birds

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.

Hotel Indigo Chattanooga / The Making of a Pretty Bird /  by kelly heaton

Kelly Heaton, The Making of a Pretty Bird, 2019. A series of three 12" x 18” panels. Copper, gold electroplate, and silkscreen on epoxy laminate.

I am thrilled to finally share these images of my series, “The Making of a Pretty Bird,” installed in the guest rooms of the Hotel Indigo in Chattanooga, TN. (Documentation of the installed work was delayed by COVID-19). The panels are actual printed circuit boards that I wall-mounted as works of art. The sequence illustrates the process by which I designed my birdsong-generating piece “Pretty Bird,” (2019) from engineering schematic to the etched copper to the final layered artifact. Some of the above images were taken at the factory in Shenzhen, China and document stages of the unorthodox method by which the art was produced. I created 121 of these series for the Hotel Indigo Chattanooga, and the series is open-ended for additional works on demand. (Please inquire)

Circuit Bird /  by kelly heaton

Documentation of “Circuit Bird,” 2021, an adjustable analog electronic circuit for birdsong generation. The art is made with custom electronic hardware, printed circuit boards, foiled chipboard, and screen-printed silk laminated on a wooden frame. Dimensions are 35” tall by 23.5” wide by 1.5” deep. Watch the video to hear the circuit vibrate with birdsong. Notice the modular components of the circuit: I separated the oscillators, the passive coupling filters, and the audio amplifier into separate (but connected) printed circuit boards. This design enables me to assemble different quantities and configurations of oscillators to create new artworks based on the principle of vibration.

Bluebird PCB v.10 /  by kelly heaton

Bluebird PCB v1.0, 2020. Printed circuit board (analog electronic birdsong generator)

Broward College STEAM Lecture /  by kelly heaton

Broward_college_STEAM_lecture_KHeaton-web.jpg

This Wednesday, I’m speaking to Broward College about my career-long journey in art and science. Join us for free on Zoom (or watch the recorded lecture on YouTube - l’ll post the link when it’s ready). My live lecture starts at 11am (Wednesday, 10/14) and Zoom meeting ID is: 951 8628 4540.

Bluebird /  by kelly heaton

Bluebird, 2020. Printed circuit board.

I recently completed a new PCB design for manufacture. In addition to testing a new singing circuit, I am experimenting with the visual potential of inks available through conventional factories, for example, blue solder mask and bare copper. Above: The first two images are some of my machine production layers. The colorful image is my design reference file — illustrating how I expect the finished board to look.

Screen printing artistic printed circuit boards /  by kelly heaton

Screenprinted “Pretty Bird,” a very limited edition of 4 works on Arches 88 lb cotton rag with 2 artist’s proofs. Screenprint and vinyl, signed and numbered in graphite, 24” x 16”

Testing different techniques for screen printing artistic circuit boards.

Chinoiserie Bird Study /  by kelly heaton

“Chinoiserie Bird Study,” 2020. A series of three artist-made screen prints on canvas with acrylic, foil, and fretwork. 38” H x 23” wide (unframed - works will be custom framed by the artist).

I have been steadily developing my printmaking technique and chinoiserie aesthetic in preparation for a new series of botanical circuit boards. In these studies, I explored screen printing on canvas combined with a thick acrylic stencil application, metal foiling, and wooden fretwork.