Sarah Jenny

So I made this for my midterm project after having a breakdown over trying to “visualize” and “map” data — specifically, HIV transmissions statistics. I learned I was not yet ready for such an epic undertaking and decided to try something fun….so fun I had! Check out my animation here.

Original Midterm Idea

Goal: To display HIV transmission statistics comparing countries with needle exchange programs and countries that to not offer needle exchange programs and harm reduction education in IDUs (injecting drug users) in a visually compelling way.

Statistics:

• More than 60 percent of those infected with HIV in Eastern Europe and Central Asia received the virus through intravenous drug use,
  One-third of all AIDS cases are linked to injection drug use. (Source: WHO
• For women, 64 percent of all AIDS cases are due to injection drug use or sex with partners who inject drugs. Injection drug use is the source of infection for more than half of all children born with HIV. (Source: WHO
• The investigators estimated that the needle exchange program reduced the risk of HIV transmission among program participants by one third. (Source: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation)

I wanted to illustrate the success of needle exchange programs in decreasing HIV transmissions, particularly in areas where injecting drug use is a primary transmission factor. I have been interested in harm reduction for a number of years for some time. I recently read the Panos Dossier entitled AIDS and the Third World published in association with the Norwegian Red Cross from 1989 and Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder. Both books inspired me in different ways to continue pursuing my immense passion for public health and fighting HIV/AIDS stigma. I was really interested making information about the immense and ongoing atrocity of the AIDS pandemic visually accessible and overwhelming.

My initial thoughts were to select a specific location and compare transmission rates before and after needle exchange programs were implemented. I thought about different ways to show that impact — to show some sort of visual of “shrinking” but I couldn’t quite put a grasp on it. Next, I thought of looking at broad range infection rates. I thought about creating a visual symbol to represent X number of infections in a year. Then I thought if about 1,200 people are infected each minute it might really create impact to display an object repeating at even intervals over a blank screen over the course of six minutes. The screen would be full really fast and the images would start to layer. I wasn’t really sure how to control the placement of the objects.

The United Nation’s Development Programme / Millennium Development Goals has a really awesome interactive map looking at various countries and mapping development statistics. I looked at this format as an example of handling data visually.

After a few days of gleaning statistics and looking at existing interactive data displays available, I decided to step back and reassess before delving into a rather epic project I was still feeling pretty unsure about how to start.

In this lab assignment, I used two sensors (photo resistor and potentiometer) and one switch (button) to control a “ball” in Processing. I had difficulty getting it to work at first, but Jason helped me re-map each sensor. The photo resistor was only going up to about 16 so we mapped it 0-16. The potentiometer went up to 1023 so I re-mapped it to 0-1023. The result was interesting as you can see in the video while I interact with the different sensors. The potentiometer controlled the “Y” access (up + down) in smooth, predictable motions as the pot is easy to control. The photo cell is much less predictable and you can see how interacting with it controlling the “X access (left and right) produced really erratic motions.

Here is a photo my breadboard and Arduino setup:

In the age of digital re/production, our ability to inexpensively and easily recreate and alter works of art created by others is a complicated matter. In capialist societies, this issue goes far beyond attribution and credit to financial responsibilities to the original artist. It is hard for me to argue for free and fair use for all when most artists so rarely are compensated for their work and striving for economic stability and success is something most can identify with in capitalist societies.

However, I strongly believe in free access to media, art, media justice, and the opportunity for artists to create new works from existing works as a form of critique, commentary, and/or innovation. A blogger commented on the the Meisalas vs Garnett debate over Molotov Man with the poignant question “Who owns the rights to this man’s struggle?”

Have these appropriations of Meisalas’s work devalued the initial work? Or have the various interpretations, reproductions, and new works added depth to a larger discussion and furthermore strengthened Meisalas’s photograph by creating such a public interest in the situation?

All of these readings noted the complicated situations around using aspects of writing, music, or visual art. I still think their is tremendous value in open source creativity, in using copylefting, creative commons, and making visual art and media as accessible as possible. Reinterpretations allow for dialogue, discussion, and analysis. I don’t want to see those doors closed.

A bit delayed, but a success none the less! Here is the result of my serial out lab!

My very first stop animation!

I decided to work on LED pasties for my Stupid Pet Trick. Thinking I could complete them in time for a performance, I figure it would be killing two birds with one stone. However, I got a bit ahead of myself. While the basic construction came together nicely, I didn’t have a chance to configure a 9v battery to replace the D/C adapter. Additionally, their is the problem is mounting the sensor, breadboard, and arduino on the body.

Behold, my stupid petrick trick: LED Pasties. As a user approaches the individual wearing them, the infrared proximity sensor responds by lighting the LEDs in accordance with the proximity. The closer one gets, the brighter the LEDs get. Conversely, as one backs away from the wearer, the LEDs slowly dim out.