The initial idea for the shadow project was install a rear projection screen in a public space such as a hotel lobby and as people walked by a set of cameras, video of them would be buffered and then then processed to look their shadow as it was projected onto the screen next to them.
The projected "shadow" of the walking subject would be modified to suggest that the shadow was its own entity. For instance, the speed of the shadows walk could be sped up, or the detached shadow would continue walking if the subject stopped. The intention was to create a shadow that moved independently and would quietly bring notice to itself from the subject's peripheral vision.
After getting about a quarter way through with a MAX/MSP prototype, I felt like I wanted to make something that was less screen based and more physical. I wanted something that would respond with physical movement. A variation shadow concept was to translate the video to a set of moving LEDs that would be attracted to the proximity of objects such as the hand. A person could sit and interact with it, a bit like the way someone would play with a sea anemone at the tide pools. The lights would come close to the hand, but quickly retract as one got too close.
I went through some different places where the LED configurations could be installed...
wall, floor, table, bench...
If I placed the moving LEDs on the floor, people would probably interact with it using their feet...not to many people would be willing to get on their hands and knees...
Thought about putting it on a bench, offer some visual cues on where to sit and such, but in class Peggy explained that, "no girl is going to want to put her ass on something that lights up - make it a table instead"...
Using the bench configuration and changing the interaction into something less blatant, another idea came up where instead of a person causing the lights to change or move they would change according to the outside environment. Have the bench placed inside, in a hallway or some dim windowless waiting area, and have a sensor outside sending about the angle of the sun rays to the LED's on the bench, so depending on where the sun is during the day, the "shadow" would be displayed at a different angle on the bench, in a similar fashion to a sundial.
Some ideas for the wall configuration...
Set it up like a low resolution pinscreen...except the the shape of the person walking by would be represented without the need to push the pins...use motors or magnetics?...might be visually interesting to place a large sheet of latex over the pins...
Crazy idea...
crowd surfing machine. use huge foam pins to carry a stage diver across....
...more sketches to come.
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