Physical Computing’s Greatest Hits (and misses)
The article highlights that originality doesn’t always mean creating something entirely new from scratch. Many people shy away from existing physical computing ideas because they think someone else has already done them, but that’s not the point. What matters is how we, as artists and engineers, can bring our own perspective, creativity, and purpose to these ideas. The author emphasises that real creativity lies in reimagining how people interact with technology in expressive and human centred ways.
Making Interactive Art: Set the Stage, Then Shut Up and Listen
This article emphasises that we shouldn’t try to control how others interpret our work. Instead, we should focus on creating the space, art, and experience that allow the audience to participate and discover their own meaning. Art shouldn’t be over explained, if it needs too much explanation, it might mean the artist hasn’t communicated their message effectively. It reminds me of when my professor told us not to explain our midterm projects, so we could see whether our work spoke for itself. Not everyone will have the same reaction, but the emotions or ideas your art aims to evoke should still come through clearly.
With both readings, I feel like I have already kept these points in mind so it was nice to be assured that the way I approach the pieces was valid.
