Theo Watson
Encyclopedia
Theo Watson is a British artist and programmer. His art work includes interactive video
, large-scale public projections, computer vision
projects, and interactive sound recordings. He makes site-specific installations that look at how humans relate to various situations and spaces.
As a programmer, Watson has worked with Zach Lieberman in creating openFrameworks
, an open source
C++
library for creative coding and graphics. (openFrameworks website). He is a member of the Graffiti Research Lab
, and in 2007 wrote the code for their popular LASER Tag project. In 2006, Watson worked with director Michel Gondry
, writing custom software for physical sensors and cameras in three interactive installations in Gondry's Science of Sleep exhibition at Deitch Projects
in New York City
.
From Spring to Fall 2006, Watson worked as a Production Fellow at Eyebeam
. He is currently a Virtual Fellow at Free Art and Technology Lab
(a.k.a. FAT Lab).
He has a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Design and Technology from Parsons School of Design
.
in interactive installations. In Vinyl Workout (2006), custom software and cameras track user's movements as they walk along a large projection of a record on the floor, manipulating the audio and video playback with the speed and direction of their steps.
In Audio Space (2005), a user wearing a GPS-enabled headset can record messages at any position within a room, and hear all the sounds left by previous visitors as they move about the space.
, Deitch Projects
, the DUMBO Video Art Festival, Resfest
, the inaugural Rotterdam Electronic Music Festival, and at Montevideo/Time Based Arts in (Amsterdam).
Video
Video is the technology of electronically capturing, recording, processing, storing, transmitting, and reconstructing a sequence of still images representing scenes in motion.- History :...
, large-scale public projections, computer vision
Computer vision
Computer vision is a field that includes methods for acquiring, processing, analysing, and understanding images and, in general, high-dimensional data from the real world in order to produce numerical or symbolic information, e.g., in the forms of decisions...
projects, and interactive sound recordings. He makes site-specific installations that look at how humans relate to various situations and spaces.
As a programmer, Watson has worked with Zach Lieberman in creating openFrameworks
OpenFrameworks
openFrameworks is an open source toolkit designed for "creative coding". OpenFrameworks is written in C++ and runs on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux...
, an open source
Open source
The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
C++
C++
C++ is a statically typed, free-form, multi-paradigm, compiled, general-purpose programming language. It is regarded as an intermediate-level language, as it comprises a combination of both high-level and low-level language features. It was developed by Bjarne Stroustrup starting in 1979 at Bell...
library for creative coding and graphics. (openFrameworks website). He is a member of the Graffiti Research Lab
Graffiti Research Lab
Graffiti Research Lab, founded by Evan Roth and James Powderly during their fellowships at the Eyebeam OpenLab, is an art group dedicated to outfitting graffiti writers, artists and protesters with open source technologies for urban communication. The members of the group experiment in a lab and in...
, and in 2007 wrote the code for their popular LASER Tag project. In 2006, Watson worked with director Michel Gondry
Michel Gondry
Michel Gondry is an Academy Award winning filmmaker, whose works include being a commercial director, music video director, and a screenwriter. He is noted for his inventive visual style and manipulation of mise en scène. - Life and career :...
, writing custom software for physical sensors and cameras in three interactive installations in Gondry's Science of Sleep exhibition at Deitch Projects
Deitch Projects
Deitch Projects was a contemporary art gallery in New York City founded by Jeffrey Deitch.-History:Since opening with a performance by Vanessa Beecroft in February 1996, the gallery has presented nearly one hundred and eighteen solo exhibitions and projects, ten thematic exhibitions, and a few...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
From Spring to Fall 2006, Watson worked as a Production Fellow at Eyebeam
Eyebeam Atelier
Eyebeam, is a not-for-profit arts and technology center in New York City. Their stated purpose is to promote the creative use of new technologies by funding artwork, education and exhibitions. The founders were John S. Johnson III, David S. Johnson and Roderic R...
. He is currently a Virtual Fellow at Free Art and Technology Lab
Free Art and Technology Lab
The Free Art and Technology Lab a.k.a. F.A.T. Lab is a collective of artists, engineers, scientists, lawyers, and musicians, dedicated to the merging of popular culture with open source technology. F.A.T. Lab is known for producing artwork critical of traditional Intellectual Property Law in the...
(a.k.a. FAT Lab).
He has a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Design and Technology from Parsons School of Design
Parsons The New School for Design
Parsons The New School For Design, known colloquially as Parsons, is the art and design college of The New School university. It is located in New York City's Greenwich Village, and has produced artists and designers such as Marc Jacobs, Dean and Dan Caten, Norman Rockwell, Donna Karan, Jane...
.
Artworks
Many of Watson's works use elements of physical computingPhysical computing
Physical computing, in the broadest sense, means building interactive physical systems by the use of software and hardware that can sense and respond to the analog world. While this definition is broad enough to encompass things such as smart automotive traffic control systems or factory automation...
in interactive installations. In Vinyl Workout (2006), custom software and cameras track user's movements as they walk along a large projection of a record on the floor, manipulating the audio and video playback with the speed and direction of their steps.
In Audio Space (2005), a user wearing a GPS-enabled headset can record messages at any position within a room, and hear all the sounds left by previous visitors as they move about the space.
Exhibitions
Watson has shown projects at Eyebeam AtelierEyebeam Atelier
Eyebeam, is a not-for-profit arts and technology center in New York City. Their stated purpose is to promote the creative use of new technologies by funding artwork, education and exhibitions. The founders were John S. Johnson III, David S. Johnson and Roderic R...
, Deitch Projects
Deitch Projects
Deitch Projects was a contemporary art gallery in New York City founded by Jeffrey Deitch.-History:Since opening with a performance by Vanessa Beecroft in February 1996, the gallery has presented nearly one hundred and eighteen solo exhibitions and projects, ten thematic exhibitions, and a few...
, the DUMBO Video Art Festival, Resfest
RESFest
RESFEST was by the 2000s the most prominent digital film festival in North America. It was a leading global showcase of new digital filmmakers alongside England's Onedotzero festival. The festival toured the world and in 2005 travelled to 35 cities in the USA, Canada, UK, Japan, Australia,...
, the inaugural Rotterdam Electronic Music Festival, and at Montevideo/Time Based Arts in (Amsterdam).