<nettime> networked art?

[sean heaLy <evolver@loud.org.au>]

DeCaffe Debugged

Last I glimpsed Patrick King, he was soaking up the jazz strains of the
Metropolis manga remix, dancing gleefully down the front of an inner
Brisbane cinema. Quietly prolific like a sleepwalker in the data smog,
he's an utterly fascinating artist/ chaotician / thinker - which is why I
print his email address here :  patrickk@4zzzfm.org.au - so u can engage
wth the audiovisual artist sometimes known as DeCaffe.

>How do u approach live performance?

Intense preparation, one pC.

>What are the limits of your current tools?

There are limitations with any tool or apparatus, but with the right
mindset limitations can become virtuous. There are obviously limitations
with speed and efficiency, but thats a perpetual issue that one shouldn't
get too caught up with.

>Software that can see the light?

Anything open-source!! I use the max/msp open-source alternative Pure-Data
for realtime audio manipulation, and its visual counterparts Gem and
Framestein. Similarly the Jmax/vdsp/dips/gridflow stuff is incredible, but
the java environment is a bit clunky. Cinelerra is looking pretty exciting
for video editing.

>Overhyped software?

Flash - good at what it does but the slick aesthetic gets a little
homogenous. Ugly environment to write in and it's creative development is
controlled by one company with little imagination.  Nato - the most
vicious propaganda campaign since the cold war, but haven't used the
software so can't comment further (couldn't afford it anyhow!!) Macosx -
you don't have to pay for a good unix clone!!

>How do u plan integrating video with your sounds?

Digital wallpaper for the masses! Well, not really.. but I'm working with
analytical engines that translate the properties of audio and vision and
then process each accordingly.  It's an interesting interplay, but still
needs a fair bit of work before it's worthy of public display. I think
video is a pretty powerful medium, and when vision is nicely synchronised
with sound it really takes off.

>Why does Brisbane have so many experimental sound artists?

Experimental artists are in every city - they're just hiding.  Brisbane
has a few great avenues for exposure so the scene probably seems bigger
than it actually is, but the quality of output continues to astound me..

>What's good about the Brisbane electronic music scene?

Great sense of community (we're just a small town really). Brisbane seems
so far removed from the rest of the world we have to be self sufficient to
keep amused. I think that helps develop a different sense of sound and
people are pretty encouraging of anything new or different, and of course
we have radio 4zzzfm!

>Thoughts on the coder as artist?

There's definitely a level of artistry in programming, although it depends
on the project. Programmers tends to be a little closed minded, and too
often software is written with an intended use, imposing unnecessary
restrictions on the user. There's a whole lot of room for experimentation
with software, which is definitely evident in some of the high-level
programming environments like max and director and in a lot of open-source
projects in general.  Digital artists are definitely seeing the potential
for software experimentation, it's a realm that opens a whole lot of
fantastic possibilities and intriguing outcomes.

>Emerging possibilities for network music / art?

Being able to improvise with people is nothing new, but digitally it's had
it's restrictions.  Audio/visual networking allows the immediacy of any
instrument and the sharing of data, the ability to systematically analyse
and trigger other peoples events adds an interesting dynamic to a
perfomance, a sort of digital [un]consciousness.  I'm currently working on
a self constructing internet art organism, which uses data from the
internet and user interactivity to create its own audio/visual content
through a set of in built parameters.  I really like the idea of providing
a platform for things to grow and control itself.

>Tell us about your 'automatic movies'?

Still a baby idea really, similar to the internet organism, but using a
database of video, each with it's own thematic tags (colour, sound, visual
content etc...) to automate a sort of film narrative. I'm still gathering
content. Guess you'd call it vapourware at the moment..

>High-rotation on your jukebox?

I like the new dat politics cd, been listening to some local lads called
Bifplex... very nice drones..

>Artists pointing forward?

Sydney's own Lalila, definately doing some interesting things with audio
and vision, simple but effective.. plus they program some of vdsp, which I
give strong merit points to. Johnny de Kams net film archive collages.
Farmers manual and SKOT.. for an explosive technique in audio visual
jamming.. bit of a loaded question though... so much good stuff out there!

>Future plans?

Ingest caffeine, sit in front of computer some.

jeanpoole@graffiti.net
www.octapod.org/jeanpoole





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