Diamante en Bruto
The main concept behind “Diamond in the Rough” is the state of an idea about to happen: where in the immaterial but latent world it lives, and what role we play in bringing it to the here and now through experience and interaction.
Technical, aesthetic and conceptual development
“Diamond in the Rough” takes elements from the work of Ben Laposky and Vera Molnar. Laposky, known for his “Oscillons”, used oscilloscopes to create abstract shapes from electrical signals, exploring the possibilities of visual synthesis through technology. Molnar, for his part, used repetitive geometric figures based on computer algorithms, practicing randomness.
The false 3D appearance in the work is an indication of an idea that seems to materialize, but that continues to exist on a pre-theoretical or, rather, pre-sensory plane, suggesting the transition between the immaterial and the tangible, or the unconscious and the conscious.
”It does not seem that any technical specification of the support should ever be considered a relevant feature for an aesthetic categorization.” Brea writes in his “Brief (and messy) antiglossary - or dictionary of topics - on electronic art.” This is how “Diamond in the Rough” briefly leaves aside the technicalities of the medium to explore underlying concepts in all of us.
To what extent does a work inhabit virtuality when it needs experience to be completed? And to what extent does humans require artistic experience to realize their virtuality?
These were questions that initially served as a trigger for the development of the work, taking into account the texts read.
Taking point number 7 of the “Redefinition of artistic practices”, this work does not seek to represent, but rather to make visible a state that is hidden from everyday perception.
“Diamond in the Rough” is housed in an interactive environment where geometric lines and shapes rotate and vary within the gray scale.
Seeking to imitate the medium used by Laposky—that is, the cathode ray tube display of analog oscilloscopes—the work includes a grid on a dark background. However, the figure that at first would seem like the typical graphic representation of the electrical signals emitted by the old device, only refers to the American artist in its animation based on sine and cosine.
To prevent the work from completely imitating a medium to which it does not belong, simulating a Lissajous curve, “Diamond in the rough” appropriates the nature of Vera Molnar’s geometric work, thus creating a form composed of lines that vary in a “random” way.
Literature
APELLIDO, Nombre. (año). “Título del libro”. Ciudad: Editorial.
BREA, José Luis. (2002). “Breve (y desordenado) antiglosario –o diccionario de tópicos- sobre el arte electrónico” en La era postmedia. Acción comunicativa, prácticas (post)artísticas y dispositivos neomediales. Salamanca: CASA Editorial.
BREA, José Luis. (2008). “Redefinición de las prácticas artísticas (s. 21)” en El tercer umbral. Estatuto de las prácticas artísticas en la era del capitalismo cultural. Murcia: CENDEAC.