The IEA welcomed Laura Splan, of Brooklyn, NY, for a residency over the week of February 20th, 2017. Laura, an alum of Mills College in Oakland, CA, explores the intersections of art, science, technology, and craft who explores the material manifestations of our mutable relationship with the human body. Much of her work is inspired by experimentation with materials and processes (blood, cosmetic facial peel, digital fabrication), which she mines for their narrative implications and untapped potentials. Her recent work uses biosensors (electromyography, electroencephalography) to create data-driven forms and patterns for digitally fabricated sculptures, tapestries and works on paper.

During her week at the IEA, Laura focused on creating 4K digital animations derived from bio-metric data, specifically EMGs and EEGs. These took the form of colored, moving lines that starts out with only a few onscreen and gradually amassing to the point where only tiny movements can be seen if one looks close enough. These animations were created by entering the bio-data into code created in Processing which read it into animation files that would sometimes take up to seven hours to render a 30 second clip. Laura also composed a three-channel animation that spanned across the three 4K displays in the TSI/Harland Snodgrass Gallery and gave a small, informal presentation to Professor Barbara Lattanzi’s Interactive Media class.

Below are some images from Laura’s residency: