research /by Collaborative Project Groups

Collaborative Research Projects

For information on collaborative research projects in process or upcoming, visit collaborative research.

Unnatural Selection

(2006-2007 project in Mechatronics)

The purpose of this project group was to investigate and propose new roles for aesthetics in human relationships and the environment, be it man-made or natural. Areas of research included:

• Manifest Landscape, which engages the field Environmental Aesthetics to create a methodology for the preservation of natural landscape as open space with the goal of species protection.
• The Genetics of Desire, which examines questions of aesthetic operations and perceptions as they affect manipulations of the genetic code with the goal of producing new taxonomic structures to accommodate the aesthetics of new life-forms.
• The Transgenic Sublime, which seeks to adopt a new mode of Manifest Destiny and create a new mythology of genomic space.
• The Art of Alternative Energy, which posits questions for discussion between artist, technologists, alternative energy representatives, designers, architects, computer-networking experts and sociologists.
• Hudson Valley Bonsai, a mechatronic installation for tree, motors and video projection.

People: Elliot Anderson, Tyler Freeman, Adam Jerugim, James Khazar, Nichole Smith, Synthia Payne, no.e sunflowrfish, and Alan Tollefson

Collaborative Project Groups 2005-06

"Artparts" Project

(Mechatronics group project 2005-06)

Ed Osborn's group researches the best way to do and make various "tools" for DANM type projects. Currently the group is devoted to producing an online category of "useful to artistis" links. It is very much in beta: http://artparts.ucsc.edu/

People: Ed Osborn, Tiffany Wong, Sumit Agarwal, Christopher Ramirez, Jess Damsen

Peter Elsea's Group

Peter's Group explores new relationships between image and sound. This includes techniques for deriving images from sound, sound from images, and generating both from a common source. Student work may include interactive installations, video projections, algorithmic composition, synthesis by sonification, interface design, web pages, laser shows and more. The culmination of our activities will be a performance (May 2006)and publication tools and techniques developed. People: Peter Elsea, [Daniel Massey, Darryl Ferrucci and leaf

Social Computing Lab

(Participatory Culture group project 2005-06 )

People: Warren Sack, aphid, Michael Dale, Michella Rivera-Gravage and alana Perlin