Supported by a grant from the Creative Arts Council of Brown University in the Fall of 2005, this collaborative performance was derived from Jean Piaget’s theory of the levels of a child’s cognitive development.

As a performer in this 45-minute piece, I portrayed a child learning from my environment as I discovered that all action has a significant reaction.

Created in collaboration with Michael Hersrud (fellow RISD grad student now teaching at Michigan State University) and Brian Knoth (from Brown University’s MEME graduate program), we created a feedback loop where palm-mounted light sensors that I wore fed signal through a wireless video game controller to Max/MSP that generated audio frequencies. These frequencies were amplified into large speakers covered with stretched canvas which created cymatic phenomena when paint was added to the canvas. Video cameras recorded this activity creating the video content that was projected from multiple video projectors into the scene (which was what triggered the palm-mounted light sensors and completed the feedback loop.

Documentation of performance space with multiple scrims used as projection screens

Image of the Wireless Photo Sensors embedded into gloves worn during performance. The “wireless-ness” comes from a wireless joystick controller providing 4 analog inputs and mulitple digital inputs. This is read into a Max/MSP object where the data is processed.

Testing the system

Image of the a video camera and one of the speaker sused in performance (covered with paint and sand from the performance)

Behind the scenes of the Production Workshop at Brown University

Poster I designed to promote the Performance

Choreography assistance by visiting artist Cindy Cummings (thank you Todd Winkler)