Rainbow Making - Cup and Small Mirror

Inspired by the Unnatural Nature project I found, I decided to try to make my own rainbow. I visualise a final display with a big rainbow over one wall with a backdrop photo. I started off with a glass of water and a small mirror and a small but very bright LED torch. This didn't work as the torch light wasn't a slim enough beam and the glass and mirror should have been bigger. I used black card to reduce the torch light to a tiny beam and then managed to get a tiny rainbow.

Rainbow

It is possible to create rainbows using water, a mirror and a torch. What if this rainbow was in front of a night sky, something we know is impossible in nature? Although very rare, it is possible to see rainbows at night. or what if it was in front of an unpleasant landscape like a rubbish tip or war? 

Initial Thoughts on Simulation Elements of Nature

Severine Bouvier, Swedish designer. Lamp who's packaging is part of it. The thickness of the shade part and the brightness of the bulb suggests sunlight, heat and natural occurrence to me.

“Everything is destined to reappear as simulation. Landscapes as photography, woman as the sexual scenario, thoughts as writing, terrorism as fashion and the media, events as television.”
Jean Baudrillard, America, 1989

NOEMIE GOUDAL

part natural, part synthetic scenes where the materials used parody those of nature.

Part of 6 artists exploring the relationship between nature and mankind in 'Unnatural Nature'

http://www.cobgallery.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/cobcatalogue5.pdf

Sonnet 130

Through my research on simulating natural occurrences, I have found that it is rare to be able to recreate the beauty of nature. I am reminded of Shakespeare's Sonnet 130 in which he compares his mistress to natural beauty, while suggesting that it is always more beautiful than her, yet he still loves her for other reasons.

My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun; Coral is far more red than her lips' red; If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head. I have seen roses damask, red and white, But no such roses see I in her cheeks; And in some perfumes is there more delight Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks. I love to hear her speak, yet well I know That music hath a far more pleasing sound; I grant I never saw a goddess go; My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground: And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare As any she belied with false compare.

–William Shakespeare

Simulated Clouds

Inspired by the breathtaking views I saw out the window of a recent flight, and the way the sun filters through clouds to create beautiful colours and effects, I found a program which cleverly simulates this. In this demo video however you can see how the beauty of a simulation is only a fraction of what can be seen in real life. I would like to try and create similar effects with other materials on a smaller scale however I suspect that the intensity of the light from the sun and the scale of natural views are what make them great.

http://forum.unity3d.com/threads/115825-RELEASE-Nuaj-the-3D-clouds-simulator

Kaleidoscope

This invention by Sir David Brewster, it's name translating as 'observing beautiful shapes' from Greek, allows the viewer to look inside one end and see an abstract distortion of what is actually through the other end of it using reflections off of mirrors.

Data Visualisation

These are intricate computer generated visualisations of data. The first, 'Looks Delicious', is based on a collection of Delicious bookmarks and the second, 'The Opte Project' maps internet connections and networks and aims to make a map of the entire internet.

I started thinking about how I could collect my own data or use secondary data in order to fuel something similar. To be able to fit the brief however it would have to be data which would be used to predict future data and this could make the whole process too compacted if I was trying to do this whilst creating artwork out of it as well.

http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2009/06/50-great-examples-of-data-visualization/

http://www.opte.org/

http://kunalanand.com/delicious/