Site Machines

Abstract

University of Washington Abstract Site Machines Tivon Rice Chair of the Supervisory Committee: Juan Pampin Center for Digital Arts and Experimental Media Site Machines is a multimedia artwork installed at Seattle’s Suyama Space Gallery in 2014. Organizing neon light and live video feeds from six motion controlled cameras, the project works as a mechanism for both creating and viewing images, and thus emulates the functions of the Suyama Building: an active architecture studio and an art venue; a site of production and of presentation. This dissertation describes the thematic and technical development of Site Machines by placing it in context with two previous artworks, A Macrocosmic Zero (2010) and Arcade Zero (2012). It further documents the art-historical and site-specific research that contributed to each project, research conducted during studies at the University of Washington’s Center for Digital Art and Experimental Media (DXARTS), and a year of Fulbright-supported work in Seoul, South Korea. Chapter one provides a brief, practical overview of Site Machines. Chapter two establishes a historical backdrop for the ongoing studies of visual and digital culture that inform the artwork. Chapters three through five detail the site-specific research, working process, and actualized viewing experience of each individual installation. The document concludes with reflections on the body of work as a whole, and possible extensions of these ideas into future projects.