The Duet: Performance Installation
The Duet is an interactive audio-visual installation which involves two musicians performing on either sides of a vinyl screens while generative sketches react to the sounds they produce on the walls separating and surrounding them. This project focuses on the contrast of individuals in a dependent relationship and how their interaction creates a separate entity whilst they are in isolation. By eliminating the view of the other artist, the musicians must trust each other and rely only on auditory cues to activate all the components of the piece from their own sides of the wall to the combined sketches in the middle.
The installation is composed of a vinyl sheet which stretches and bends around two stage platforms for the musicians. There are three inputs for the musicians, two microphones and a line for a guitar. All this data is fed through a sound card which sends the volume data to a Processing sketch via Max MSP. The generative sketches produced represent the corresponding sound inputs. Strands of different shades generate and run from the side of active artist when db levels from the mic are picked up and the entire screen is illuminated based on the volume of the guitar. When both artists are active simultaneously, a graphic of hands holding together appears instead of the previous graphic of the hands reaching for each other.
This project aims to challenge traditional animation techniques by implementing generative algorithms while creating a tangible space for musicians to experience a performing space in isolation. The combination of performance arts and computational arts is a primary focus to most of my work. I believe that applying new media techniques to more mainstream and common media recreates experiences by making them multidimensional. This installation takes on live music by adding generative art to the original to enhance the raw performance.