Tracing the Past, Drawing the Present

The group of work, Rising Water, Floating Islands is inspired by traditional Chinese scroll landscape paintings. Such landscape paintings combine meticulous technique, compositional complexity, and tension between representation and abstraction to reveal an alternative universe that waits discovery amid our mundane existence. In “Rising Water, Floating Islands,” I explore the political and social ramifications of the ongoing cultural conflict between traditional and emergent contemporary values. By combining traditional Chinese elements and techniques with my own markings and gestural adaptation in my painting, I give the audience the opportunity to contemplate the implications of our present digital condition through traditional esthetic forms. I value the power of traditional Chinese esthetics to reveal philosophical dispositions, and I incorporate this perspective through the mark-making system that I created, which brings references to contemporary technologies and social systems into emotional assimilations with the painting as an alternative way of being in the world

Fluid computational model for mineral and vegetal pigments diffusing in Chinese color-ink painting

In this paper, simulation of artistic vegetable and mineral pigments diffusing effects of Chinese color-ink painting is presented, using a novel physical model according to the Second Fick's diffusing law and Brownian motion theory. Due to the fact that generation of most art effects depends on complicated pigment-water motion simulation such as diffusing and pigment mixing on and under traditional fabric cotton paper (Xuan paper) surface, the proposed model is found effective for simulating the pigment-water motion in art creating process. Implemented on the GPU, the simulation operations in our system can be accomplished in a real-time manner. The effectiveness of the proposed techniques is validated in our developed Digital Painting System, where various art effects can be successfully re-produced including the Initial area-Darkened initial edge-Diffusion area Lightened diffusion edge (IDDL) effect for vegetable pigments, the Initial area-Darkened initial edge-Diffusion area-Darkened diffusion edge (IDDD) effect for mineral pigments, and multistroke superimposing effects and achieves. In addition, quantitative evaluation is also introduced and shows superior performance of the proposed model in comparison with state-of-the-art techniques

Designing interactive technology for cross-cultural appreciation of intangible cultural heritage: Chinese traditional painting and puppetry

Ph. D. ThesisDigital heritage is becoming a significant component of cultural heritage, and cultural organisations are increasingly using interactive technologies to showcase and safeguard heritage assets. However, few studies focus on using interactive technology to enhance the appreciation of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) amongst cross-cultural audiences. This dissertation explores the design of interactive technologies to support the cultural appreciation, learning, and experience of Chinese ICH. In addition, the research seeks to explore the value of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) design strategies in supporting the appreciation of ICH. The research uses HCI design strategies to specifically explore how interactive technology might be effectively utilised in two case-study contexts, supporting traditional Chinese painting and traditional Chinese puppetry. To this end, in stage one of the research, a qualitative study involving interviews, workshops, and fieldwork for design was undertaken with potential cross-cultural audiences and both Chinese and international painting and puppetry practitioners. Based on the results of these studies, several suggestions were developed for safeguarding ICH across cultural boundaries. In the next stage of the research, two interactive applications were designed and deployed that supported cross-cultural audiences’ appreciation of traditional of ICH. One application explored Chinese painting, the other Chinese puppetry. Using both qualitative and quantitative methods, studies were conducted that examined the efficacy of both applications and offered suggestions for a holistic approach to cross-cultural appreciation through the use of interactive applications. The analysis focuses on the use of element-based archiving to increase aesthetic appreciation, gestural/tangible interfaces for cultural engagement, and the use of interactive access to inspire self-expression and collaborative appreciation. Finally, this research relies on practical methods to deconstruct cultural elements from the HCI perspective and enhance the cross-cultural appreciation of Chinese ICH. It thus provides a framework for assisting non-Chinese people to better understand the cultural significance of Chinese ICH. The findings have design implications for both HCI researchers and digital heritage researchers

Woven Paintings, Woven Writing: Intermediality in Kesi Silk Tapestry in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1912) Dynasties

This dissertation explores pictorial kesi, silk-woven tapestry, from its origins in China through the Qing dynasty, focusing on objects and sources from the Ming and Qing periods. While pictorial kesi imitated the visual appearance of paintings and calligraphy, no in-depth study of the three media in relation to each other has been undertaken. By approaching kesi through the techniques of the weaver and the materiality of the finished product, this dissertation explores an important pictorial art form on its own terms. This dissertation is divided into two parts, the first focusing on the origins, technology and techniques of weaving kesi in China. While tapestry weave was imported from Central Asia in the seventh century, Chinese craftsmen embraced the technology of creating colorful clear designs in silk and used it to imitate court paintings of the Song dynasty in the twelfth century. The author will study the intricate techniques of color blending and color joining that were developed by Chinese weavers to create complicated, beautiful images inspired by paintings. Looking at a kesi reproduction of a calligraphy scroll by Dong Qichang (1555-1636), I will analyze kesi calligraphy through the process of its making and the meaning in its materiality, as well as the political implications of this work. The second part will study kesi in relationship to the visual arts, focusing on painting. Examining a kesi attributed to the woman weaver Zhu Kerou (active twelfth century) will shed light not only on the practice of weaving painting-like images but also on the elaborate system of male connoisseurship in the Ming and Qing dynasties that judged and categorized it. Lastly, focusing on a composition attached to the name of a famous Ming painter, Shen Zhou (1427-1509), this dissertation will study the issue of authorship in kesi and the practice of adding famous names to woven compositions. Through studying the issues of intermediality, reproduction, connoisseurship, and materiality, the author will shed a new light on kesi, believed for so long to be decorative copies of paintings. These works incorporate complex techniques developed to solve aesthetic problems and have a unique visual language of their own. Through this study, the objects, so carefully and painstakingly created by craftsmen and weavers, will begin to speak for themselves

Advanced Materials in 3D/4D Printing Technology

This reprint contains a collection of state-of-the-art reviews and original research articles from leaders in the field of 3D/4D printing. It focuses on 3D/4D printing materials with novel and/or advanced functionalities, novel applications of 3DP material, and material synthesis and characterization techniques

Production and application of textile materials

This specialized publication is dedicated to technical and technological solutions in textile production. Engineering solutions in the production of fibers and fabrics for both technical and domestic use are considered. Particular attention in the book is given to the study of textile products for biomedical applications. Modern medical fabrics and fibers are used as dressing and suture material and significantly accelerate the recovery processes after surgical operations and burn injuries. Fibers and fabrics are currently often used as a reinforcing element in the production of various composite materials, which are often used in mechanical engineering and in the construction sector. A separate chapter is devoted to textile reinforcing materials. Environmental problems in textile production are mainly related to the dyeing process and the chemical treatment of fabrics and fibers. Some aspects of textile dyeing and wastewater treatment processes are also discussed in this publication. The book will be useful to specialists involved in textile production and related industries

Advances in Heat and Mass Transfer in Micro/Nano Systems

The miniaturization of components in mechanical and electronic equipment has been the driving force for the fast development of micro/nanosystems. Heat and mass transfer are crucial processes in such systems, and they have attracted great interest in recent years. Tremendous effort, in terms of theoretical analyses, experimental measurements, numerical simulation, and practical applications, has been devoted to improve our understanding of complex heat and mass transfer processes and behaviors in such micro/nanosystems. This Special Issue is dedicated to showcasing recent advances in heat and mass transfer in micro- and nanosystems, with particular focus on the development of new models and theories, the employment of new experimental techniques, the adoption of new computational methods, and the design of novel micro/nanodevices. Thirteen articles have been published after peer-review evaluations, and these articles cover a wide spectrum of active research in the frontiers of micro/nanosystems