Human Fishing

I started to fish people!

I tested it at my uni's library and another location.
I filmed every process to catch the people. Also I used several materials to make attention to people.
It was interesting to see some reaction by different materials. Particularly 20 pounds note works well.

And today, I went to Union chapel in Islington to check the space for a performance which I help. I will do this human fishing on the day. Union Chapel's archtectual layout was perfect to play the human fishing. Performer can hang the fishing rod from second floor. Also the second floor is empty on the performance day. I am excided to show my piece!

the icicle orchestra

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/video/2008/nov/25/norway-ice-music-terje-isungset

That is amazing!
Music made by ice.

I am helping a performance of Kazuko Hohki, who is London based Japanese performance art director, about eskimos. And I got a oppotunities to make some interaction with audience.
So, I am collecting infomation of reference. One of eskimo members sent me the link.

My project proposal

I wrote a proper statement for my project.

Project title:
An example of our life –life is a full of fluctuation- (sound tree)

My original idea for this project was from my strange and unusual experience on the 12th anniversary of my father’s death on 8 July 2008. On the day before the anniversary, I was told by some strange power that I should make a tree or something which I celebrate the day. It was totally unexpected experience I have never done before. In fact, I have never believed spiritual and sci-fi power. However I felt something strong feeling on the day. So I started to make a big tree sculpture. I can describe it was my body’s automatically movement like some gods are leading everything for me. On 7th July, the day before my father’s memorial day, it was Japanese celebration day called “Tanabata” which is celebration for Stars. On this “Tanabata” day, people hang ornaments of piece of papers, which are written their wishes in their hand, on bamboo trees. So I made “Tanabata” style trees with full of wish card ornaments.
According to this personal experience, I become to recognize tree as a life. In Japanese myth, trees are recognized as a symbol of life. Particularly, in a big old tree, people thought it as origin of every life. Ancient Japanese people believed animistic gods in trees. Therefore I started to think about a representation of human being’s life in a tree sculpture.
On my tree, I will put six bird nests and six eggs. These nests and eggs become music instruments parts. These elements show experiences and incidents, which will happen during our life. Sometimes our things become well and bad. Eggs are representation of our events in our everyday life. Eggs have two colour sides on its top and bottom, on top its side is white, bottom side is black. If one of the eggs is on a nest, egg will get sounds. In addition sounds will be decided by eggs position, black or white. If black side is touched onto the nest, sound will be dark. But if it is white, the sound will be clear and happy. Each nests show different sounds. Eggs are often referring as life. That’s why I choose eggs as my representation. By possession and numbers, the tree will provide different sounds like a life.

Hurrah! I got hall effect sensors!

Finally I got 6 hall effect sensors at

http://www.libelium.com

My sensors are MLX90217 by melexis. I paid nearly 10 pounds each for the sensors
including shipping.

So I started to test my sensor with recommended circuit.




I used resisters 540k, 1W and a 10k potensiometer.
Then,I got a result.



First, the value was unstable without resisters, however after adding resisters, the sensor's value
start to show correspondance with magnet's north and south sides.
If I will show north, display show some value. And if it is south side, the value was zero.
So basically the sensor work well.

However, one dissapointment was that I can't get any between values which will suggest the strength of
magnetic value. Basically the sensor can deliver value of 0 or 1.
So I need to think about to show my exsistance of egg. Because I don't want to get a sound all the time.

I got an idea to solve the problem. That is using a sensor and buttons on each nests.
If there is nothing, sensors and buttons will not detect any values. So arduino will not make sounds.
But if an egg on a nest, buttons will detect some value. So tree make sounds.
Also when buttons are on, sensors can detect value of 0 or 1. So depending on these values, trees
play different sounds.

Now, I got an idea and parts which I can work with, so now I need to write a patch on Arduino! 

My tree's progress

I made a nest and an egg for my sound tree project.
I used flax strings and tree sticks to build a nest. Eggs are made by tored news papers.
These are still prototypes, so I made these parts for major the size and test some materials.
I ordered melexis hall effect sensor on liberium online. Hopefully it will arrive within a week or two weeks time. Until the arrival of new sensor, I can't test technical progress, so I decided I will make sound with Yoshie who is sound artist. I will see Yoshie tomorrow, so hopefully, I can make at least tree variation of the sounds until the arrival of my new sensors.

So, I need to create,

-three sets of
6 positive sound and 6 negative sound (For egg's sounds.)

-find a simmilar material of the nest (I bought the strings in Japan, but I haven't seen this material in London,, Maybe I can get it in cheap shops,)

-Be familiar with audrino

-think about the posission of the nests. and build the tree interface properly

And I should make progress for my dissertation!

ARS electronica and my trip

I was away for two weeks because of my trip to Italy, Germany and Austria.
During my trip, my main event was ARS electronica in Austria.

I stayed linz on 5th- 7th September for ARS, I really enjoyed to see and meet people and their works.

Interactive art works at cyber art section were particularly interesting. My favourite was moving scrupture of metopholical Vagina and Penice. Two transformed shapes are having interaction with someone's exsistance. Their movements are looks ramdom, but it seems like having interaction with people's distance.

This year's highlighted work, "Bleu Remix" was interesting, too. The performance piece is the first motionless dance piece in the world. The performance is played by one performer who drinked blue coloured liquid for entire his body. For an hour, the performer is placed in a human size glass box which is located in the center of the room. He is not moving at all, but little by little, his sweats appear on surface of his skin. The performance itself is quiet, and need to endure for it's last, however it was amazing time to see
Strain of the room was tight, everyone was concering performer's small box. From performer's skin, we can recognize how our bodies are moving. In other words, by blue coloured sweat, I could recoginized visualization of of excreta which we are thrown from our body every day. It would be said that presentation of internal human body's movements. I was really lucky to share the time to see historical morment for performance art. This piece will be recoginized like John Cage's 4'33'.



I saw a lot of works there, so I just can't tell everything.
I heard that this year's ARS was smaller than last year. So I hope I will be there in next year. Next year will be twice as bigger than this year, because Linz will become a cultural city.
I was inspired a lot of things by ARS. That was really worth to be there to see what happens in the interacrive art works. Not only Bleu Remix, but also I saw several experimental performance arts. So I hope if I can involve some work which can involve performing arts for one of my final year's work, that will be interesting.

By the way, I enjoyed rest of my trips in Germany and Italy and Salzburg.



This photo was taken at St. Wolfgang near Salzburg. Alps mountains were very beautiful, and nice breeze. I saw a lot of grannies from UK, even though not many tourists were not turned up at this time. I guess just they love traveling.

Come on! Hall effect sensor

I am still figuring out my hall effect sensor.



I used my 10 ohm resistor between 5V and ground. However it become hotter again. Also, the sensor didn't work,too.
Now, I start to check interface Z's magnetic sensor again.



It has a capacitor for evening current, two potentiometers, three resistors and an IC tip.
After checking their values, I ordered on maplin and RS components.
I found that on audrino, I need to choose 0.25W resistor. It took long time to check values and codes, but little by little, I start to understand each part's functions and unit of credit.

Later on, my new parts will arrive. Then I will do some progress.

Today, I launched a test website for a photographer.

http://www.moiralovell.com/test/index.html

There were a lot of probrems of links and java scripts on flash. It took long time to fix. However finally I could build all of foundation. I haven't gotten reply from my cliant, so hopefully she would like it. Just I am waiting for her rest of site materials now.

Test of a hall effect sensor

I start to test a hall effect sensor which I bought at RS.
Actually, the sensor become hot! I have no idea why but I think the current was too high.
It was dangerous I found. I shouldn't put a sensor directly to interface z.
So, I found that I need to get something I can adjust the current like an example below.



By my tutor, I can make this adjustment by myself. So I will try to make it.
But a beginner like me, it is difficult to find information from websites. First I start to look at the website which is providing technical information about sensors.
http://itp.nyu.edu/physcomp/sensors/
However, I had no idea what should I do. So, I started to learn ohm formula. (Well, I know it is too basic to start,, but for a while I haven't learnt math,,)
Anyway I really want to get back my math's knowledge when I put it onto my brain when I was child,.So even if it seems stupid, I think it is worth to do it again,

Improve my eyesite by myself??

I have very bad eyesite since I was kid. That was because of my too much playing video games and reading comics(How bad child life style!!) like most of modern children in Japan. Well, basically I can't live without my glasses and contact lenses. In addition, my eyes tiredness become worse recently because I am sticking with computer. little by little, I became scare about my eyesites,,, But I found an information about self improvement of eyesites!
I got a japanese book called"imaging eye". The book said if I can improve my subconscious of using my eyes, my eyesites will improve. For me, the idea sounds innovative. Because traditional eyesite improvement will be done by schooling to eyesite improvement institutes or lazor operation. These two will take cost and be 100% sure at this morment. In contrast, the "imaging eye" will not take cost and I don't have to have a risk. In fact, I need to patient for every day training. But if I can do it little by little, everything will be fine.

The training is really symple, with naked eyes I need to train to look. If my eyes can see something better site, I should admire my eyes with shouting "Yes!". It sounds redicurous, but a lot of people achieved amazing result. At least, I need to continue the training for a month, so it takes time. But I think just I need to adjust the pattern.

Also, I got pinhole mask which will help my eyes resting. This is the mask I shown above. It is nice to rest my eyes. At the first time, It is difficult to adjust with this eye sites. However if you will continue to use it, you will feel comfortable. Particularly for PC jobs, this is an ideal tool.

I felt this training is simmilar to eastern meditation. To cure disease by spilit is one of my interesting subjects. Like reiki and phychic therapy, this is one of the spilitual cure. I am thinking that wheather I can bring these spilitual ideas to my base work??

Prototype of Tenori On and think about Japanese humor

I was looking at Toshio Iwai's Tenori On's launch party's explanation.
I knew Tenori On, but I did not know about his prototype work. In fact I really like his prototype virsion "Music chess", too. It is a kind of improvisation music. Also, I could find a good profe- Tenori On's original idea is from music box, because I am writing my dissertation about the change from analogue to digital.

By the way, I was thinking that recently I could find several good overseas based Japanese musicians, for instance afrirampo and frank chickens. Their common feature is that they are showing japanese crude and tasteless aspects in interesting way. In other words, they are pulling out civil things to make entertainment. Their images are not stereotyped images, but something new japanese images for foreigners.
I just wondered if I can put these humor to my interactive work. I would like pick up something exciting and japanesy things.

Tenorion and last night's gig

I found a post on youtube about the London based pop singer who is using TENORI ON.
Actually Tenori on is a good example of make sound visible project!



By the sway, yesterday I have been to a gig in Aldgate. The event called club integral.
I saw the great play of Japanese phyche band called acid mothers temple, and pikachu and makoto. Particulary, pikachu and makoto's play was amazing. Pikachu is having a band called afrirampo, and Makoto is from boredoms.
Pikachu's performance was excelent. Her performance was like a innocent child, strange lylics and enthusiastic drum! Just I can say amazing, fun and original!! I really love their lylics because they use Japanese silly words and strange mix of japanese and english.



I am really interested in improvisation music nowadays. I think it is one of the interesting feature of music session. I would like to try some musical session now!

I made a cover song of Korean-Japanese song

I covered a 80s million seller Korean song which was fashion in Japan called "Pusan kou e kaere". (means "Return to Pusan harbout"). This is a song about wife who have not come back to the harbour. These songs are called "Enka" which are japanese ballad or songs. In most of the times, they are saying about broken heart of some lovers, split of fishermens and love for the local areas.

In fact, I haven't made a song ever, so for a while I wanted to make a song, In addition I really curious about music session. Yesterday, my friend, Kumiko Yabu who is a musician and sound engneer came to my flat. Then with her advices, I've recorded a song with Garageband.

My song's idea is that Enka song inspired by space men. I would like to link with the someone's local and traditional split with universe. It is a kind of experimental (music itself and for improving my skills,too ) music. Also I think I need to get more sophistication more??
Well , I need to say that there is no irony for enka song at all on my project. Just simply I would like to try a new remix of space and ground.

Media responses are spontaneous, and huge

I got a car I designed!!

Well, to be honest, I haven't designed, but my illustrations are on surface on the car.
The car's illustration is for "Harvesta" who is a young japanese pop group. Now, I am designing their website.
http://www.harvesta.asia/
On this Harvesta's site, I drew several illustration by crayons.



Then, some fans of this group drew my illustration on a car!
So it was not planed, and official. But for me that was good surprise.

Accually I haven't met Harvesta and their staff, because they were my friend's friend. So I was keep in touch about building their website by just on line. Via on line, many times it is hard to observe real responses just on messengers and skype, because I can't see and touch everything, for instance facial expressions, atmosphere, smell and sizes. However, such this painted car give me great impact of acctual viewer's responce. Because it was unexpected response for harvesta and me. But the car was painted by local fans. My drawing was transfered into a big canvas.
I just felt a big power of the internet.


In fact, the relationship of consumer and media provider is quite interesting. By my past experiences, I have already involved several media industry for instance TV, movie, Web and publishing. When I was working TV company as an assistant of TV set art in Japan, it was interesting to see the feeling of creating something for mass. During working for TV program production, I knew I was involved to make something for huge numbers of people. However it is hard to understand the visual and real value of viewer from several papers on my desk. Acctual TV production was made in a small box in Tokyo, however viewers were everywhere in Japan. Their numbers are thousands or millions bigger than productions. The ratio is amazing. I sometimes felt these ratio when I saw my former TV office's works in London. I can not believe that Here is more than 9000km away from center of Tokyo. However their information is coming through cables and satelites.

Now is exsiting time of global communication in this way.
To be honest, I can not be too optimistic for globalization, but it gives us interesting response.

Office 2008 and Beijing Olympic

I started to use 0ffice 2008 for mac, because after upgrading leopard office 2004 didn't work well.
Actually, I thought it was good to change to 2008. Basic function is simmilar, but the appearance become much better!! I really like the skin of my favorite word notepad. This word notepad is much better than word texts. The tags on the right side make move easier among several sections. It is useful to bring quotes for instance for essays and disatations.
I need to work for my disatations, so it is good to refresh my work tool now. I feel better than before to face my disatation;

After 2 hours, the olympic will starts. I am really looking forward to see it, since I have been to Beijing a year ago. I still remember about the people's energy and pollution in Beijing. So I am really curious about the current enviromental and political situations in Beijing and China.

CSS and Frank Chickens

I was setting up CSS on my blogger space.
For a while, I haven't touched CSS, (Well, to be honest I was using dreamweaver CSS check box menu instead of typing on text editors.)
But I could achieve it easily rather than I expected. It is confusing in some parts. Because there are a lot of simmilar parts. But just I edited readymade CSS, for instance background colours and size of paddings. So it was all right.

Today, I was listening London based Japanese girls group Frank Chikens's 80s numbers.
Actually, I sometimes help their shows, for instance performing with them and shooting photos.
Yesterday, I visited the group's leader, Kazuko Hohki's house. So, just I bought their 80s album on iTunes store. I bought "the best of Frankchickens". I have known their songs (because Iwas on stages with them,,,,), but I haven't listen their albums for a while.
This album is briliant I should say! I can't believe I haven't listened their album ever. Just they got full of wits and humors. Also they are sampling a lot of japanese traditional sounds. Particularly, I really like their japanese sound samples. Because they are not beautiful sounds, but their sourses are more civil and unwashed figure. They really love something fun. Kazuko said that the origin of this group was singing karaoke with old traditional japanese songs, of course for joking,,,,!
Actually, I really love the creating process of Kazuko's show. Everytime, she invites new ideas during reharsals. These ideas are coming by accident everytime. When she grasps something funny, she put it immediately on the show. I like these flexible and open creative atmosphere.
I found that, these split is coming from her mother Yukiko.
Yukiko was an enegetic preacher of a japanese religion. And everytime She was cheerful, optimistic and optimistic. Just I could recognized that Kazuko inherited her creative gene.
You can see on the film,"The good wife in Tokyo" which is about Yukiko.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0160328/

Also I put Frankchickens's 80's movie
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=cXZanbZ6PWs

I am quite lucky to share my time with these great artists!!

I started new blog, and about my project

Hello all,

Finally, I moved my new blog from following former site,

http://tomomisayuda.blog.co.uk/

I tried to make a blog on my server with wordpress. However a lot of problem happens about access permition. So temporaly I ignore the process.

By the way, I think I need to explain my current summer project.

This is my collabolation interactive sound project with Yoshie who is japanese musician.

I am making a tree like interactive music instrument that it is based on the story in japanese traditional tree believe and other religion thoughts. Because trees often liken to a life. Also during a life a lot of things happens. Sometimes everything will go well and bad. I am iterested in study of religion. I can find that in many times different believes have simmilalities. The country where I am from -japan-, which is a atheistic country. So I think japanese people are afraid to talk about religions in general. However at the same time they are curious in some way. So I hope my project can represent abstract of the life and every religion, in other words people’s belief.

I will show every single daily story and lives as sounds. And I will make two variety of sounds. One is happy, second is sad. Sounds are having a different tunes, for instance major and minor codes.

Also I will put eggs and birdnests on the tree. Eggs are often on the religious mythes and folk stories. For instance in japan egg is symbolic of the new birth. So I will make two sides on each eggs. On a half side will can make a bright sounds, the other side has a dark sounds. I will establish ideally six to eight egg objects on my trees.

My tree sculpture is 50 cm high. I think materials are sticks and crays. For interactive parts, I use Max MSP with interface Z or arduino.

At this point, we launched our project from conceptual development to building acctual trees and interfaces. Now, I am testing sensors and patches with my technical tutor. Most of difficult part for this project is sensors on the eggs. Because eggs need to read two opposite sides.

Originally, I was thinking to use simple button interaction. However, it can’t recognize two parts of eggs.

So I tried second attempt. It was using registers to apply for changing current values. I was planning to put two different value resisters on two sides. Then computer read the difference of two resisters. By these difference, other sounds will play.

I checked it on arduino about different value by this code

********************************************************************************

// Reads an analog value and send it to the serial port (9600 bps) if
it is over a certain value

int analog_port = 1;
int analog_val = 0;

void setup(){
Serial.begin(9600);

delay(100);
}

void loop(){
analog_val=analogRead(analog_port);
Serial.println(analog_val);
delay(10);
}
*******************

*************************************************************

However my resisters ar

e two small value, so it doesn’t work well.

Finally, I started to use hall effect sensor which is a kind of magnetic sensor. I am ordering the sensor at this website now.

http://uk.rs-online.com/web/search/searchBrowseAction.html?method=getProduct&R=4796878

I will report about my test when the sensor arrived!