Evolving Portraits

Genetic Programing to Evolve Portraits

A conceptual piece that evolves a related family of abstract portrait painters. Portraits are created by Darwinian evolution using the programming technique called Genetic Programming. Using the painting of Darwin by John Collier as the creative spark (the evolutionary resemblance test they survive by), portraits slowly evolve over a month of constant computer time in this art programming experiment to cajole a computer to become creative on its own (see paper). The mathematical genes were not specifically created for the portrait painting task, but were our genes any different -- surely not originally created for writing computer programs or making art.

Can you bring the ghost (creativity) out of the machine (the computer) using the ghost of Darwin (his namesake techniques and portrait).

Touring exhibition: MIT Museum & Cambridge University's King Art Centre

Programming, concepts and art: Steve DiPaola

2007-2008: stills
Darwin portraits: All these abstract portraits (selected from 100's) evolved from the Darwin sitter image (1) and are alive and are related (one family tree).Earlylate: The source image and early evolved portraits in the first row with later more complex (more evolved) portraits in the second row (selected - see link for more).Breeding: Portraits are alive (the genes of every painting are saved), so it is possible to recombine any, like these two & create new offspring (note how offspring combine painterly strategies of the parents)

AI, GeneticProg, Creativity, GenerativeDesign

Kraftwerk Stage Visuals

World Tour Stage Visuals 2003-2005

Paying homage to the original art work done in 1988, Kraftwerk used our created imagery for their stage design both in the projected visuals and in a 'life imitates art' and back again moment, in their fashioned clothing to match our original wireframe artwork.

Credits: Kraftwerk, 03-05 Kraftwerk stage designer, Rebecca Allen (Diretor), DiPaola.

2003-2005: installations / performances
Tour 2004-2: Live concert documentation.Original Wireframe: 1988 Musique Non Stop created artwork.Original wired heads: 1988 Musique Non Stop created artwork.Tour 2004-4: Suits design on our orginal artwork.Tour 2004-1: Live concert documentation.Audience: Live concert documentation.Body Suits: Live concert documentation.

Character3D, FaceResearch

Selected Stills III

Photographs and Liteboxes 2000-2004

Selected large framed work or liteboxes portraits created via 3D systems (mostly artist's original programs) and typically realized on photography media. The work has been exhibited internationally - mostly in galleries in NYC and California.

Series III : 3D painterly noise series - experiments in 'brush strokes abstract space rather than color'.

2000-2004: stills
Noise 53a: More recent stochastic noise perturbation experiments. History: A.I.R. Gallery, NYC, 2004. Sold.Noise 59a: More recent stochastic noise perturbation experiments. History: Times Up Gallery Space, NYC.

Selected Stills II

Photographs and Liteboxes 1990-1995

Selected large framed work or liteboxes portraits created via 3D systems (mostly artist's original programs) and typically realized on photography media. The work has been exhibited internationally - mostly in galleries in NYC and California.

SeriesII : 3D stochastic noise series.

1990-1995: stills
Three muses: Created from my first experiments in using 3D stochastic noise (noise code by John Lewis) at NYIT. The background is created from the foreground objects. History: Times Up Gallery Space, NYC.States of mind III: cibrachrome transparency lightbox. Homage to Boccioni. History: Tibor De Nagy Gallery, NYC.Pedestal: Cibrachrome Print.

Selected Stills I

Photographs and Liteboxes 1987-1991

Selected large framed work or liteboxes portraits created via 3D systems (mostly artist's original programs) and typically realized on photography media. The work has been exhibited internationally - mostly in galleries in NYC and California.

Series I : Wolfgang and Ralf series - members of Kraftwerk allowed me to use their digital faces I created for them in my own abstract figurative art work.

1987-1991: stills
Ralf2: Cibrachrome print - inspired by Kraftwerk work. History: Times Up Gallery Space, NYC.Blue cirque: Cibrachrome print - inspired by Kraftwerk work. History: Tibor De Nagy Gallery NYC.Claire de lune: Cibrachrome transparency lightbox. History: Tibor De Nagy Gallery NYC, Tapestry Group Show, Herbst Theater, San Francisco.Montage: Private Collection.

Paik: Fin de Siecle II

Whitney Museum Video Installation

Commissioned us to contribute to Video Artist Nam June Paik's major installation called Fin de Siecle II, center piece for the historic first media show 'Image World: Art and Media Culture', at Whitney Museum of American Art (NYC). The installation was 20'x45' - with 201 television sets with 4 laserdiscs.
Nam June Paik choose several video artists work for the installation including our work - Musique Non-Stop.
Contributor w/ Rebecca Allen (Director). 1990.

1989: installations / performances

Whitney image: Still from show.Scupture: 1990 magazine cover with review.

FaceResearch, Character3D

Chasing Alice

Stanford Physical/Virtual Performance

Chasing Alice' was performed at Stanford University in the historic Art History building where the 3D virtual drama unfolded via projected 3d images on the walls and physical actors performed 'backstage' (the real world) to their virtual worldwide 'interactors'.

The multiple stages were the 3D web spaces we created to host our narrative performance. The physical audience participates with and observes the richly involved community of voice-based and emotive 3D avatars who not only brought their own personas to our 'stages' but also become interactors in the unfolding story - blurring the lines between author and audience, reality and illusion.

2000: installations / performances

Bridegroom: Our 2 actors (narrative pushers) physically at Stanford (backstage), but onstage in the 3D voice world as 3D heads.Wed11s: Alice and the groom confront the queen as well as worldwide interactors in the final part of the performance.Wed15s: In this cyber theater where time and space are secondary and actors present narrative pulses rather than specific dialog, the (practical) groom gives into it all and Alice's world view and they marry(Chess3D: One of the 4 3D chat worlds of our bride 'Alice', with the queen.Classpicture: The actors, and performance staff after the performance.Groom03: The actors using their mics, mouse and video displays to interact with the virtual audience/interactors on the virtual stage.Groom05: During the performance, a boy checks out the grooms POV as his virtual side interacts on the 3D stage (talking with a cat avatar from somewhere in the world).Spectators03: Stanford audience watch the main display (plus 3 other projected views and the grooms and brides displays) as the 3D interactive narrative unfolds.Spectators05: Our narrative director (in black) takes improv suggestions from the audience and passes them to our actors who are both backstage and on stage at the same time.Spectators06: A spectator finds a seat which allows her to see what the actors POV and one projected room camera - seeing the events/actors from multiple perspectives.Spectators07: Spectators watch the groom 'on stage' (blonde hair) interacting with world cyber participants while he is physically on the other side of the lobby (to take their live suggestions).

AvatarAgent, VRWorlds

Muse - Portrait

Ambient Portrait, New Forms Festival

This piece was part of the New Form Festival, Video Painting group show. It also accompanied a paper/talk I gave during the Festival at the Vancouver Art Gallery entitled 'Face, Portrait, Mask : the Virtuality of the Synthetic Face'.
How does a viewer react to a moving, emotional but ambient abstract hanging portrait? Hung like a conventional portrait, this work consisted of a 42' Plasma Display (hung vertically) playing a looped HDTV animation DVD. Programming and video art: DiPaola.

2004: installations / performances
Artwork: Two stills from moving piece.At show: Viewer contemplating ambient portrait at NFF.Stills1: Sequence of stills1Stills2: Sequence of stills2Stills3: Sequence of stills3Muse - Portrait: muse ambient portrait - every 4th frame
playMuse - Portrait: muse ambient portrait - every 4th frame

Ratava's Line

Virtual Interactive Performance

Ratava's Line - Part interactive performance, part fashion show, part interactive game with actors from different countries (NYC, and Vancouver) performing simultaneously, sometimes within the same character. A collaboration between DiPaola and Daria Dorosh (NYC) and their students using collaborative online design techniques to create original fashion, art and interactive performance. With an academic and press event as well as a fashion show / interactive game | virtual performance event held in two cities at once.

2002: installations / performances
Virtual models: Original designs sketched at F.I.T (NYC) made into 3D avatars ( SFU, Vancouver) and setup in a virtual environment complete with dramatic backstory.Sketchavatar: Sketches of designer 'David' at FIT with the final live 3D avatar.Wolfgang head: FIT student at live press event in NYC before performance showing all forms of collaborative fashion design.3D gallery: One of several 3D virtual chat rooms created for the event with original juried art from both countries.Internet play: Screen shot off a computer of live fashion/drama event which you could be at live in NYC or Vancouver or virtual from any computer in the world.Sketch-avatar: One of many collaboratively created designs where everyone worked together virtually - never meeting live during the project.

VRWorlds

InsideOut I and II

Commissioned Installation - AIR Gallery, NYC & SIGGRAPH, LA

InsideOut - an installation piece where 3D facial animation was completely generated by extracting emotion elements from a music source (programming bythe artist). Part of a commissioned work to collaborate with NYC artists on an audio/visual mulit-sensory installation projected on a 60-inch globe directed and produced by NYC artist Daria Dorash. First installed in NYC A.I.R Gallery, then a second updated work was commissioned for L.A. Siggraph Art Gallery. Music, programming and art by DiPaola.

2004: installations / performances
LAgallery1 : Spectator at L.A. gallery with insideOut II on projected 6ft globe.insideOut I: Original insideOut I work (still) where the animation is generated from my original music. A.I.R. Gallery, NYC.Artwork: InsideOut I (still) distorted to 6ft projected globe animation.Insideout II still: Still (and animation) which was generated from emotional extraction of the original music (code by artist) before sphere distortion.Insideout II distorted still: Still of animation distorted so globe projector can map onto sphere surface.From L.A. show1: Our group of invited artists were the first ones to use the OmniGlobe for artistic uses. I provided technical support to whole group.From L.A. show2: The collaborative work had several globe pieces from several artists and the show included our clothing and 'group' scent which emanated from a device behind the globe(white box on black pedestal).From L.A. show2: I wrote and performed the music, wrote the program to remap emotion from the music to faces and the program to generate emotional 3D faces for the piece.InsideOut II, L.A. Gallery: Globe inventor and Artist at gallery
playInsideOut II, L.A. Gallery: Globe inventor and Artist at gallery
InsideOut II excerpt: Sphere virtual test, music by artist
playInsideOut II excerpt: Sphere virtual test, music by artist

AI, FaceResearch

Concerto for Virtual Strings and Faces

Generative Video from Music

A collaborative piece between an electronic composer and an interactive 3D artist where an original electronic music composition drives 3D virtual emotive faces in a collaborative re-mapping of the emotional and gestural state of the music.
First screened at the Vancouver 'New Forms Festival'.
Uses Music-driven Emotionally Expressive Face (MusicFace) software (by the artist), an early stage prototype system that creates 'facial choreography' driven by musical input. Credits: DiPaola: Visual, Software. Music by Scot Gresham-Lancaster

2003: installations / performances

Video stills: Stills from realistic video.Video stills: Still from painterly video.MusicFace: Realistic 1
playMusicFace: Realistic 1
MusicFace: Painterly 1
playMusicFace: Painterly 1

AI

Creation_Myth

NYC Palladium Opening Video Installation

Multi-channel video installation commissioned by Ian Schrager and Steve Rubell for the opening of the Palladium, a large-scale New York nightclub.
The piece describes the birth of a new environment utilizing unique fractal and particle system software. It was designed for exhibition on Palladium's 50 monitor video display system.
Other commissioned artists included: Francesco Clemente, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, Kenny Scharf, Laurie Anderson and Arata Isozaki.
With Rebecca Allen (Director), Peter Oppenheimer and Paul Xander Contributed Bird design and animation.

1985: installations / performances
Palladium: At Palladium, NYC.Palladium: At Palladium, NYC.Palladium: Video still Allen/Oppenhiemer.Palladium: At Palladium, NYC.Palladium: At Palladium, NYC.Creation_Myth: NYC Palladium Club: Instllation
playCreation_Myth: NYC Palladium Club: Instllation

Musique Non Stop

Kraftwerk Art Video & Visual Material

Created all visual material for the album Electric Cafe by the German group Kraftwerk including the classic, award-winning music video, Musique Non Stop. State-of-the-art facial animation software was developed to bring the virtual mannequins to life.
The work is acknowledged for its unique aesthetic from both fine art and popular culture venues. It was aired frequently on international music video programs while also exhibited internationally in galleries and museums.
Credits: DiPaola, Rebecca Allen (Director), Kraftwerk, and others.

1987: video
Kraftwerk cover: cover art work.Kraftwerk still: art video still.Kraftwerk work: DiPaola, Wolfgang Head, Rebecca Allen.Wolfgang head: Fiducial cube setup for extracting 3D points.Artwork: We created over 50 still images of the virtual band which became the band's public personas for years.Kraftwerk: Musique Non Stop
playKraftwerk: Musique Non Stop

Character3D, FaceResearch

The Nobel Wedding

Physical/Virtual Interactive Performance

The Noble Wedding - Based on Swedish Conceptual Artist, Lars Vilks country' Ladonia, (a country he created when the Swedish government threatened to tear down a sculpture park, now with 10,000 artists/citizens) - an interactive performance in real and cyberspace using CAVE, facial animation, projected video from Ladonia Sweden and online 3D communities by DiPaola, Liz Picard (St. Johns, Newfoundland), Jeremy Turner (Vancouver, B.C.). How would two noble peoples of a conceptual artist's country marry?
With real and virtual performers in front of a live audience. SFU
Interactivity Lab Performance Space.
Juried grant/Collaboration: DiPaola, Picard, Turner.

2002: installations / performances

Performers/fakesapce: Nobel Groom (Turner) and Narrator/Priest (Picard) in front of 2 Cave systems projecting virtual Ladonia before performance.Actors-cave: Pre-performance shot in front of projected 3D world.Artwork: Performers in front of scrim which projected created video from grooms ritual in Ladonia in Sweden.Avatar Bride: Picard using voice communication ( note headset) to communicate with 3D avatar bride in cybersapce.Ladonia Ritual: Projected video showed grooms wedding ritual climbing this edifice to ring the ceremonial bell, so he could marry with noble blood.

Theme of Secrets

Music - Art Video

Created early 3D animation segments for art music videos by Peter Baumann and Eddie Jobson with Private Music. With Rebecca Allen (Director), and Robert McDermott, Music Eddie Jobson

1985: video
Theme of secrets 1 : Still from video.Theme of secrets 2: Still from video.Theme of secrets 3: Still from video.Theme of Secrets: Music/Art Video
playTheme of Secrets: Music/Art Video