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See www.seanclark.org and www.interactdigitalarts.uk for information about Sean Clark's current artwork and projects.

Making Art With Embedded Computers

Thu, 04 Sep 2014

Making Art With Embedded Computers

It's has been said that a 'digital artwork' exists independently from the computer and display technology used to present it. Indeed, it is often argued that a key feature of digital art is that it is infinitely reproducible and that there is no such thing as an 'original'.

While I agree with this in some ways, I increasingly find myself caring about the aesthetics of the technology used to 'show' my work. In fact, I no longer really see the creative idea, computer program and technology as separate things. They are all part of the artwork and I now strive maintain full control over the equipment used in my exhibitions (no longer relying on pieces of kit supplied by a gallery).

This can have practical implications when producing new work. Since I no longer show my work on third party computers and screens, each new digital artwork I produce needs to have a dedicated screen and computer, plus custom frames and mounts. A collection of ten artworks means ten times this.

This was proving to be problematic - especially since given my preferred platform of a Mac mini computer and HD screen. The equipment to display an artwork was costing up to £1000 and was not reusable without destroying the artwork after the exhibition.

However, the growth in low cost computers and compact HD screens is changing this. It is now possible to purchase an Android or Linux computer such as a Raspberry Pi or PCduino for around £30 and a 'component' HD display (intended for a tablet) for £70. Add a laser cut or 3D printed enclosure and you have a personalised, unbranded computer system, complete with computer and screen for well under £200.

These little computers are not super fast, but they are certainly powerful enough to run the artworks I am creating at the moment. Plus there are plenty of low-cost screens to choose from to match the artwork being created. I found a great source of 1280x720 pixel 10" screens on eBay recently.

A lot of my new work is created in JavaScript and intended to run under the Chrome web browser on Android. However, I've now started to create more work using the Processing language. This is able to produce Linux-compatible Java executable code that runs on the Raspberry Pi (thanks to Paul Brown for pointing me in this direction). These technologies are also inherently Internet aware - which is a key part of my 'connected artworks'.

I'll be posting some images of the 'digital art objects' I've been creating with this technology shortly. The first public display of them will be at the Kinetica Art Fair in October.

Author: Sean Clark