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Double Vision is a site specific installation that uses liquid crystal film to obscure and reveal a lush forest grove. Installed at the Pearl Conard Gallery, Mansfield, OH, it fits in a wide expanse of windows that are the focal point of the venue.
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The installation uses 378 four inch “pixels” that change as a viewer stands in front of them from chaotic obfuscation to a clear braille phrase: “Here and now is gone and then…”. Neither tactile nor a universally understood language, the interpretive difficulties illuminate problems of comprehension, especially with regard to what we see outside when the pixels are clear. Visitors are given a key to decode the message, but only as they move in front of it can it be read, one letter at a time.
The material used for this project is Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal and it is commonly used in “smart glass” panels for windows and office walls. It is related to the LCD technology in our computer displays. The pixels turn from opaque to clear when AC voltage is applied across the two layers of film. The voltage is controlled by Arduino microcontrollers and networked using a Raspberry Pi micro-computer. They are programmed to switch in a random pattern until a motion sensor indicates a visitor. At that point, they spell out the chosen phrase.
Double Vision has developed through the artistic and scientific collaboration of Claudia Esslinger and Tom Giblin. with the support of the Ohio Arts Council and Development grants from Kenyon College and the GLCA new initiatives grant. Tom Giblin programmed this piece. He is the Harvey F. Lodish Development Professor of Natural Science and Assistant Professor of Physics at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio. His research in theoretical and computational particle physics and cosmology is funded by the National Science Foundation.
The material used for this project is Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal and it is commonly used in “smart glass” panels for windows and office walls. It is related to the LCD technology in our computer displays. The pixels turn from opaque to clear when AC voltage is applied across the two layers of film. The voltage is controlled by Arduino microcontrollers and networked using a Raspberry Pi micro-computer. They are programmed to switch in a random pattern until a motion sensor indicates a visitor. At that point, they spell out the chosen phrase.
Double Vision has developed through the artistic and scientific collaboration of Claudia Esslinger and Tom Giblin. with the support of the Ohio Arts Council and Development grants from Kenyon College and the GLCA new initiatives grant. Tom Giblin programmed this piece. He is the Harvey F. Lodish Development Professor of Natural Science and Assistant Professor of Physics at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio. His research in theoretical and computational particle physics and cosmology is funded by the National Science Foundation.
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