Peg Mirror (2007) by Daniel Rozin
Size 42 inches H, 42 inches W, 6 Inches D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dghosA-zI6k
Peg Mirror is an interactive artwork. This media art work is made by 650 wood dowels, 650 motors, video camera, control electronics. This Peg Mirror acts just like a mirror. When a body stands in front of the Peg Mirror, the image of him will be reflected on Peg Mirror. Can you imagine that your face show on wooden?
Peg Mirror comprises several hundred wooden dowels that tips have been cut at an angle. Optically, the way we get the image is when the wood dowels tilt downwards, they get to be dark, and when they tilt upwards, they will be bright. On the ceiling, there are spotlights, aimed to give the resources of lights that reflect by different angle of the wood dowels. So we can get a good contrast on the display. The wood dowels can move up and down controlled by the computer. There are several hundred motors that are moving the wood dowels, and can position them from very down.
source: http://www.smoothware.com/danny/peg.jpg
A small central camera is placed on eyesight of a typical average person that surrounded by wood dowels forming circles. This video camera is capturing the image of whatever stands in front. Then the video signal is sent to the desktop computer which is hiding in a different room and that signal is analyzed into grayscale, in black and white values. Each black and white value actually corresponds to an angle of one of the wooden dowels. This is activated by the software authored by Rozin. The video signal in his software only contains several hundred pixels which is equal to the number of the wooden dowels. So one pixel of the video signals is responded by a wooden dowel. Once the computer has done that, it communicates with many server controllers, sending those controllers commands to move the motors, as needed. Usually, most of the motors is moving at the same time. So the audiences will find Peg Mirror likes a mirror, a smooth animation.
COPY BY http://www.smoothware.com/danny/pegside.jpg
Actually, the wooden dowels would reflect the light differently and would create the bright and dark pixels. This is the main concept of this art work, casting shadows by twisting and rotating which is about the reflection of the light. As you can see the wooden dowel that is tilting down become darker than the ones that are tilted upwards. Because the wooden tilt upwards can reflect the light, it will be bright. Daniel Rozin tries to react with the real light to produce the image instead of the virtual light. He uses the wooden instead of the screen. He would like to combines the physical with the digital or computational worlds.
Daniel Rozin is an artist of interactive digital art. As an interactive artist Rozin creates a lot of installations and sculptures. This interactive art work use organic materials to become a digital media. It works well as a wood installation and also functions as a « mirror » on the wall. The interactivity brings the art work almost living object. The moving surface creates beautiful ripples. It reflects the movement of nature while appearing like a highly manufactured work. Therefore computers and software are important in this art work. Also, the audiences become the contents of his art work. Just like this art work, the interaction of the audiences is very important.
Mirror is a very common thing in our daily life. Peg Mirror is totally different to the regular mirror. All the things show on the « screen » is sculpture, not image anymore. It is analyzed and produced by computer. But it also uses the concept of the reflection of the light. It is totally different to the concept of the mirror. We can see the image reflected on the mirror is because it is transparent media and the surface of the mirror is smooth enough. But in this Peg Mirror, it is totally different. It changes the angel of the wooden to produce different color to show the « image ».
Moreover, all the audiences can be artist. They can produce different image in this Peg Mirror. This art work has infinite possible. Art works are not high-level things. All of the person can participate in them.
