I am trying to speed up the prototyping process of my light pixelation screen study by planning on laser cutting my patterns from a single sheet of material. This way I can quickly see what finishes work better and what’s the ideal distance between the layers that produce the most dramatic effect. Also, I am experimenting with applying the screen to a larger surface of the ceiling and vertical surfaces.
I like the creativity of the clip and yes, the tent does seem more pleasant as the light and changing of light create different moods. This is enhanced by the music/sounds as well, adding to the experience. I watched the video without sound too, and had a slightly different exprience. I thing the light alone allows for more “fill in the blank� imagination to occur in the mind of the viewer.
It is slightly difficult to comment and offer suggestions since you guys worked together, although I do remember both of your original explorations. Ashley, how did this study help you with your original idea and your final project plans? I remember you were exploring the movement and manipulation of your wavey “louver� system with color. Maybe you can incorporate the idea of moving screens as surfaces for projections, and how the movement can effect the mood of the observer.
sketch light box
This was my first experiment in utilizing bounced color to alter the hue of a fixed external surface. Visible from within the lightbox, the colors shift depending upon the position of the light. This first exploration gave me direction, and taught me a lot about controlling the phenomena and constructing a decent lightbox. I used white foam core, which it turns out, is actually translucent. The openings and the positioning of reflective and absorptive surfaces were a bit clumsy in this model, but they were exceedingly informative in thinking about the most effective ways of creating the effect.
Moving from that point, the second box I’ve created explores how passively modulating color might be applicable in an architectural setting. The sizing of the absorptive surfaces on the outside have been shrunk down to allow some direct light and shadow into the space. The corners of the penetrations were carefully filleted to make the shadows quieter on the walls. The reflecting surfaces on the outside of the box are all red, so the color of the absorptive surfaces vary. The center penetration is red, the corners are green, and the sides are blue. When light bounces off the red reflecting surface onto the absorptive surface, it changes the color. Green becomes yellow, and blue becomes purple.
The video shows a few different passes, examining how sun angle affects the phenomena.
Click here to view the embedded video.
(music: animal collective – loch raven)
(the true colors of the absorptive surfaces)
Natalie’s test video of light in motion displays a careful use of an organized composition that gives the study a documentary style feel. The video does a great job of creating a mystical quality that makes you the observer question what’s happening. Even when the light modulator is placed into the frame of the video it is still a mystery of how the forms are converting the light into otherworldly shapes. Her video also is really strong in creating a lighting scheme that seems arbitrary but also defined by the singularity of one light source.
One thing I think should be pursued is the mystical quality of her test video. It can be improved by editing the sound to create a mood. The subtle sounds that occur during the filming of the video sets the tone of an isolated experience but, they seem to be sporadic and possibly accidental. Maybe using a meditative sound instead would enhance the experience. Her use of sound in her final video is nicely integrated with the feeling of the screens. Also in her second video there may be a way the light source can be hidden instead of being exposed to the camera during some of the transitional movements of the film. Maiietta S. Millet book on Light Revealing Architecture would help expand Natalie’s project. There is a chapter on pg. 136 that deals with contemplative light. I think this relates well to her video that deals with a mystical type of light that forces one to think.
Hauer, Erwin. Erwin Hauer – Continua: Architectural Screens and Walls. New York: Princeton Architectural, 2007. Print.
Iwamoto, Lisa. Digital Fabrications: Architectural and Material Techniques. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2009. Print.
Hildebrand, Grant. Elegant Explorations: The Designs of Phillip Jacobson. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2007. Print.
Lilley, Brian, and Philip Beesley. Expanding Bodies: Art, Cities, Environment ; Proceedings of the Acadia 2007 Conference, Halifax, Nova Scotia, October 1-7, 2007. S.l.: Riverside Architectural Press and Tuns Press,2007. Print.
Liu, Yudong. Demonstrating Digital Architecture. Basel: Birkhäuser, 2005. Print.
Click here to view the embedded video.
The final result of the Changing Light study exhibits the same light box and lighting conditions however I replaced the screen. In this study I experimented with a more reflective material and a finer grain of “pixelation” with the panels. Also, I aimed to minimize direct light entering the room by densifying and carefully laying out the array of panels between the support “L” shaped frames. The resulting light is a bit darker obviously given the new grey but still shinny material that face each other and bounce light into the box.  This arrangement was successful in further showcasing the gradient effect of light from panel to panel especially on the ceiling, however the shadows cast by this screen still seem a bit more regular then I’d like.Â
After careful review and examination of the light box effects in different conditions, we came to the conclusion that a secondary light source would further intensify the pixelation effect and create a secondary pattern that complements the primary one as they interact.  For the final project I would like to introduce at least one more material or finish treatment into the panel array with different qualities as it interacts with light.  Also, as couple people suggested, introducing some variation into the array pattern might lead me to discover varied effects that may help me pinpoint the most ideal condition.
For my final animation I create a new light modulator for my light box. Instead of the fairly even fins, I added scoops which are smaller and more directional. I wanted to take the initial idea of a space which would change color through the day further through this experiment. In the last animation I noticed that because the fins were so even, the differences in light and color occurred primarily due to the intensity of light going into the box. This experiment is a little more controlled. I think now you can definitely see distinct and separate colors showing up depending on the position of the light source. You can ‘play’ the box like an instrument with each light opening being like a musical note for color. I’d like to run an animation through the day with natural light if possible, but for now this animation was done using a flashlight. Also, this box started to take on an interesting shape when lit from the inside as well which was something I have been interested in from the beginning.
Here are the final images from last week’s assignment on bounced color. I feel that I have found a form that I like and can experiment with and I have been trying to make different iterations of it. They are not ready to post yet, but I have been angling the cuts and playing with making a circular lantern using semi opaque materials like vellum. A few suggestions from my classmates included using different colors to bounce onto the surface, or to even use an image. Someone also mentioned how it would be interesting to orient the cuts in response to different times of day. Sort of like a vertical sundial, where depending on the shadows or shapes on the walls, you can tell what time it is. I think my next step can be to explore some or all of these ideas.
For my changing light study I recorded the inside wall of my lighting model and observed the shadows as the light source changed around it. The results are more interesting than I thought. I discovered that as the light moved and was interrupted by the different openings, it created an almost kaleidoscope effect on the walls. Thinking how this could translate into my lantern idea, I am reminded of these lanterns I’ve seen that rotate with the light source inside of it, probably a tea light. The design is usually simple, a rectangle with a motif cut out of one side that is then projected onto the walls.