Facing Data

Andrés Burbano. Data: George Legrady and SPL
© Data from Seattle Public Library ; Andrés Burbano. Data: George Legrady and SPL
Documents
  • Facing Data
    image/jpeg
    1500 × 878
Description
The amazing human ability to get information from faces have been influential to certain visualizations -like Chernoff faces - which explore that perceptual condition to represent data or information. In general, the visualizations using faces work with drawings, in "Facing data" the main component is to explore faces to represent information but using photography. Additionally, to read the images in an appropriate fashion the OPENGL three-dimensional space offers us tools to see using zoom-in and zoom-out. The old techniques of chiaroscuro were also a useful tool to determine the final look and feel of the project.

Finally a component of physical interaction -using wiring- is presented as a way to interact with the application.

Important elements found

Represent data with faces have clear limitations when working with many elements, but for certain projects where data involves information about people, it can be a good way of "including" the people on the representation.

The element of humor also appears I don't have a clear explanation, but must of the people smile or even laugh when they see the visualization using photorealistic faces.
Keywords
  • aesthetics
    • documenting
    • three-dimensional
    • visual
  • genres
    • database art
  • subjects
    • Arts and Visual Culture
  • technology
    • software
      • Java
Technology & Material
Interface
"The use of chiaroscuro to achieve a dramatic intensification of action or atmospheric mood is something that Rembrandt learned from his study of da Vinci and Caravaggio. By placing the point of greatest illumination on a central, active figure, and simultaneously muting elements of the background, Rembrandt and his Italian predecessors could focus the viewer's attention onto a specific action in a manner similar to the way in which stage-lighting functions in the theater. Furthermore, Rembrandt's calculated manipulation of light and shadow frequently creates atmospheric moods surrounding his figures, thereby imbuing them with a sense of glowing enthusiasm, or (more often) a sense of gloom and mystery
Exhibitions & Events
Bibliography