Early Work (2004–2009)
Smaller projects, performances and experiments from before graduate school at UW DXARTS.
Termpapers
2004
I set out on this project with the goal of writing a computer program to generate my term paper my graduate studies seminar this fall (of 2004). I knew from the beginning that I wanted to write about Keith Tyson as one of the artists for my paper, and he has spent many years working with various systms he has built to automate various parts of the creative process, including his Artmachine from the 90s, which is the first one I really fell in love with–it generated detailed descriptions of works of art that he would then go and make. It seemed like an attractive parallel gesture to write a program to write my paper about him. Developing this project additionally let me indulge my interests in natural language processing and natural language generation. I wanted to investigate text generation programs as (1) labor saving device and (2) an analogous process to his artmaking machines. I chose Matthew Barney and Natalie Jermemijenko, the two other artists I am most interested in at the moment to feature as the 2nd and 3rd points of my paper.
I set out to simultaneously pursue the development of two papers. One, the paper that became dadengine termpaper (the programmed paper), and the paper that became robertengine termpaper (the hand generated paper). Along the way I also picked up the travesty termpaper, another computer generated paper of slightly different quality and method than the dadaengine termpaper.
I wanted to specify the minimal structure necessary to produce a legible paper. I pursued the development of the computer generated and robert generated papers simultaneously, and any effort that I put into structuring the computer generated paper could be recycled into structure for the robertengine termpaper. The computer generated termpaper was not going to have any structure that I didn’t put there. I suspect that it can’t generate as reasoned, rational argument. (Of course, you may wonder if I could either…) I’m not sure whether it really worked to recycle structure for the robertengine termpaper. This was a totally backwards way to write an essay.
I came in with an open mind, trying sincerely to make the computer version work. Starting with the postmodernism generator, I stripped out references that were irrelevant or false, and began to load it up with actual information from the research that I had done. I’ve turned in the travesty termpaper under my real name, and the robertengine termpaper under a pseudonym to fulfill the requirement for the class.
The results follow:
Travesty
DadaEngine
“Engineered art: the Barney’s Drawing Restraint, Tyson’s Artmachine, and Jermeijenko’s Suicide Box.”
RobertEngine
bonus
10,201 pages of Travesty text on Barney, Tyson, and Jeremijenko (34Mb txt)
Alphabet
2004-2009 (ongoing)
This project is a durational performance focusing on the most minimal, rote mechanical interaction between a human and their computer: typing. For students of a certain era, computer education began with the alphabet, in learning how to touch type. This project rehearses that activity: as an ordered, purposeful, physical interaction with the computer, but one which is devoid of meaning. It plays on the idea of work as complicated by information technologies: each line below is 100% original, unique data as typed by the artist (no cut and paste).
Uuencode Random
Exploring the limits of attention. The difficulty of doing something really, really tedious, rote menchanical, with no value. This durational performance, transcribing the random text output of the random kernel function, is ongoing.
Sunlit Display
A simple LCD panel modified to be backlit by the sun. This panel functions as an ambient display and architectural/interior design element.
Mockups at Center for Research in Computing and the Arts (CRCA):
Laptop Version
https://wikis.nyu.edu/xdesign/mediawiki/index.php/Sunlit_Computer
Boring!
RJ45
We aimed to (1) create a contemplative space for self-reflection, (2) create a mysterious second layer of technology, and (3) bring a sense of humor to the building. This installation was built in the Reconfigurable Studio #4 in the CalIT2 New Media Arts Wing for the building dedication ceremony.
With Carl Burton. CalIT2 Building Dedication Ceremony. October, 2006.
Wood Chopping
Wood Chopping from Robert Twomey on Vimeo.
Performance for Mark Oliver’s (UCSD MFA ’05) thesis project, Buggy Life. I am the man in flannel chopping wood in back. 2005.
Anatomical Suite
This series of drawings examines systems that are points of degradation and probable failure-mechanical, aesthetic, neurological-of my body through age. Exhibited at Heavy Weight (2009) at The Body Firm, in Pasadena, CA. Curated by Sara Hunsucker.
More photos: Anatomical Drawings - Heavy Weight - 2009 (Flickr) →
Anatomical Drawings – 2009
For Heavy Weight, 2009, at The Body Firm, in Pasadena, CA. The systems examined in this series are the points of degradation and (probable) failure–mechanical and neurological–of my body through age.
Chimney
Installed at MCASD, 2005
More photos: Chimney - MCASD - 2005 (Flickr) →
How To Make Art
