The Flowpoints project consists of a computer software and a series of digital prints that investigate the status of portraiture in an information age. Images captured by a web cam in the exhibition venue are processed in real time through a motion tracking software programmed by the artist.
The software detects the motion of the visitor and uses this data to deform the images as they are being captured. The individual movement of the visitor will determine the shape of the deformed images, and so the resulting image gives a personalized digital representation of the individual’s unique bodily style.
In technical terms, every image captured by the camera is processed in real-time via the Lucas-Kanade optical flow algorithm. The result of the optical flow analysis is a velocity field (an array of motion vectors). This information is then used in real time to deform every pixel of the image captured live by the camera.
The visitor can choose when to stop the process and output the current image. This image will become the central unit of a three-part print. The other two parts will express different aspects of the operation of the underlying algorithm.
Here is a brief explanation of the left and right hand parts of the print: In detecting motion, the algorithm performs several mathematical operations on the visual information captured by the camera. First of all, it calculates the rate of change of the brightness of the pixels along the horizontal and vertical axes. Secondly, it compares the brightness of the current frame with that of the previous frame, and so calculates the rate of change of the brightness along the temporal axis. In other words, the software computes two spatial derivatives and one temporal derivative. It then uses these results to detect any motion that might have occurred.
These calculations are visualized in the resulting print. The image on the left side of the print is created using data from one of the two spatial derivatives, while the image on the right side is generated with data from the temporal derivative. The work thus refers to the process of its own production.
Every print is a unique edition that represents a kinetic portrait of the individual person. |
