Nabokov\u27s Amphiphorical Gestures

In addition to using two primary kinds of metaphors (those that clarify descriptions, and those that develop into leitmotifs), Nabokov\u27s fiction demonstrates a third kind that is characterized by extended analogies, baroque, seemingly uncontrolled imagery and rhetoric, and, most importantly, fundamental ambiguity. Although this inherent ambiguity is developed throughout the comparison, it is never resolved. Because of this distinguishing characteristic, I have named such metaphors amphiphors, after one of Nabokov\u27s own neologisms. Nabokov\u27s comments in Nikolai Gogol and Lectures on Russian Literature, as well as direct allusions to Gogol embedded in a few amphiphors, suggest that this device evolved directly from Gogol\u27s absurd, overgrown images and Protean minor characterizations. Yet, whereas Gogol\u27s spontaneous generation is careless, uncontrolled, and comical, Nabokov uses his amphiphors deliberately for ironic effect. More precisely, he exploits the gap between the initial and final points of the comparison to create a sustained and irreconcilable ambiguity—what William Empson called the seventh type, at once an indecision and a structure. Moreover, close textual analysis of the mechanics of several amphiphors, from Speak, Memory and Bend Sinister, shows marked similarities in content and authorial intention. In each instance, Nabokov uses the amphiphor\u27s inherent stylistic ambiguity to delineate a similar phenomenological one: his own ambivalence towards death (whether his own, his father\u27s, or his hero\u27s) and the insolubility of its monstrous riddle

Unstable Systems or Why Is My Junk So Raw?

Unstable Systems or Why Is My Junk So Raw? is an exploration in the raw aesthetics of exposed electronics; showing the complicated systems that make our everyday electronics work using the visual language of formalism to display these “broken” consumer electronics as art. The work in my thesis show explores the creative potential of death and impermanence through the failing of technology. The work in the exhibition combines my interest and childhood fascination in electronics as well as my experience with my father’s illness. Accidentally and intentionally broken TV’s and electronics are producing live glitches which emphasize the instability of these otherwise closed systems

Beyond key velocity: Continuous sensing for expressive control on the Hammond Organ and Digital keyboards

In this thesis we seek to explore the potential for continuous key position to be used as an expressive control in keyboard musical instruments, and how preexisting skills can be adapted to leverage this additional control. Interaction between performer and sound generation on a keyboard instrument is often restricted to a number of discrete events on the keys themselves (notes onsets and offsets), while complementary continuous control is provided via additional interfaces, such as pedals, modulation wheels and knobs. The rich vocabulary of gestures that skilled performers can achieve on the keyboard is therefore often simplified to a single, discrete velocity measurement. A limited number of acoustical and electromechanical keyboard instruments do, however, present affordances of continuous key control, so that the role of the key is not limited to delivering discrete events, but its instantaneous position is, to a certain extent, an element of expressive control. Recent evolutions in sensing technologies allow to leverage continuous key position as an expressive element in the sound generation of digital keyboard musical instruments. We start by exploring the expression available on the keys of the Hammond organ, where nine contacts are closed at different points of the key throw for each key onset and we find that the velocity and the percussiveness of the touch affect the way the contacts close and bounce, producing audible differences in the onset transient of each note. We develop an embedded hardware and software environment for low-latency sound generation controlled by continuous key position, which we use to create two digital keyboard instruments. The first of these emulates the sound of a Hammond and can be controlled with continuous key position, so that it allows for arbitrary mapping between the key position and the nine virtual contacts of the digital sound generator. A study with 10 musicians shows that, when exploring the instrument on their own, the players can appreciate the differences between different settings and tend to develop a personal preference for one of them. In the second instrument, continuous key position is the fundamental means of expression: percussiveness, key position and multi-key gestures control the parameters of a physical model of a flute. In a study with 6 professional musicians playing this instrument we gather insights on the adaptation process, the limitations of the interface and the transferability of traditional keyboard playing techniques

Investigating Tangible and Hybrid Interactions to Augment the Reading Experience

For thousands of years, we as humans have been passing knowledge and telling stories through tangibly rich methods, beginning with writing on walls and even-tually evolving to printed books of today. However, the introduction of digital documents has recently created a world that has traded tangible richness for digital convenience. This thesis demonstrates innovative, tangible interfaces to help de-velop a possible future where digital documents can incorporate tangible elements. Furthermore, during our research, we discovered a pattern amongst people, where a hybrid approach to documents is becoming adopted. This discovery led to the investigation of hybrid experiences and the development of a system in which users can seamlessly switch between the physical and digital worlds.Each chapter of this thesis investigates a function of reading and its method both physically and digitally. Firstly we investigate the act of turning a page, a simple yet integral task of reading a modern book. This chapter explores materials and methods of bringing a tangible page-turning experience to digital books, followed by a user study and evaluation. Following this, we explore the use of tangible materials for side of device interactions. For example, printed books have many, frequently hundreds of pages, often have their edges felt, ruffled and flicked. Sev-eral interactions can be invoked through page edges, which are entirely removed from digital books. We design, develop and evaluate a guitar string-based system as a metaphor for page edges on a digital device.Many of us in this modern age carry on our person a smartphone, pretty much at all times. Smartphones have given us the ability to retrieve and read books wherever and whenever we please. However, the majority of people still prefer to read using physical methods. Having multiple formats to choose from has introduced a hybrid reading experience, where one might read physically at home and digitally whilst commuting, for example. We explore this experience, and the chapter follows a human-centred design approach to investigate, design, develop, and evaluate a digital bookmark system to switch between digital and physical books seamlessly

Performer Experience on a Continuous Keyboard Instrument

On several keyboard instruments the produced sound is not always dependent exclusively on a discrete key-velocity parameter, and minute gestural details can affect the final sonic result. By contrast, variations in articulation beyond velocity have normally no effect on the produced sound when the keyboard controller uses the MIDI standard, used in the vast majority of digital keyboards. In this article, we introduce a novel keyboard-based digital musical instrument that uses continuous readings of key position to control a nonlinear waveguide flute synthesizer with a richer set of interaction gestures than would be possible with a velocity-based keyboard. We then report on the experience of six players interacting with our instrument and reflect on their experience, highlighting the opportunities and challenges that come with continuous key sensing

Gesture Recognition and Control Part 1 - Basics, Literature Review & Different Techniques

This Exploratory paper series reveals the technological aspects of Gesture Controlled User Interface (GCUI), and identifies trends in technology, application and usability. It is found that GCUI now affords realistic opportunities for specific application are as, and especially for use rs who are uncomfortable with more commonly used input devices. It further explored collated chronograph research information on which covers the past research work in Literature Review . Researchers investigated different types of gestures, its uses, applic ations, technology, issues and results from existing research

Visualizing opportunities: interview with Chris Harrison

My formal training is as a computer scientist. I went to New York University, got my bachelors and masters degrees in computer science. So, I am sort of a traditional programmer on one end - and then, after working in the industry, I came back to work on my Ph.D. in a fairly new field called Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), which is often described as the intersection of computer science, design, and cognitive science or behavioral science

The Metapiano: composing and improvising with sculpture

This paper concerns the design, implementation and demonstration of interactive sculptural interfaces which need to be used by the public as well as by specialist performers such as musicians or dancers. Options for automatic control are also available. The set of interfaces under consideration is referred to as the ʻmetapianoʼ, itself a ʻmeta-sculptureʼ comprising a collection of diverse and independent sculptural items, each of which are being developed to control a sometimes self- referential array of musically expressive algorithms. In the case of the metapiano the primary sound source, perhaps unsurprisingly, is that of a (synthesised) piano. The paper describes the manner in which a viewer/performer interacts with hardware and software systems, examines the nature of the music created, and details how the two are related. Of particular interest is the way in which the resulting music relates to both new and more traditional forms of composition and performance

A Poetic System In Expansion Against the Abyss: Fernando Pessoa’s Heteronyms and Kierkegaard’s Concept of Anxiety

Depois de uma breve introdução acerca da recepção das ideias de Kierkegaard em Portugal, focalizo nas relações entre o sistema de heterónimos de Pessoa e as reflexões sobre a ansiedade de Kierkegaard. Em que sentido a obra de Pessoa pode ser lida no seu complexo como uma resposta à ansiedade? Quais são as estratégias dos diferentes heterónimos para se confrontar com a ansiedade? Qual é o papel da religião e de hipótese da existência de Deus na relação entre heterónimos e o sentimento da ansiedade