Time Stretched Thin

Josh Miller

Allentown, PA

You're handed a light that becomes your brush, and the dark space in front of you is your canvas. Participants stand in front of a camera, and as their images are captured, the artwork stretches and compresses movements over time, creating a fluid and ever-changing tapestry of light and motion projected onto a large screen for all to see. The installation dynamically responds to the number of participants. Experience the piece individually or collaborate with two or three others to create unique interactions. Step into one of the circles on the ground. Pick up a light disc. Depending on which side of the camera you are standing on your movements are reflected on that same side of the screen in front of you. Illuminate your face by holding the light source 6-10" away from your face or paint with light by facing the disc at the screen. Experiment with different colors and patterns. Moving the light source or your body at different speeds creates dramatically different results.

Pro Tip

Don't want to wait in line to interact with the installation - take the fast line (to the left) when exiting the Star-stuff installation - you watch others create illuminated self portraits and then move along at your own pace!

Inside the Installation

Materials: Custom code, projection screen, projectors, speakers, camera input

The visuals are loosely based on slit-scan, or strip photography, which captures a two-dimensional image as a sequence of one-dimensional images over time, showing the previous frame next to the current frame. The resulting effect is a time lapse image of movement in the piece. Time Stretched Thin allows multiple participants to generate unexpected intersections while creating these images with painted light.

Artist Bio

Josh Miller

Josh Miller's teaching and professional creative practice operate at the intersection of art, design, and software development. Since earning his MA in Computer Science and MFA in New Media, Josh has taught courses in web & graphic design, video game design, creative coding, user experience, and application development. Outside of the classroom, he develops interactive installations and user-focused online experiences, exhibiting his work both locally and internationally. Josh has exhibited interactive installations in the Agrikultura exhibition in Malmo, Sweden, the InLight festival in Richmond, VA, and at Dlectricity in Detroit, MI. Josh has exhibited Sound the Deep Waters at the Mad Arts Immersive Arts Museum, IGNITE Broward, Napa Lighted Arts Festival, on the Manhattan Bridge as part of the DUMBO Projection Project, at Canal Convergence in Scottsdale, AR, and most importantly at GLEAM at Olbrich Botanical Gardens in 2023. Miller is a tenured Professor at Kutztown University in the Department of Art & Design where he encourages students to think creatively and analytically as they navigate technology as an expressive, artistic tool.

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