Signal Culture

7/25/2019 Signal Culture

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New Language / New Knowledge

/ New Media (Part 03C)

Signal Culture


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Signal Culture Film makers, architects

tested the limits of formart movements rapidlywere then supplementnew perspectives

With the aid of electroas synthesisers, video tradio transmission and

and software a whole nof artists and art makin

These were known collmedia artists they playstructure and the signaelectronic media

Craig Baldwin (1999) Spectres of the Spectrum


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DeFanti, Tom/Morton, Phil/Sandin, Dan/Snyders, Bob

https:

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnYwFstm4bk

In 1973 Dan Sandin and developed the GRASS sy

The Graphics Symbiosis

This was developed for t

minicomputer PDP 11/45

Equipment Corporation (1972).

Ryralwas a live video/co

performance that they la

using synthesised image

live performance

RyralBob Snyder, Dan Sandin & Tom DeFan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnYwFstm4bkhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnYwFstm4bkhttp://shiresoft.com/pdp-11/11-45/index.htmlhttp://shiresoft.com/pdp-11/11-45/index.htmlhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnYwFstm4bk


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RyralBob Snyder, Dan Sandin & Tom DeFan

DeFanti, Tom/Morton, Phil/Sandin, Dan/Snyders, Bob

https:

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnYwFstm4bk

First demonstrated atVisualisation Event (EUniversity of Illinois, C

Music was processed EMU Synthesizer" by

Video footage of a datransformed into a bl2D image and separatbackground

Images are then overusing the GRASS (Gra

Symbiosis System)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnYwFstm4bkhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnYwFstm4bkhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnYwFstm4bk


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Rutt/Etra Scan ProcessorSteve Rutt and Bill Etra, 1973

Etra, Bill /Rutt, Steve: Rutt/Etra Scan Processor, 1973.

https://youtu.be/EZQiHuTbnes

Steve Rutt and Bill Etrthe Scan Processor

This enabled video imconverted rasterizedforms and then manip

The signals are modificontrolling the voltagehorizontal and vertical

An analogue system, tused conventional knothe effect
https://youtu.be/EZQiHuTbneshttps://youtu.be/EZQiHuTbneshttps://youtu.be/EZQiHuTbnes


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Etra, Bill /Rutt, Steve: Rutt/Etra Scan Processor, 1973.

https://youtu.be/EZQiHuTbnes

This process is known video raster manipula

It can be used with liverecorded black and whand are processed in r

The system was refinecommercially available

This video synthesizer many video artists incJune Paik and Gary Hi

Rutt/Etra Scan ProcessorSteve Rutt and Bill Etra, 1973
https://youtu.be/EZQiHuTbneshttps://youtu.be/EZQiHuTbneshttps://youtu.be/EZQiHuTbnes


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Digital Image ArticulatorSteina & Woody Vasulka, 1974

Woody Vasulka (1980) Artifacts

Created the Digital Imagwhich was a software im

Like Sandin and DeFantiWoody Vasulka developeusing a version for the Pcomputer

The system could controelements of the image aunusual colour and box-effects

Here we have a meshingconstruction and softwacomputer aided image m


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Noisefields

Steina & Woody Vasulka, 1974

Woody Vasulka (1974) Noisefields

As demonstrated by theNoisefields, the signal itsmanipulated

Rather than the shape bobjects a circular framefrom two video signals

Here the video signal is create contrasting colou

Vasulkas work is greatlythe video vocabulary esRutt/Etra Scan Processo

Yet it is also very evocati

field experiments of Ken


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Signal Capture,Stephan Tillmans, Berlin

Stephan Tillmans (2011) No. 06 / No. 04 / no. 07 (StephanTillmans.com)


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Signal CaptureBruno Levy, NY

Bruno Levy (2013)ALUMINUM series Bruno Levy (2013) POLYVINYLIDEN


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Signal DesignScott Draves, NYC

Scott Draves (1999 - ongoing) Electric Sheep (see:

http://scottdraves.com/sheep.html)

Evocative of Sandin and Devideo performances of the

Electric Sheep is a form of asoftware that imitates the phenomena of evolution athough mathematics.

Born and bred on the netwthousands of computers, Ea signal bending networkepiece.
http://scottdraves.com/sheep.htmlhttp://scottdraves.com/sheep.htmlhttp://scottdraves.com/sheep.html


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Scott Draves (1999 - ongoing) Electric Sheep

(see: http://scottdraves.com/sheep.html)


This is a distributed system, w

participating computers work

form a supercomputer that re

animations, called "sheep", th

sees.

The human participants guide

the fittest by voting for their f

animations in the flock.
http://scottdraves.com/sheep.htmlhttp://scottdraves.com/sheep.htmlhttp://scottdraves.com/sheep.html


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Scott Draves (2008) Dreams in High Fidelity

(see: http://scottdraves.com/hifidreams.html)

Dreams in High Fidelooping animation c

high-resolution clips

a decade of networ

by tens of thousand

on the Electric Shee

system.

Dreams in High Fide

on a self-contained

database of 100 gig

in 1000 pieces that

nonrepeating seque

http://scottdraves.com/sheep.htmlhttp://scottdraves.com/sheep.htmlhttp://scottdraves.com/sheep.htmlhttp://scottdraves.com/sheep.htmlhttp://scottdraves.com/sheep.html


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Scott Draves (2008) Dreams in High Fidelity (see: http://scottdraves.com/hifidream
http://scottdraves.com/sheep.htmlhttp://scottdraves.com/sheep.html


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Signal StructureMartin Hilpoltsteiner, Wuerzburg, Ge

Martin Hilpoltsteiner (2008) Echo Flow Software Interface & Linear stereo filter (See: video)


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Martin Hilpoltsteiner (2008) Echo Flow Audio frequency filter & Slitscan filter (See: video)

Signal StructureMartin Hilpoltsteiner, Wuerzburg, Ge


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Nam June Paik


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Nam June Paik

Nam June Paik (1965)

Magnet TV

Nam June Paik &

Charlotte Moorman (1971)

Concerto for TV

Nam June Paik - 108 Torments of Mank

N J P ik


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Nam June PaikElectronic Opera #01 (1969)

Nam June Paik (1969) Electronic Opera #01

For the program, Medium is thbroadcaster WGBH-TV in Bostovisual artists to create original

These works challenged the paTV medium

Paiks contribution featured: Staged choreography Distorted images of public f

Richard Nixon Voice over instructions: T

TV and Turn off your TV s

N J P ik


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Nam June PaikElectronic Opera #01 (1969)

Nam June Paik (1969) Electronic Opera #01

One of the key effects howevof magnets to manipulate th

This created what seemed lik

transformations of three gre

eight loops laying on or abov

The figure-eight loops were t

direct processing of the elec

N J P ik


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Nam June PaikGlobal Groove (1973)

Nam June Paik (1973) Global Groove

An extension of the signal disto

techniques from the Electronic

A much longer piece featuring o

and Fluxus artists such as John C

Heavily synthesised images and

overlays of physical performanc

This is intercut with excerpts fro

and Paiks own back-catalogue

This is media performance with

performance of the TV signal


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Paiks introductory statement set the tone:This is a glimpse of a video landscape of tomorrow wheable to switch on any TV station on the earth and TV guid

fat as the Manhattan telephone book.

This is the spirit of Marshall McLuhan's global village mown concept of channel zapping:

'If we could compile a weekly TV festival made up of musfrom every county, and distributed it free-of-charge roun

via the proposed common video market, it would have a effect on education and entertainment.'

(Media Art Net, http://www.medienkunstnetz.de/works/global-g
http://www.medienkunstnetz.de/works/global-grove/http://www.medienkunstnetz.de/works/global-grove/http://www.medienkunstnetz.de/works/global-grove/


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In an ironic form of interactive television, Paik pre

"Participation TV," in which he instructs viewers to op

their eyes. Paik subjects this transcultural, intertextual

an exuberant, stream-of-consciousness onslaught of

editing and technological devices, including audio a

synthesis, colorization, ironic juxtapositions, tempora

layering a controlled chaos that suggests a hallucina

through the channels of a global TV. With its postmodeform and conceptual strategies, Global Groove stands a

statement on video, television and contemporar

(Electronic Arts Intermix, http://www.eai.org/title.htm?id=32

N J P ik
http://www.eai.org/title.htm?id=3287http://www.eai.org/title.htm?id=3287http://www.eai.org/title.htm?id=3287


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Nam June PaikGood Morning Mr Orwell (1984

Nam June Paik (1984) Good Morning Mr Orwell

Paik explores the potential of satellmedium of art making

Broadcast on New Years Day 1984,

familiar mix of sound performance,

text, choreography and live video o

effects.

Signal was mixed from the public br

TV in New York, the Pompidou Cen

broadcasters in Germany and South

Artists featured were John Cage, Ph

Anderson, Peter Gabriel and Allen G


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Following his move to the US, Paikfascinated by the laser as an untapresource.

Here we see Paik taking the imagethe television to create a mediaenvironment.

In the late 1990s, Paik began workNorman Ballard, an American laseLaser Cone is a product of this unicreative collaboration.

Nam June PaikLaser Cone (1998-2001)

Nam June Paik


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Nam June Paik

Laser Cone (1998-2001)

Nam June Paik & Norman Ballard (1998 & 2001-11) Laser Cone


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Laser Cone reflects Paik's interest in both the nat

technology, which he believed were intimat

connected. It is a work of beauty, but also a math

scientific experiment with laser lights projected acone surface that creates precise patterns and

depending upon angles and tangents of light on

surface. Paik was using a wheel chair when Lase

was created, and so the installation was conceiveaccessible experience.

(Fact Liverpool, http://www.fact.co.uk/projects/nam-june-paik/la

cone.aspx and https://youtu.be/cky1Eu1s9GE)
http://www.fact.co.uk/projects/nam-june-paik/laser-cone.aspxhttp://www.fact.co.uk/projects/nam-june-paik/laser-cone.aspxhttp://www.fact.co.uk/projects/nam-june-paik/laser-cone.aspxhttp://www.fact.co.uk/projects/nam-june-paik/laser-cone.aspxhttp://www.fact.co.uk/projects/nam-june-paik/laser-cone.aspxhttps://youtu.be/cky1Eu1s9GEhttp://www.fact.co.uk/projects/nam-june-paik/laser-cone.aspxhttps://youtu.be/cky1Eu1s9GEhttp://www.fact.co.uk/projects/nam-june-paik/laser-cone.aspx


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Appropriating the Signa


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Here Come the Videofreex

CBS & Videofreex, 1969

CBS / (1969/2015) Here Come the Videofreex

Group of people from a varietwith a common interest in theof personal video recorders (P

Hired by CBS to go undergroinsight into what was happenioutside of the mainstream ne

Filmed Abbie Hoffman and thmovement

Moved to the Catskills and setv station, Chanel 3 Lanesville

Became a model for future putelevision and later internet b

h d f


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Here Come the Videofreex

CBS, 1969

CBS / (1969/2015) Here Come the Videofreex

http://videofreexfilm.com/film-summary/

i i h i l
http://videofreexfilm.com/film-summary/http://videofreexfilm.com/film-summary/


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Appropriating the Signal

Dara Birnbaum , 1978/79

Dara Birnbaum (1979) Kiss The Girls Make Them Cry

Video & installation artist

Appropriated television prog

Wonder Woman, game show

sporting events

Critiquing the role of televisi

portrayals of gender and therepresentation iof the broad

mainstream American TV pr

Birnbaum uses disruptive ed

techniques, signal overlay, t

layer her compositions


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Commercial Entertainment Pro

Electronic Broadcast Network, 1

A collective of artist/technologists w

the Rhode Island School of Design

One of their members went to on to

that developed the After Effects soft

EBN remixed the Gulf War in 1991 a

fought

Called We Will Rock You the remix b

first viral videos on the web

EBN featured on the very first Lollap

Employed by U2 to provide the live v

their ZooTv tour in 1992/93


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Behaviour Modification - We Will Ro


EBN (1991) Behaviour Modification - We Will Rock You


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EBN (1993) Numb Remix

Numb Remix



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Spectres of the Spectrum

Craig Baldwin, 1999

Video artist, underground

media archaeologist and c

He uses pirated footage to

conventional documentar

Films critique consumeris

of copyright and intellectu His film Sonic Outlaws wa

defence of the group Nega

the time were being sued


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Craig Baldwin, 1999

Spectres of the Spectrum is constcompletely of kinescopes - 16mmtelevision broadcasts:

Threatened by the 'New Electromyoung telepathic woman helps se

save the planet from a futuristic wbased on the real life HAARP - HigActive Auroral Research Program,research component of the Star Warsenal. - V2 Media (Netherlands

http://v2.nl/archive/works/spectres-of-t
http://v2.nl/archive/works/spectres-of-the-spectrumhttp://v2.nl/archive/works/spectres-of-the-spectrumhttp://v2.nl/archive/works/spectres-of-the-spectrum


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Craig Baldwin, 1999

Homage to the Signal


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Homage to the SignalEclectic Method, 2012

Eclectic Method (2012) Lasers


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Signal Distortion

and Manipulation

Signal Distortion


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Signal DistortionChris Cunningham, UK

Chris Cunningham & Aphex Twin (1997) Come To Daddy

Information Apocalypse seri


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Michael Najjar (2003) Out of Focus I & II (michaelnajjar.com)

p ypMichael Najjar, Germany/USA

Information Apocalypse seri


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Michael Najjar (2003) Permanent Erosion (michaelnajjar.com)

p ypMichael Najjar, Germany/USA


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Signal Interpolation


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g pNabil Elderkin, Aus/LA

Nabil Elderkin & Kanye West (2009) Welcome To Heartbreak ft. Kid Cudi


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Signal Manipulation


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Mitch Goodwin (2011) Glitchaclysm (mitchgoodwin.com)

g pMitch Goodwin, Aus

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