About

Sara Wentworth

Supervisors:
John Godfrey
Christopher Morris
Jeffrey Weeter

Institution and Department:
University College Cork: Music Department

Academic History:
CUNY Brooklyn College:
Performance and Interactive Media Art M.F.A.
The College of New Jersey:
B.F.A. Digital Art

 

Research Interests:

 

Project:

While pursuing a PhD in the Digital Arts and Humanities Programme, I intend to create an interactive audio-visual investigation of memory and information systems. The piece would be based on research of how memory works, what is remembered and why, and how information changes with time, including investigations of archiving methods and their effects on shaping a society’s self image and history. This piece would explore the personal, political, and historical effects of information storage and recollection.

Technological topics I plan to explore within these contexts are data collection and data visualization, audio composition, audio analysis and synthesis, speech analysis and synthesis, wireless sensor technology, video analysis and camera vision, and video design, as well as spatial design and composition.

I intend to explore data collection both through the traditional documentary format of interviews and research, and through newer web technologies such as web scraping, data mining, and computational data processing. Once information is gathered, I will explore ways of portraying this information through algorithmic, time based audio-visual information systems. Further compositional data will be collected from live performance through sensor data, audio analysis, and video analysis.

Performer choreography, text, and musicianship would be composed according to research collected. All technical elements, including but not limited to lights, sound, and video, will be performer operated and driven, and integrated with the overall performance. Performer actions will be recorded and analyzed, and fed back into the overarching information system. Audio, video, and performer action will serve not only as premeditated, pre-recorded compositions, but also tools for further improvised, computer-generated arrangements.

Physical computing and wireless sensor technology used would include sensors embedded in clothing, such as flex sensors and stretch sensors located in a performers elbows and knees, pressure sensors located at the fingertips of a performers gloves, or motion sensors located at various points of a performers body.  It might also include infrared distance sensors strategically located on stage to determine the performers current position, triggering events accordingly, and custom control panels affixed to instruments or props.

In addition to studying traditional composition, recording, and playback techniques using multi-channel audio systems, I intend to study computer-generated composition based on input from prepared source material as well as data collected from live performative actions. Audio analysis techniques, such as pitch, beat, frequency detection, and speech analysis will be used to create new compositions, and to transform these compositions into usable data for further audio-visual compositions. Speech and music will be deconstructed and reconstructed according to recorded memory and circumstantial changes.

Video projection and video analysis will also play a large role in this piece. Video sources will be derived from my research on memory, as well as generated as visuals based on research data and sensor data collected from live performance. Live video will be used for further data collection and analysis, utilizing frame differencing and blob detection to determine motion, speed and location of performers and objects on stage, and fed back into the overarching information system.

Video, lights, audio, and performer movement will all be considered elements of the overall spatial design of the performance space. Video will be used as architecture, integrating custom projection surfaces and video mapping. A multi-speaker audio system will create the illusion of motion. Lighting, shadows, and performative movement will be carefully considered in the sculpting of space.  All elements will be held together by an overarching information system based on researched information and data gathered from live performance, creating an intricate, integrated collage of performance, audio, video, lights, and set design.

Through this piece, I intend to study and create information systems, leading to the construction of reusable, transposable tools for integrated media performance. Media and research will be used as artistic process, and technologies will be developed collaboratively with any performers integrated with the performance. Thus, performers will be comfortable working with media from the beginning, and will have an active role in deciding on how these technologies could be explored in relation with space and body. Researched information, sound, video, and performer action will unify into one intricate, performative collage.