Phase 1 of the Drawing Experiment.

I am at this stage aiming to make a practical, creative experiment in January in order to test the comparison of spectator reaction to the traditional drawing vs. interactive drawing which I believe will be the first evaluative milestone to this project. This involves liaison with lecturers and technicians in the school of art and design.

There is an increasing emphasis on the gallery space, so I intend to use the Boningtion Atrium for experimentation. The main idea I have now is to display an abstract drawing which will like an overall motion or ‘ripple’ (generally applied to larger scale, such is my drawing style), then produce that same drawing or a very similar one which will react fluidly to people who pass by or get close to it. This is perhaps best done in phases. The first drawing will be abstract; the second will be less abstract (with a suggestion of a face in said ripple; the third phase will take on the abstract but in a reactive approach where one viewer can trigger the ripples in close, moving proximity; the fourth may take on aspects of the second phase and act as a mirror to the spectator. I intend to evaluate this based on my observation of the spectators and their own reactions. Perhaps I can even tally how many people stop to view the traditional media vs. interactive, but it is more important to annotate how they react.

So far, I am experimenting with Phase 1. I have scanned and experimented with this image on my own computer, particularly in Photoshop:

This is the original image of basic lines; the starting point to Phase 1

An example of warping the image to give it a 3D impression

And another.

And this is how it generally looks when I'm playing around with it on photoshop.

At this point I aim to replicate the experiment in large scale, display it in the Bonington Atrium as an easy start, then as I have said record and evaluate the reactions. With ethical considerations, I will do this by filimg for one or maybe two hours from a sedentary position which will be out of the way but with the work in viewing range. Keeping out of the way is important as it serves to allow those viewing the display to make their own interpretive reactions without explicit influence, although now that I think about it I wonder if I would be close enough to hear spectator comments.