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Experimental Pedagogy

  • Chladni Plate
  • Cymatics
  • Re-appropriation
  • Infotainment
  • 3D projection
  • Pure Data
  • Makeout Weird

I modified a speaker (basic transducer) so that all its energy went to a metal plate instead of the speaker cone, creating a Chladni Plate. I generated pure sine tones in Pure Data (PD) and sent them to the metal sheet causing sound. I then poured salt on it and intricate patterns appeared—different patterns correlate to different pitches. Because only certain parts of the plate are vibrating to create the tones, the parts that are not vibrating collect salt, revealing patterns. This is a phenomenon belonging to the field of Cymatics (the study of wave behavior).
I performed a couple of unannounced mock salesman style demo/infotainment pieces at local venues, selling free information about a scientific phenomenon.

A later version of the performance incorporated non-Newtonian fluid and an experimental four screen set-up, organized by Cameron Baily, which projected live 3D footage of the plate.  The occasion was the two year anniversary of Makeout Weird, an experimental monthly event I co-curated.

 

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