This collaboration with Peter Bussigel is an exploration of computationally mediated rotation using motorized magnets to create modular ‘soundtracks’. Three industrial motors are programmed using the Arduino Integrated Development Environment. Each motor propels a magnet that inscribes a physical ‘track’ into the painted surface of a wooden picture board as it moves.
The motion is visceral but small-scale. The sound-world revolves around a series of ‘scrapes’, but there is a surprising detail and resonance, and the magnetic forces add a layer of complexity to what is a relatively simple system. The texture of the painted surface functions as a musical score that gets disrupted over time; this is akin to the grooves on a vinyl record. The work involves live algorithms, this means that magnetic/mechanical agency is augmented by machine agency, and all agents exert their influence in somewhat unpredictable ways.
Links to Online Documentation
- Soundtracks 2019 (one-page project overview on johnrobertferguson.com)
- Soundtracks 2019 at Emily Carr Event Flyer
- Emily Carr Invite Letter
- Soundtracks 2019 Documentation on Vimeo 1
- Soundtracks 2019 Documentation on Vimeo 2
- Process Documentation on Instagram