Physical Computing’s Greatest hits and misses
The blog post compiles and reviews popular themes in physical computing. As we head into the last few weeks of the semester and as I start thinking about the final project, I found myself having a hard time coming up with ideas from scratch. This reading reminded me that it is okay to build upon existing themes and not be pressured to create something entirely novel. There is a lot of room for “personal touch” and creativity in each of the themes discussed and by the end of the reading, I found myself feeling a little less anxious about the final project as it provided a solid foundation to start creating on. Out of the many examples mentioned, I am most intrigued by the musical instruments theme, especially because I am taking a musical instruction course this semester and appreciating the intricacies of musical instruments more deeply, so I hope to explore this idea and think about ways of elevating it with creativity and surprises.
Making Interactive Art: Set the Stage, Then Shut Up and Listen
This reading emphasizes the perspective shift required to create interactive art that makes it uniquely distinct from traditional art forms. To create a good interactive art, the artist needs to be undertake less of the role of an expressive painter who prescribes the interpretation of the piece, and more of a performance director who offers only the basic context and subtle cues, and observes the rest from a distance. I do think that this is a skill that will take practice and conscious thinking/planning, especially because there needs to be a delicate balance between providing guidance and offering ample space for creative experimentation for the audience. But this is precisely what appeals to me about interactive art — the fact that there usually exists room for spontaneity, and the opportunity to figure out the piece in my own pace.