Meandering Media
Meandering Sound

Martin Schneider: Vignette Explorer (2010)
About
In this lecture we will look at sound signals as meandering curves in time.
- Mathematical Functions — in the 1st part, we will learn how to create curves using mathematical functions.
- Curves of Sound — in the 2nd part, we will learn how to make audible curves in time and space.
Goals
- Basics of mathematical functions
- Polar coordinates
- Harmonic synthesizer
- Sound synthesis in Processing
Literature
- Irvine Whitty: The Harmonograph (1893)
- Joseph Goold: Harmonic Vibrations (1910)
- Tom Greenslade: All about Lissajous Figures (1993)
- Frank A. Farris: Wheels on Wheels on Wheels — Surprising Symmetry (1996)
- Aatish Bhatia: The Math Trick behind MP3s, JPEGs and Homer Simpson's Face (2013)
- Michael Trott: Making Formulas for Everyhing — from Pi to the Pink Panther to Sir Isaac Newton (2013)
- Michael Trott: Using Formulas for Everything — from a Complex Analysis Class to Political Cartoons to Music Album Covers (2013)
Code
- Santiago Ginnobili: Ptolemy and Homer Simpson (2008)
- Martin Schneider: Vignette Explorer (2011)
- Joe Freedman: Cycloid Drawing Machine + Code (2015)
Art
- Steffen Fiedler: Unreliable Machinery (2011)
- Jeroboam Fenderson: Nuclear Black Noise (2013)
Links
- Harmonic Synthsizer and Harmonic Analyser
- Michael McCarthy: Fourier-Curve Tracing the Batman-Curve (2015)
- John Baez and Anita Chodry: The Harmonograph (2016)
- Jeroboam Fenderson: Oscilloscope Music (2016)
Meandering Video
About
In this lecture will consider look at video signals as meandering curves through space and time.
Goals
- video recording technology
- introduction to video art
- scan line algorithms
- functional video transformations
- processing videos with Processing
Literature
- Thomas Dreher: Geschichte der Computerkunst: Videokulturen (2015)
- Jen Christiansen: Pop Culture Pulsar: Origin Story of Joy Division’s Unknown Pleasures Album Cover (2015)
Art
- Rutt-Etra Video Synthesizer (1974)
- Steina and Woody Vasulka: Objects (1978)
- Steina and Woody Vasulka: Transformations (1978)
Code
- Felix Turner: Rutt-Etra-Izer (2011)
- Mikko Harju: Unknown Pleasures visualization test with Processing (2011)
The Meandering Mind

Martin Schneider: MotionGram Explorer
About
In this lecture we will have look at electric, mechanic, and biological systems and how their trajectories can be analyzed using data visualisation and sonification.
Goals
- motiongrams and motionmaps
- working with EEG, EKG, EMG data
- quantified self
Literature
Here's some literature that may be relevant for students taking the project module of Ursula Damm:
- Edwin R. Lewis: Using electronic circuits to model simple neuroelectric interactions (1968)
- Stafford Beer: Designing Freedom (1973)
- Peter Cariani: To evolve an ear: epistemological implications of Gordon Pask's electrochemical devices (1993)