Polynomial Divination
Douglas Easterly (NZ/US)
Zach Challies (NZ)
For longer than recorded history, humans have been devoted to an unquenchable desire to divine truth about the world around us: systems and forces that operate just beyond the reach of our control. This scenario is the wellspring of our cultural development, often coalescing across multiple domains of art, science, technology, and religion. The digital world provides boundless tools to simulate systems and forces, natural and imagined, with a high degree of fidelity. As with ancient tribal fires, we gather around the flickering pixels and voxels, drawing forth and projecting equal parts fascination and imagination. Polynomial Divination is a meditation on this long-held dimension of human creativity and exploration – relying on a blend of computer-based rendering, high-resolution 3d voxel printing, and a custom projection/lighting system.
Douglas Easterly is a New Zealand based artist who has been working with a wide range of media formats for over 20 years. He is currently focusing on experimental animation and how it can be used to investigate and communicate various aspects of science, history and human culture. douglaseasterly.net
Zach Challies is a researcher in the field of industrial and media design, fascinated with how tools from the visual effects industry may have wider applications, especially in physical products. His primary interests include 3d Scanning, 3d printing and digital rendering, often seeking outcomes that can merge these tools and processes in unique and expressive ways. Zschallies.com
Project Credits:
This project is supported by Victoria University of Wellington and its Miramar Creative Centre.