sources of inspiration

I went on an introductory course on Processing at the weekend. I confess that for some of the time I was a bit grumpy, the result of two nights’ sleep disturbed by noises in the street and in the hotel, which meant I allowed one of delegates’ mannerisms to irritate me, but I perked up once I started talking to the guy sitting next to me.

Stuart is quiet-spoken but very interesting. Normally I pay little attention to the stories told to me by strangers on such occasions, but Stuart has worked with my hero, Brian Eno, so I was avid to hear as much as possible. Apparently, Brian has the skills, rare among the talented, of paying attention to others and of making them feel important. It’s not my place to pass on anything else that Stuart said (not that he broached any confidences), but his tales of working in a studio and on the road with some famous bands were fascinating.

Stuart mainly works with Max MSP, which I know only by name and reputation, and when asked, he showed me some of his creations, which appear mind-boggling complex to the uninitiated. In turn, I showed Stuart my rudimentary slitscan experiment in Processing, and felt smugly pleased with myself when he expressed interest, albeit probably only politely.

The combination of talking with Stuart and attending the course has rekindled my determination to experiment with Processing. I can’t justifiably develop Processing sketches during work time, but I can investigate it as part of our preparations for a digital art exhibition – have a look at our new blog.

Tags: processing