Blog

Contains comments, questions, and reflections of each week of the 2022 Winter Quarter.

Week 1

Just after the first week I am super excited to see what this class entails. Learning arduinos again since it's been a while since I've use them will be fun and I want to see how exactly we'll be implementing them with art. I'm a bit nervous about coding again and getting more artistic but we'll see where everything goes!

Week 2

Getting a little more nervous about Project1 though I have an idea of what I might do. Seeing the way Pinar Yoldas was able to make a powerful installation with meaning and a message by utilizing arduinos was cool and put a lot into perspective in how they can be

Week 3

This week really was just more about thinking a bit deeper about the project 1 concept that I want to tackle. Re-familiarizing myself with the arduino and how the actuators and sensors can all interact with each other lifted a weight on the technical side of my project idea.

Project 1 Idea:

For my project I am thinking of making my noise maker produce the sound to a child or baby crying. As someone who works with children at a day care in a local gym, I think a lot about the new generations growing up right now and what they are going to be growing up into. The threats that they don't even know about coupled with a parental presence now seemingly being replaced by electronics (ipads), I want the viewer/participants that interact with my project to feel the responsibility that weighs on our shoulders in order to prepare a brighter future for our children. I'm still thinking about different sensors I want to use since I want the interactive part of my project to be as representative as possible. Cause: sensor taking in data ,, Effect: Noise (child) set off/ volume increasing.

Week 4

After meeting with Jun I feel a weight lifted off as I definitely was overthinking my project. Given time constraints and my current proficiency in Arduino, I know my concept is strong so I'm going to shoot for making a working project that still holds true to my proposal.

Week 5

Mon 1/31

Midterm reflection: After completing the midterm I am overall glad with how it turned out. I think my concept helped pull everything together. Although I couldn't figure out a for loop to get the buzzer to change pitch with light interaction as smoothly as I wanted, I opted to use the LEDs as a signifier and that worked out well too! Kind of feels like that Food Channel show 'Chopped' having to make something so fast. I'm always so intrigued by the research processes behind the works shown in lecture and wish I could've dived a bit deeper into that.

Week 6

After this week I realized how fast the quarter is going and now I am ready to put my all in my final project... though I am a bit unsure of what I am going to do... and am a bit apprehensive about soldering. Even 3 weeks doesn't seem like enough time. I think the external activity did inspire somethings and I am going to follow the lead that it has given me. Creating a timeline for myself as well as the following the guidance from Jun will be the most helpful to me moving forward,, especially with all the remote/at-home responsibilities I have in my mind haha.

Week 7

Final Proposal:

So far my idea is making a terrarium to work with a concept I will eventually dwindle down. I plan to use some servo motors, lights, and distance sensors, as well possibly a photoresistor to make an environment within the terrarium. Based on distance, I want the environment to shift from something tranquil to something more sinister in a way to comment on entrapment. Right now with the world status of covid and grappling with work and online school as well as thinking about what even is the future is making me feel a bit trapped. How I can convey this so that others understand is going to be challenging but I'm excited to trigger some emotional interactions with this, hopefully...

Week 8

-So far I have gotten the supplies for my final project in the aesthetic sense and am starting to work on coding... learning we soldering is extra credit is more of a relief but I'm thinking it may be more beneficial since my wires always fall out of my breadboard :).

Week 9

So turns out don't order arduino things from ebay if u need them fast,, I'm stuck making my project with less components than I want but it might actually be okay since I don't have as much room as I thought. Another layer about my project and it's concept is also unveiling itself,, perhaps speaking on performance activism?? But we'll see how it finishes out and if it ends up needing to be voiced.