Content 2010: Complementary Colors

This post will address both the controllers and one of the new content pieces.

Right now, as posted before, the controller is a stuffed Lion. Little guy- whose third eye is an LED infrared light. He is always on. For the box, I’d like to have 6 controllers– 6 little stuffed animals– that only are on when they are squeezed. So, a person squeezes the toy and the action on the screen is activated. Essentially, the stuffed lion is the mouse used by a person to control the screen– just like you do on a computer (except no click).

One of the content pieces that will shine on all walls is a set of Complementary Colors. The background will be one color and the rectangle in the middle will be its complementary color. When the mouse moves, the colors will change but the rectangle will always be the complement of the background.

…and the winner is (2009 raffle and 2010 preview)

The 2009 raffle!

Once again, I’d like to express my deep gratitude for helping make a color box happen last year. It could not have happened without your financial contributions and support. I promised a raffle and am now making good on that promise.

You will be receiving your raffle numbers by email shortly. For every $10 you contributed, you’ll receive one raffle number.

The winner will be selected February 3, 2010 and will have the choice of one of the following paintings.

"Culmination" 18"x24" January 2010 (click image for higher rez)

"Reaching" 24"x12"x3"

“Culmination” marks the first time I have actually painted on the halation squares. It’s an idea I have had for a long time– to apply my freeform shapes to the controlled matrix of color combinations.

The second piece, “Reaching”, I did a few years ago and can be seen in more dimensions here.

Colorbox 2.0: brighter, stronger, rounder, better and with stuffed animals

Thank you to all of you who supported last year’s initial implementation of A Color Box. The intention remains the same: to inspire people with color relationships.

I need your support again.

The immersive room, full of color that responds to human behavior, serves to train the eyes, teach color relationships, and make art fun. Users find that after experiencing a color box, they see greater ranges of color in their daily life and in art. Artists understand how to use color more powerfully to create vivid and brilliant artwork. And art appreciators can better appreciate how color is used in relationships.

This year at SOURCE, A Color Box will be:
(1). Much brighter. Last year it was illuminated with one projector at 2000 lumins. This year, will be two projectors hit from two sides
(2). The structure will be stronger and more svelt. Last year, built with 2 x 2’s, this year metal tubing (EMT) for soft round edges and wrapped in lycra.
(3). The content will be rounder (and better). Rounder and even more engaging. If you checked out my art this year for the 2010 calendar you noted that I’ve broken out of the square and become obsessed with circles. An example of the circle content is here. I’m working in processing, a language that enables far great color interaction.

(4). More interactive. It will be interactive as last year, however the interaction tool will be multiplied- instead of one “magic wand”, the infrared LED used as a giant screen mouse will be stuffed animals with the lights built into their third eye. This will allow multiple people to engage at one time.

Following last year’s festival where A Color Box debuted, I visited Amsterdam and showed my new series of color artwork Vision Thru Color. I also began giving presentations on color relationships at Franklins and Elephant Eggs on Maui (speaker engagements). I’ll be posting more video of my lectures on color soon.

I’m commited to showing color as way to open minds and inspire people in their lives. I believe that understanding and appreciating color relationships can empower people.

If you have the ability and desire, please donate to A color box 2.0.

openFrameworks… another possibility for replacing flash and html in next colorbox

Yes Yes No is the crew that created this and used openFrameworks to create it– openFrameworks is similar to processing.org except that it is built on top of C++ instead of java.

processor.org

So far I’ve had everything built in Flash, HTML or light javascript but I’ve just come across this open source programming language– processor– that may be the next best platform for A Color Box.

Take a look how the background color responds to cursor movements. Imagine the persons body representing the cursor and the room changes color based on position in the room. And the code is simple.

(I was turned on to processor by Graffta– a new digital gallery in San Francisco)

Expanding the possibilities of the Wii

Here’s an interesting article on the uses of the Wii in an interactive Museum exhibit setting. That is essentially what we did with A Color Box. As the next build comes together, I may like to incorporate interactivity based on location in the room.

Since the release of the Wii gaming system developers have been experimenting in connecting game controllers with other computer systems.

For example, perhaps one person’s location in the Box controls the background color and another’s affects the color of a swatch in the middle of the screen.

Next steps

Thank you to all of you so far who have helped me refine this concept and put it into action. I’ve been developing the curriculum for a color box and found a terrific book at the Chelsea gallery while I was in NYC last month.

The Biology of Vision by Margaret Livingstone helps explain the why and how of all these things that have been amazing me about color interaction. I’ll be presenting a lecture on April 25th at the Franklin in Maui. Let me know if you are interested in attending.

If you have not visited the demonstration of concept site do that now and be sure to watch the video.

I still need funding for this project and am grateful for your support.

Art Show Saturday March 21: The Netherlands

I posted a short video of Cudra and Ben discovering A Color Box at SOURCE:

I owe you all a huge report on the successes and challenges of this project AND I’ve launched to Amsterdam to see family and share my art.

Please join me in Holland (hmmm, late notice, but maybe you know someone here?) for a one day preview of new artwork. The six pieces that I have brought from Maui are all artist proofs of upcoming limited editions.

I also have with me the technology to set up A Color Box technology on the wall as an interactive whiteboard.

We’re hosting a casual art viewing that integrates with a conversation on the climate of consciousness– call it my brother’s passion of entrepreneurship– if he was in Maui, we’d call it a Franklin.

I’m thrilled to be here. Home of one of my favorite artists (Van Gogh) and inspiration for the Cherish Tree (Almond Blossom).

A color circle?

Wow, I may have had one of the funnest nights on Maui on Saturday at SOURCE. But I’ll have to write about that later.

The festival opened on Friday in the rain. As I set up A Color Box for the first time, I was confronted with a couple of unforeseen isssues. For one, the rain. (Suffice to say, I suspect water bubbles on the screen and the Wii receiver create some interference.) Another, the ambitious nature of this project.

By Saturday, A Color Box was ready for viewing– special thanks to Chris Taylor, John Carty, Larry Norris, Eleeza and Tanya for helping construct the piece. I am just returned and am starting to download some video. In short, I will say the project was a success– it was thrilling and inspiring for me. The responses from so many had the intended affect of astonishment. I’ll share soon.

I was quickly inspired to expand on the project. The ideas were numerous. Once again the concept of bringing in the psychology of color was brought up. My neighbor in the camp happened to be a color psychologist.

And then, upon returning home, I received this on my facebook wall from Robin. A huge cylinder of color, a huge oval that one stands inside that covers the complete color spectrum… and yet, what if it was interactive?

I’m inspired.