Monday, September 15, 2014

Visualisation and VJing

The lecture and readings in this week conceptualise the idea of visualisation. Simply put, this visualisation is the process where an ‘invisible’ idea is made ‘visible’ by creating graphic representations of the subject (Kosara 2008). Bar graphs or pie charts for example visually conceptualise data that could be difficult to interpret like presenting the number of people that wear hoodies in class (just to give an odd example) (Kosara 2008).

The readings included the term vjing as part of the process of visualisation. Vjing is an audio visual performance art, usually performed in clubs and concerts. The artists use pre-existing playlists of audio and video tracks to combine them into their own pieces (Wikipedia 2014). Video synthesisers take the audio and use it to create rudimentary visuals and patterns that flowed and synchronises with the music. Tools would later on allow people to manipulate videos and music simultaneously. What’s interesting is that these are usually performed live. What does this form of visualisation make visible though? Video manipulation is said to have many techniques and aesthetic qualities that help in the understanding of different forms of learning. Video conceptualises the “disorder and fragmentation of music” that goes on in these live performances. Interactivity can also play a part in allowing audiences to grasp more complex concepts (Gates 2009). Other forms of vjing help visualise complex ideas, from revealing “spatial, social and technological architectures” while also being able to express psychological spaces (Gates 2009). Indeed, the world of live video mixing is enabling us to visualise and therefore understand complex concepts much better.

While the degrees of visualisation that are brought about by VJ are vast, are there concepts that just cannot be visualised? Are there types of data that the world of vjing cannot comprehend? Can all invisible constructs be visible?

Even though other forms of visualisation are limited, graphs are subjected to taking into account a few variables to visualise data, (a bar graph is limited by the x and y axis) (Kosara 2008). However, given the information about the ability of VJ as a performance art that can explain complex issues such as psychological matters. It appears that new publishing technologies and processes are shining a light and revealing those invisible and abstract theories. The reading brought about another idea which could possibly suggest why VJs able to conceptualise such difficult matters. Contemporary visualisation are no longer limiting themselves to the audience’s sight, but also through sound, VJs can make a synesthetic experience which could offer profound insight to their audiences (Gates 2009).


(This video helped me visualise the idea of vjing)


References

Gates, C. (2009). Vague Terrain 09: Rise of the VJ | Vague Terrain. [online] Vagueterrain.net. Available at: http://vagueterrain.net/journal09 [Accessed 15 Sep. 2014].
Kosara, R. (2008). What is Visualization? A Definition. [online] eagereyes. Available at: http://eagereyes.org/criticism/definition-of-visualization [Accessed 15 Sep. 2014].
Wikipedia, (2014). VJing. [online] Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VJing#cite_note-1 [Accessed 15 Sep. 2014].

Video: Jack Conte (2008) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXpn8thEGbE 


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