Artist Patrick Gunderson creates spectacular canvases of particle-generated paintings, a bit like code action paintings. (Action as in the likes of Jackson Pollack, not just ActionScript.) Above, an image from the Create Digital Motion Flickr pool. It’s worth having a closer look on Flickr - as with a physical painting, the closer you get, the more detail you see.

This is a Actionscript 3 generated composition. Color samples are taken from a base image then drawn using a psudo-random line drawing algorithm in concert with a particle system.

The technique itself is not exclusive to Mr. Gunderson, though I really love his use of color in the composition. Now, all due respect to ActionScript, I just hope he takes a look at some Processing and OpenGL code, as this could be even more fun set in motion, for doing some things Flash may not be quick enough to do. (As you can tell from the name of the site, we have a certain bias toward things that move ’round these parts.)

Really beautiful work, and further evidence that the aesthetics of code can go in all sorts of directions. Definitely check out the many variations in Patrick’s Flickr set; there’s quite a lot more than can fit here.

Updated: I wrote this post quickly and really should have mentioned the work of Erik Natzke, whose techniques Patrick adapted and who is the major artist in this field. Erik’s stuff really deserves its own post, which I didn’t have time to do justice here, so — will remedy that by tomorrow.

This isn’t your average oscilloscope. This is that buttoned-down lab equipment with the tie off, gone psychedelic. The Derraindrop is the latest strange hardware creation from the wizards at Critter and Guitari, the folks who brought us the brilliant DIY Video Critter custom video synth and other wonderful video creations. In an age when hardware has waned as video input, they’re keeping the dream alive.

The Derraindrop is simple but brilliant: plug in an audio input, get oscilloscope output, but repainted into sweet, groovy color. Knobs adjust mode (both lines and filled areas are available), color, and gain. And the box is ridiculously pretty.

I hope this is just the beginning of a wonderful age of DIY video hardware. Even if you’re not inspired to go buy one (I’ve personally hid my credit card in a 100-foot-deep hole), this may inspire your own creations – or at least a new paint job for your V4.

Derraindrop Scope on the C&G Store

Dearraindrop Video Scope from Critter and Guitari on Vimeo.

eMotion+Wiimote in IR mode from Adrien Mondot on Vimeo.

eMotion, an all-Cocoa Mac app, is now available as alpha donationware, and it’s capable of some stunning, particle-based visuals. Wave around a Wiimote, and get satisfying swirls of particles – even if they send a chill down my spine as I sit here in snowy Chicagoland.

Creator Adrien Mondot of Grenoble, France practices juggling and dance as well as programming, and it shows. He has some nice ideas about the software that I think could inspire other, similar directions. As he describes it:

eMotion is a tool for creating interactive motions of objects for live visual performances.

Electronic motion seems often artificial, synthetic… well… in fact it does not convey any emotions. By defining new rules to create movements, eMotion is a new kind of software made for visual live animations.

As it is based on real world physics law, all motions seems natural, full of emphasis.

It allows to manipulate different kind of objects like still image, videos, text, drawing.

Targeted mainly for theatre/dance performances, it can be used in broader situations.

In fact, talking about just the tool seems to miss the point of thinking about jugglers, dancers, and dancing pixels. But to summarize quickly, eMotion provides physics-based animation rules, multiple particle systems, and layered, scriptable behaviors. Add Wii, Wacom, MIDI, audio, and OSC inputs to control it with whatever you like.

With eMotion and Animata and Processing and vvvv, we’re seeing a real renaissance in live, performed visuals.

Thanks, Anton!

eMotion Project Page [description, documentation, downloads]

MomentFactory have released a video displaying some of the tech behind Nine Inch Nails fantastic Lights In The Sky tour.

It’s a heady mix of tech, combining “stealth” LED screens, laser-controlled interactive video, particles, feedback, cameras… Oh my!

There’s further information and video available on Wired’s coverage of the show, including future plans from NIN’s art director Rob Sheridan.

More:
Lights in the Sky Tour Ad.
Nine Inch Nails on Vimeo.

Thanks for the link: Curtis.