GMU:Coding Gestalt

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Coding Gestalt, Gestalting Code
Code Gestalten, Gestalt Codieren

Werkmodul/Fachmodul
Lecturer: Martin Schneider
Credits: 6 ECTS, 4 SWS
Date: Tuesday, 15:15 - 18:30
Venue: Marienstraße 5, Room 204
First meeting: Tuesday 08. April 2014


NEWS

   The Gestalt and Code Mailing List is now active.
   Click on the link to sign up with your uni-weimar email account.
   Please fork the Coding-Gestalt Github Repo containing the weekly exercises. 

Beschreibung

Gestalt ist das Wirken von Strukturgesetzen des Ganzen auf die einzelnen Teile. In diesem Kurs werden wir Gestalt-Gesetze programmieren, um Formen zu erzeugen. Automatische Gestalt-Erkennung und Gestalt-basierte Programmierung bilden den zweiten Schwerpunkt.

Zunächst lernen wir die klassische Gestalttheorie Wertheimers kennen.

Im nächsten Schritt entwickeln wir anhand der "Structural Information Theory" Leeuwenbergs eigene Codes für die Repräsentierung visueller Form. Wir lernen Fröbels Spielgaben kennen, die darauf basierenden Shape Grammars, sowie L-Systeme und andere Systeme zur formalen Beschreibung von Gestalt und Wandel. Schliesslich entwickeln wir eigene Codes und schreiben Programme die diese Codes interpretieren und daraus grafische und plastische Formen erzeugen.

Im zweiten Teil versuchen wir Gestalt zu entschlüsseln. Wir nutzen Gestaltgesetze um die vielfältigen Beziehungen innerhalb visueller und akustischer Form, Gesten und anderer Signale zu interpretieren. Dabei kommen die Geräte des Lehrstuhls für Gestaltung Medialer Umgebungen, aber auch ganz alltägliche Sensoren wie Laptop-Kameras und Mikrofone zum Einsatz. Im letzten Schritt lernen wir Systeme für Gestalt-basierte Programmierung wie Reactable, TurTan und AcidSketch kennen, und entwickeln selbst vergleichbare Umgebungen.

Description

Gestalt is the law of form of the whole taking effect on its individual parts. In this course we will program Gestalt laws to generate form. Automatic Gestalt-recognition and Gestalt-based programming constitute the other point of focus.

First we will get to know the classic Gestalt theory of Wertheimer. In the next step we will develop our own codes for representation of visual form, based on the "Structural Information Theory" of Leeuwenberg. We will introduce Fröbel Gifts, Shape Grammars which are based on those, and L-Systems, as well as other formal systems used to describe growth and form. Eventually we will develop our own codes, and write programs to interpret them and turn them into forms, both graphic and plastic.

The second part is about decoding Gestalt. We will use Gestalt-Laws to interpret the manifold relationships within visual and auditory form, gestures and other signals. We will use the devices of the faculty for Media Environments, but also every-day sensors like built-in cameras and microphones of laptops and smartphones. In the final step we will get to know systems for Gestalt-based programming like Reactable, TurTan and AcidSketch and develop similar environments of our own.

Schedule

Theme Topic Date
I. Analyzing Gestalt Introduction to Gestalt Theory 08. April 2014
Outlines of Shapes 15. April 2014
Skeletons of Shapes 22. April 2014
II. Coding Gestalt Tiling Systems 29. April 2014
Rewriting Grammars 06. May 2014
Complexity and Symmetry 13. May 2014
Code and Compression 20. May 2014
III. Generating Gestalt Generating Visual Form 27. May 2014
Sculptural Composition 03. June 2014
Composing Sonic Form 10. June 2014
Textile Composition 24. June 2014
IV. Gestalting Code Media Environments for Gestalt Coding 01. July 2014
Create your own Media Environment 08. July 2014
Live Coding Performance to be announced

Requirements

Since we will use Processing as a tool, programming experience in Processing is strictly required.
We will also use Github, OpenProcessing and this Wiki on a frequent basis.

If you want to take part in this course, you should already have:

  • created a couple of sketches using Processing
  • registered an account on Github + created a repo containing a Processing app
  • registered an account on OpenProcessing and upload a sketch in processing.js


Target Audience

Bachelor and Master Students of

  • Media Art & Design
  • Media Architecture
  • Visual Communication

Evaluation

Participants are expected to develop their own codes for interpretation or construction of Gestalt.
Implemenatation as a reactive or interactive program, that is able to perceive or compose visual or accoustic form.
During the course there will be Assignments where you will be expected to upload your sketches to OpenProcessing and publish the results in this wiki.


Registration procedure

Please send your application by email with the Subject Coding Gestalt to: Martin.Schneider (at) uni-weimar.de

  • Name, Surname
  • program and semester (Studienprogramm und Fachsemester)
  • matriculation number (Matrikelnummer)
  • Valid email address @uni-weimar.de (no other mailing addresses will be accepted) Why?
  • Short paragraph outlining your motivation + expectations for this course
  • Link to your OpenProcessing, GitHub or other public repo.

Participants


Literature

Online

Semesterapparat (Limona Empore)

  • Leeuwenberg, E. L. J; van der Helm, P. A.: Structural information theory: The simplicity of visual form ISBN 978-1-107-02960-6
  • Dickinson, Sven J.; Pizlo Zygmunt: "Shape Perception in Human and Computer Vision: An Interdisciplinary Perspective ISBN 978-1-4471-5194-4
  • Desolneux, Agnès; Moisan, Lionel; Morel, Jean-Michel: From Gestalt Theory to Image Analysis: A Probabilistic Approach ISBN 0-387-72635-7
  • Leyton, Michael: The Structure of Paintings ISBN 3-540-42717-1
  • Leyton, Michael: A Generative Theory of Shape ISBN 3-540-42717-1
  • Thompson, William B.: Visual perception from a computer graphics perspective ISBN 978-1-56881-465-0
  • Pizlo, Zygmunt: 3D Shape: Its Unique Place in Visual Perception ISBN 0-262-51513-X
  • Froebel, Friedrich: Die Spielgaben ISBN 3-608-95059-1
  • Stiny, George: Shape: talking about seeing and doing ISBN 0-262-19531-3
  • Ostwald, Wilhelm: Die Harmonie der Formen (Sondermagazin SoB 387)
  • Itten, Johannes: Gestaltungs- und Formenlehre : Mein Vorkurs am Bauhaus und später ISBN 3-473-61560-9
  • Prusinkiewicz, Przemyslaw; Lindemeyer, Aristid: The Algorithmic Beauty of Plants ISBN 3-540-97297-8, (online PDF)
  • Gunzenhäuser, Rul: Maß und Information als ästhetische Kategorien:
    Einführung in die ästhetische Theorie G. D. Birkhoffs und die Informationsästhetik
    ISBN 978-3870070304 (Bo BirkGeo/1)
  • Birkhoff, George D., Aesthetic Measure ISBN 978-0766130944 (not yet available)
  • Bentley, Peter: On Growth, Form and Computers ISBN 978-0-12-428765-5 (not yet available)
  • Bentley, Peter: Creative evolutionary systems ISBN 978-0-470-66565-7
  • Downey, Allen B.: Think Complexity: Complexity Science and Computational Modeling ISBN 978-1449314637 (not yet available)
  • Menges, Achim: Computational Design Thinking ISBN 978-0-470-66570-1
  • Flake, William Gary: The Computational Beauty of Nature: Computer Explorations of Fractals, Chaos, Complex Systems, And Adaptation ISBN 0-262-06200-3
  • Harris, James: Fractal Architecture: Organic Design Philosophy in Theory and Practice ISBN 978-0826352019 (not yet available)
  • Eglash, Ron: African Fractals: Modern Computing and Indigenous DesignISBN 978-0813526140 (not yet available)
  • Conway, John H.; Burgiel Heidi; Goodman-Strauss, Chaim: The Symmetries of Things ISBN 978-1568812205 (not yet available)
  • Washburn, Dorothy, K.; Crowe, Donald, W.: Symmetries of Culture: Theory and Practice of Plane Pattern Analysis 978-0295970844 (not yet available)
  • Lehmann, Marc: Music, Gestalt and Computing (Studies in Cognitive and Systematic Musicology) ISBN 3-540-63526-2
  • Metzger, Wolfgang: Gesetze des Sehens: Die Lehre vom Sehen der Formen und Dinge des Raumes und der Bewegung ISBN 978-3-88074-492-9
  • Metzger, Wolfgang: Laws of Seeing ISBN 978-0-262-13467-5
  • Wertheimer, Max: On Perceived Motion and Figural Organization ISBN

978-0-262-01746-6

  • Wertheimer, Max: Drei Abhandlungen zur Gestalttheorie (Sondermagazin SoB 173 282)