“Very Nervous System” by David Rokeby
Title:
- Very Nervous System
Artist(s) and People Involved:
Exhibiting Artist(s):
Symposium:
Venue(s):
Creation Year:
- 1986-1990
Medium:
- Video cameras, image processors, computers, synthesizers and a sound system
Artist Statement:
The installation is arranged so that three low resolution video cameras positioned at the vertices of a triangle, relay information about what is happening within their field of vision to a control system which includes a custom-made fast processor, sound synthesizer and specially designed software. The computer processor receives information from the cameras and translates this information into sound. The software is designed to detect the location of people, how much of their body is in motion, the relative intensity, suddenness or continuity of their movements and the locations of the greatest activity. The volume and instrumentation of the sounds which are produced are directly related to how the subject within the sculpture moves. Simultaneous feedback, made possible by microelectronics, creates an atmosphere in which sound and motion conspire to create a cybernetic circle.
