Plume

The Creators Project blog recently featured work by artist and maxer Ian Brill. I was fortunate enough to collaborate with Ian on an earlier version of this project, and it was a total blast.

Ian was kind enough to share some details of the project.

I use max to generate a series of generative, gestural motifs, composited across a Jitter matrix. These gestures rely on geometric shapes, realtime analysis of audio, a particle system, and several stages of attenuated feedback, in order to create a frenetic environment for active contemplation. By wrapping the matrix around the installation's implicit center, the illusion of emerging, kaleidoscopic events around, toward and away from the "oculus" (top-most center) is created. Parametric data and spacial information is shared analogously between Jitter-based visual content and a custom built, 8.1 surround, sound engine, built using maxforlive. Data is sent over serial to an arduino Duet, which in turn parses the pixel values and distributes them across a daisy chain of 560 LED clusters, zigzagging all around the back of the installation.