The term ‘visual music’ refers to works of art in which both hearing and vision are directly or indirectly stimulated. Our ability to create, perceive, and appreciate visual music is hypothesised to rely on the same multisensory processes that support auditory – visual (AV) integration in other contexts. Whilst these mechanisms have been extensively studied, there has been little research on how these processes affect aesthetic judgments (of liking or preference). Studies of synaesthesia in which sound evokes vision and studies of cross-modal biases in non-synaesthetes have revealed non-arbitrary mappings between visual and auditory properties (eg high-pitch sounds being smaller and brighter). In three experiments, we presented members of the general population with animated AV clips derived from synaesthetic experiences and contrasted them with a number of control conditions. The control conditions consisted of the same clips rotated or with the colour changed, random AV pairings, or animated clips generated by non-synaesthetes. Synaesthetic AV animations were generally preferred over the control conditions. The results suggest that non-arbitrary AV mappings, present in the experiences of synaesthetes, can be readily appreciated by others and may underpin our tendency to engage with certain forms of art.
This article presents a detailed design, development, and implementation of a Mixed Reality Art-Science collaboration project which was exhibited during Darwin’s bicentenary exhibition at Shrewsbury, England. As an artist-led project the concerns of the artist were paramount, and this article presents Shift-Life as part of an ongoing exploration into the parallels between the nonlinear human thinking process and computation using semantic association to link items into ideas, and ideas into holistic concepts. Our art explores perceptions and states of mind as we move our attention between the simulated world of the computer and the real world we inhabit, which means that any viewer engagement is participatory rather than passive. From a Mixed Reality point of view, the lead author intends to explore the convergence of the physical and virtual, therefore the formalization of the Mixed Reality system, focusing on the integration of artificial life, ecology, physical sensors, and participant interaction through an interface of physical props. It is common for digital media artists to allow viewers to activate a work either through a computer screen via direct keyboard or mouse manipulation, or through immersive means. For “Shift-Life” the artist was concerned with a direct “relational” approach where viewers would intuitively engage with the installation’s everyday objects, and with each other, to fully experience the piece. The Mixed Reality system is mediated via physical environmental sensors, which affect the virtual environment and autonomous agents, which in turn reacts and is expressed as virtual pixels projected onto a physical surface. The tangible hands-on interface proved to be instinctive, attractive, and informative on many levels, delivering a good example of collaboration between the arts and science.
Packed with examples from classic and contemporary films, The Fundamentals of Animation presents each stage of the animation production process in an engaging visual style, whilst providing an historical and critical context for four core disciplines: drawn/cel; 2D/3D stop-motion; computer generated; and experimental animation. With insightful commentary from leading animators, Wells and Moore also introduce you to the many different career paths open to aspiring animators, from storyboard artist or character designer to VFX artist or writer and director. They also provide you with key tips on producing engaging portfolios and show reels.
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This editorial explores how advancements in the sphere of practice-based research, and university programmes supporting this realm of inquiry, have contributed to an increased confidence in the ways in which animation practitioners discuss and reflect upon their work, drawing upon a range of theories and methodologies. References are made to Paul Ward’s essay ‘Some thoughts on practice-theory relationships in animation studies’ (2006), and there is a consideration of his preference for a ‘weak classification’ approach – one that acknowledges animation’s rich eclecticism – rather than maintain rigid boundaries. Ward’s ideas are informed by sociologist Basil Bernstein’s theories, and he also draws upon Mike Wayne’s study of media production practices, to advocate for the ‘critical practitioner’, as compared to the more circumscribed ‘reflexive’ – with a tendency to focus upon the minutiae of technology – and ‘theoretical’ practitioner, who dwells upon the importance of the text. Instead, the ‘critical practitioner’ possesses the skills to reflect upon what they do and why, and contextualise the work from a social, historical and political perspective. Further developments in animation studies over the last fifteen years have included an increase in texts that thoughtfully yoke both practice and theory, including essays by Claudia Hart, Paul Wells and Johnny Hardstaff’s book Re-Imagining Animation: The Changing Face of Moving Image (2008) and Aylish Wood’s essay ‘Behind the scenes: A study of Autodesk Maya’ (2014). The editorial provides details about the essays contained within this particular edition, and the ways in which they evidence the thinking of the ‘critical practitioner’, by drawing upon a diverse range of sources, and integrating a perceptive discussion of both practice and theory.
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