mind

Analog Electronic Crow /  by kelly heaton

The universe is made of energy, frequency, and vibration. Electricity is the Qi of life flowing through humans, birds, and circuits alike. My new "Analog Electronic Crow" (2022) is an evolution of Deep Fake Birdsong from 2020 in which I explore the power of electrically oscillating circuits to manifest intelligent behaviors. This circuit has only six oscillators: five astable multivibrators and one modified Hartley. It's battery operated so you can carry it around. Stay tuned for a product launch this Fall!

Printed Circuit Bird, 2021 /  by kelly heaton

Printed circuit bird, 2021. I created this work of electronic art to demonstrate the principles by which consciousness originates. The bird's circuitry is entirely analog electronic, which means that her song is not recorded but *generated* by adjustable vibrations in the circuit that forms her body. She is designed to vibrate when exposed to electricity, and we hear the resulting (audible) waveforms as a bird-like sound. Her circuit contains five analog electronic oscillators that are coupled together with a combination of resistors and capacitors. The vibrations of one oscillator affect the others, thus causing a degree of complexity and unpredictability that we wouldn't expect from such a simple circuit. It would be difficult to model this analog system because there are so many possible states, as I will attempt to explain below.

In the video, you see me adjusting variable resistors that affect the frequency, amplitude, and symmetry of the oscillations. The resulting changes in vibration are heard as tonal variation and patterns of sound, or "syntax" of the bird's song. In other words, we can hear the frequency, amplitude, and temporal structure of the waveform as it changes within the bird's circuit. Residual capacitance adds to the unpredictable nature of cause and effect. It is not only which knob I turn or how much, but *when* I make the adjustment relative to the state of the entire connected circuit. These are the continuous, interconnected, analog principles from which life-like behaviors arise. The late roboticist and neuroscientist William Grey Walter experimented with similar principles, notably demonstrated by his tortoise robots.
She is like us — we are electrical beings, too. The neural activity of a human brain is an aggregate of billions of oscillating neurons affecting each other to form thoughts and feelings. While each individual neuron is very simple, the complexity of the neural system is unfathomable. As Nikola Tesla said, "If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration." These physical laws are the basis of mind and our conscious universe.

What is an NFT? /  by kelly heaton

Initialize la valise, 2021.

(sound on) What is an NFT? I've been pondering this question for awhile and decided to make a short film about our strange moment in cultural history. Considering the conceptual nature of NFTs, I consulted the ghost of Marcel Duchamp for his perspective.

Human and machine intelligence are merging, but not without a dollop of stupidity --which may ironically be the lasting signature of humankind, assuming computers cannot fathom how we fleshers can be so delightfully ludicrous.

The power of symmetry /  by kelly heaton

The power of symmetry as applied to wires in an Internet service provider's warehouse. Digital photo collage, 2018. Looks like a Grotjahn painting

The power of symmetry as applied to wires in an Internet service provider's warehouse. Digital photo collage, 2018. Looks like a Grotjahn painting

Several other games with photo collage symmetry, including intriguing comparisons to Pacific Northwest art and a self-portrait of Leigh Bowery

Radio Receiver Mask /  by kelly heaton

Radio Receiver Mask, 2017. Wood, rope, metal wire, paint

Radio Receiver Mask, 2017. Wood, rope, metal wire, paint

Like a radio receiver, our mind picks up certain frequencies by design -- a subset of reality, based on the architecture of our senses and how we are tuned. I like to listen to a lot of different stations, especially the ones that are faint, vibrating on the edge of perception. This mask is part of my Human Electric series. It's designed after an actual circuit using a 555 timer, some simple RC circuits, a transistor, and an antenna. If you're wondering why my construction technique is primitive, there's a reason: imagine the future of our civilization if the grid were to collapse. My masks are designed to symbolize electronic identity in a post-apocalyptic world.