Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Invitation to an Opening of Tom Greenbaum's Work in Juried Art Show

My work will be shown in a brand new gallery called the Sante Fe Complex in it's first ever juried show. Wish me luck! I am donating all proceeds to a non-profit organization - but, it sure would be fun if I won. The gallery is in the nearly revived railyard area of Sante Fe. See the invitation attached. It would be great if you came to the opening!


OCCAM'S RAZOR
A Show of Art and Technology Collaborating in the same space.
Simple, yet no simpler.
Opening
October 18, 2008
4:00-8:00 PM
at the Santa Fe Complex
632 Agua Fria, Santa Fe, NM 87501

During the opening there will be a live performance of the Smokin' Bachi Taiko (http://smokinbachi.com/) drummers premiering new work written just for the show.


All other things being equal, the simplest solution is the best, or so said William Oakham back in the 14th century. Somehow, that became Occam's Razor and set the standard for evaluating scientific explanations and theories. Albert Einstein saw the risk of excessive simplicity, though, and countered by saying, "Things should be as simple as possible but not simpler."

What does that have to do with Santa Fe Complex's first juried art show? It's up to the artists, who can explain their ideas here. We'll be happy with a cabinet of curiosities, a science fair, an art exposition, and a three-ring circus of brilliant and fun interpretations of the wisdom of Messrs. Oakham and Einstein.

My entry consists of a series of six (6) un-mounted prints. They are all 15.00" x 17.39" printed with UV-resistant archival inks on very-heavyweight gloss paper, rated at 100+ years of fade resistance.

Artist's Statement:

FULLY TRANSPORTABLE DIGITAL DOME WITH OUTSIDE-IN PROJECTION SYSTEM FOR GEOSCOPE MULTI-DIMENSIONAL DATA VISUALIZATION

By Thomas J. Greenbaum

A Buckminster Fuller Challenge 2008 semi-finalist design science solution presented for consideration as an art and technology collaboration for Occam's Razor juried show -- how does this make sense? This is a very complicated title; how does this demonstrate a simple solution? The simple answer is that complexity and simplicity are two sides of the same coin.

My design science solution depicted in six printed images, offers an innovative method for projecting data on a half-sphere (full-dome) Geoscope. My intent is to realize the Geoscope vision of R. Buckminster Fuller as stated in his book Critical Path, "With the Geoscope humanity would be able to recognize formerly invisible patterns and thereby to forecast and plan in vastly greater magnitude than heretofore."

Complexity and simplicity are alternately revealed on a multitude of levels. Macroscopically, planetary issues spanning nations and continents are highly complex. Perhaps Fuller's simple idea of projecting global data on to a large sphere can reveal the solutions. However, now we are faced with the problem of projecting complex multi-dimensional data sets in high-resolution on the convex surface of a large dome. The simple solution is the best one. Geometrically divide and conquer the spherical space. I use geodesic geometry to place off-the-shelf, digital projectors in an omni-symmetrical, outside-in arrangement. Pixels are optimized as well. Swell, but, the problem is not yet solved. How do we transport and set up a multitude of digital projectors precisely arranged about a large dome? Another complex problem which I solve with a simple framework that unfolds using servo motors and a light weight support structure.

Wait. You ask, "Is geospatial data the only thing that can be displayed on this dome?" Glad you asked, because I have some ideas about presenting non-geospatial data on a spherical surface. I call this my Spheriphor, or spherical metaphor. You say, "That is great, but now present all of this in six images." Wow, that is a complex problem. Perhaps, Edward Tufte's concept of "small multiples" can simplify things...

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