 2019 at 6:20am PDT

View this post on Instagram

#lightandinteractivity #itp . E 9th St, Lafayette Wednesday, April 10, 14.33 . This photo is taken facing southeast direction on a moderately sunny day. This moment felt special because the reflections of the buildings on a glass building (right side of photo) aligned perfectly with the older buildings themselves (left side of photo). The corner of the older buildings are casted right where the glass building has a pattern change; big panels of glass to narrow planes. . This triggered me to think about the angle placements of an object being lit, where the audience is and the effects created in different time of day.

A post shared by Nuntinee T (@nun.tinee) on Apr 13, 2019 at 6:18am PDT

Light installation exploring the effects of white light through motion, time and refractive materials; clear cubes and prisms. [2019]

ABOUT THE PROJECT

Even though we constantly experience reflection refraction and diffraction, they go unnoticed unless we pay close attention to them. The moments we do usually slow us down and make us more present: watching a sunset or noticing shadow patterns in a pool.

Little Sun generates light patterns and colors using a high-voltage LED light, three acrylic cubes and a prism cube (a cube made of four prisms joined together). The white light is shined through the rotating cubes creating a slow motion light dance that draws us to pay close attention to its changing forms.

The rotation is controlled using a stepper motor and an arduino.

Code: https://github.com/hellonun/little-sun

View this post on Instagram

#lightandinteractivity #itp . Santa Teresa, Costa Rica Tuesday, March 19, 6:52 AM. . This photo is taken indoors next to a window facing south about an hour after sunrise (5:50 AM). The shadows appear in different colors as the sun is shining through / reflecting off of different filters – an opaque facade, aluminium facade, aluminium roofs and directly from the sky. The closer to an object is to the wall, the crisper the shadows – the lamp vs. the palm leaves. . I’m interested in exploring different reflections and filters – and the distance of an object to light and the shadow effects it creates.

A post shared by Nuntinee T (@nun.tinee) on Mar 19, 2019 at 5:10pm PDT

View this post on Instagram

#lightandinteractivity #itp . Santa Teresa, Costa Rica Tuesday, March 19, 7:48 AM. . This video is taken on a beach where the water was about 0-2 inches deep. The shape of the reflection of the sun changes as the waves washes ashore and slowly ripple its way through the beach. The circular light shape breaks up into small moon-like pieces, it then flickers (much like fireworks or dandelions) and disappears… then turns into the circular shape again.

A post shared by Nuntinee T (@nun.tinee) on Mar 19, 2019 at 3:32pm PDT