Feb

The Colorful Life of a Human Cyborg

by Meredith Mullins on February 6, 2014

Neil Harbisson, a human cyborg, wearing a head device which expands his senses for creative expression (Photo © Dan Wilton/Red Bulletin)

Neil Harbisson, cyborg and artist, changing the world of senses.
© Dan Wilton/Red Bulletin

Neil Harbisson: Expanding the Boundaries of Creative Expression

He can hear a Picasso painting.

He can paint a Mozart serenade.

He stands for hours in a supermarket aisle listening to a symphony of rainbow-colored cleaning bottles.

He composes music from faces.

This is Neil Harbisson, human cyborg. His senses defy tradition. His creative expression is unique.

He was born to a colorless world, where, in his words, “the sky is always gray and television is still in black and white.”

But, because he believes that everyone should wish to perceive what they can’t perceive, he was driven to extend his sensory perception.

He wears a cybernetic eye—an “eyeborg”—that translates colors into sounds on a musical scale (and vice versa). Pretty cool.

His “Oh, I see moments” become “Oh, I hear moments” . . . and beyond.

black and white landscape, showing that lack of color is a challenge for creative expression (Photo © Meredith Mullins)

A world without vibrant blue sky and a hundred shades of spring green
© Meredith Mullins

A World in Black and White and Shades of Gray

What would it be like to spend your life seeing only black and white and a range of gray tones—to never know the blueness of an open sky or the multitude of greens that emerge as trees come alive in spring?

color landscape, showing inspiration for creative expression (Photo © Meredith Mullins)

A new world
© Meredith Mullins

Neil was born with a rare color vision disorder that creates a gray-scale world. At first his parents thought he was just confused by the names of colors. Doctors thought he was colorblind. His classmates teased him when his socks didn’t match.

At age 11, he was officially diagnosed with achromatopsia. He could not see color at all.

The Eyeborg

Over time, he tried to make sense of color— to associate colors with people. For example, when someone talked about the color blue, he thought of a friend who was very brainy. He created his own world.

When he went on to study music in college, fate introduced him to cybernetics expert Adam Montandon. The result was a collaborative invention—the “eyeborg”— that would enable Neil to hear color.

Neil Harbisson , a human cyborg, using the eyeborg to translate the color orange into a sound so he can use his senses for creative expression (Photo © Dan Wilton/Red Bulletin)

The eyeborg translates “orange” into a musical note.
© Dan Wilton/Red Bulletin

The eyeborg translates light waves (colors) into sound waves, by linking each color to a note or frequency on the musical scale. A camera mounted on Neil’s head scans the colors in front of him and transmits the sound through a chip in the back of his head.

He had to memorize the names of colors and the frequencies associated with each hue, but eventually that became subliminal.

“When I started to dream in color, I felt the software and my brain had united,” he explains. “That’s when I called myself a cyborg.”

He grew more and more comfortable wearing the device on his head. He wore it everywhere—to sleep . . . and even in the shower.

Colorful cleaning products on a grocery shelf, illustrating how Neil Harbisson, a human cyborg standing nearby, will hear a symphony of sounds via his eyeborg. (Photo © Meredith Mullins)

As Harbisson says, “In the supermarket, the cleaning product aisle becomes a symphony.”
© Meredith Mullins

And, finally, he appeared on his passport photo complete with his headgear (after a battle with the British authorities, who don’t allow official photographs with electronic equipment). Neil convinced them that the eyeborg was a part of his body.

As advanced as the eyeborg is, Neil still has to plug himself in periodically to charge his antenna through a USB port at the back of his head. He looks forward to the day when he doesn’t have to depend on electricity. He hopes to use his own blood circulation to keep the device charged.

Neil Harbisson, a human cyborg, plugged into wall, recharging the device that expands his senses for creative expression (Photo © Dan Wilton/Red Bulletin)

Time out for recharging
© Dan Wilton/Red Bulletin

Exploring Creative Frontiers

In a world of science fiction, robotic prowess, and Google Glass, Neil is an unexpected hero. He uses his new perceptions as creative power, breaking boundaries between sound and sight, art and science.

He is the ultimate listener—listening to art, his environment, and the people he meets.

“The way I perceive beauty has changed,” he admits. “When I look at someone, I hear their face. Someone might look beautiful but sound terrible.”

His taste in art has changed. Certain painters, like Rothko and Miró, produce very clear notes. Others produce clashing chords because of the colors they use.

He performs in concerts by playing the colors of the audience. He preempts review with this caveat, “The good thing about this is that if the concert doesn’t sound good it’s their fault, not my fault.”

He creates sound portraits, so that people can “hear” their faces. He’s also working on a sound portrait of Venice, with other cities to come.

Then, in a creative reversal of fortunes, he turns musical notes or frequencies into visual art. He paints Vivaldi, Bach, Beethoven, and Rachmaninov and creates visual impressions of famous speeches.

Neil Harbisson's painting of Mozart's Queen of the Night, creative expression inspired by hearing color. (Image © Neil Harbisson)

A sonochromatic painting of Mozart’s Queen of the Night
© Neil Harbisson

A Cyborg Gathers No Moss

Neil continues to push the boundaries with his work. Regular human color vision includes the visible spectrum of light. But, that’s not enough for a cyborg.

He has added both infrared and ultraviolet light to his audible wavelengths, giving him the advantage of being able to detect motion sensors and of knowing when it’s safe to sunbathe.

Neil Harbisson, a human cyborg, wearing yellow, an inspiration of creative expression (Photo © Dan Wilton/Red Bulletin)

Neil used to dress to look good. Now he dresses to “sound” good.
© Dan Wilton/Red Bulletin

He has also created the Cyborg Foundation to help humans become cyborgs, to promote the use of cybernetics as part of the human body, and to defend cyborg rights.

“Life will be much more exciting when we stop creating applications for mobile phones and start creating them for our body,” Neil says.

Spoken like a true cyborg . . . and an artist who understands the value of extending the senses for unparalleled creative expression.

Photographs courtesy of The Cyborg Foundation and Dan Wilton/Red Bulletin.

Comment on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

Meredith Mullins 4 Comments

Innovations/The World's Art & Design/The World's Music

Jan

Peter Reynolds and The Dot Kickstart Creative Expression

by Janine Boylan on January 20, 2014

A heart painting created as part of Peter Reynold's International Dot Day started out with just the dot. (Image © Janine Boylan)

Jaden’s heart started with a single mark.
© Janine Boylan

Make a Mark and See Where It Takes You

Peter Reynolds‘s goal is for each of us to have an “Oh, I see” moment about our creativity.

This award-winning children’s book author feels pretty strongly about the message in his book The Dot—that each person has creativity.

His slogan? “Make your mark and see where it takes you.”

In the book, a reluctant art student is convinced that she can’t draw. Her gentle art teacher encourages her, but, to illustrate her lack of talent, the girl just marks a dot on her page and signs her name. The next day, she is surprised to find the dot drawing hanging above her teacher’s desk. Inspired to do better, the girl creates a series of remarkable pieces and eventually inspires another reluctant student to discover his creative expression.

Any Day Is International Dot Day

Reynolds created International Dot Day as a way to officially celebrate each individual’s ability to make a mark in the world. The 2013 celebration boasted over one million participants in 84 countries. Many of these are children whose teachers and administrators believe in the power of creativity.

Although International Dot Day officially started on September 15 to coincide with the original publishing date of the book, Reynolds explains that Dot Day can really happen in a moment, over a week, within a month, or throughout a year.

Carmel, California, exhibited art from Dot Day this month. In preparation, children from the local elementary school read the story and then were given a blank sheet of paper to create a dot . . . and see where it would take them.

Peter Reynolds encourages students to begin with a mark and use their creative expression to turn the dot into a composition for International Dot Day. (Image © Janine Boylan)

Students draw on a tablet with Peter Reynolds’s encouragement.
© Janine Boylan

Creative Expression Flows from Just One Dot

The results were wonderfully varied and all wonderful.

Some children made a simple mark on a page, just as the story protagonist had first done—almost a promise that something more would come.

The dot inside a picture frame starts a work of creative expression for International Dot Day. (Image © Janine Boylan)

A dot kickstarts a creative work.
© Janine Boylan

Other children started with a dot and then expanded their ideas to create elaborate scenes. Looking at each one, I marveled at where a single dot could go.

Like Reynolds, this artist has a message to convey! Also, I appreciate her consideration to the viewer—she added helpful labels to some of the details so there is no question what her art shows.

International Dot Day composition from a child artist began with the dot and grew into a work of creative expression. (Image © Janine Boylan)

This dot led to an inspirational message.
© Janine Boylan

One intriguing element of art is perspective. The artist of the piece below on the left made the decision to show a different perspective—upside down. The text in the orange dot even has a different meaning depending on which way you look at it.

Compositions created from unusual perspectives for Peter Reynold's International Dot Day began with the dot and blossomed into creative expression. (Image © Janine Boylan)

Consider the perspective—LOL or 707?
© Janine Boylan

And some students seemed to find inspiration from one another. I can imagine the conversation of these two artists, who had the creative idea of using dots to create art:

I’m going to draw a sun with rays.

Me, too. Can I use the gold pen after you?

I’m going to make a rainbow-colored horse.

Hmm. I’m going to do something different . . .

Matching drawings created for Peter Reynold's International Dot Day both began with just the dot and grew into works of creative expression. (Image © Janine Boylan)

Twin compositions
© Janine Boylan

A Whole Different Kind of Dot

At the same time, another local school embraced the same project with very different results. They created a single dot, composed of rainbow-colored plastic, as a tribute both to their teacher Iris (the goddess of the rainbow) and to their school’s commitment to keeping plastic out of the ocean.

The rainbow dot, made from smaller, colorful dots of found plastic for Peter Reynolds' International Dot Day. (Image © Janine Boylan)

A dot made of many colorful dots
© Janine Boylan

A sign under the rainbow dot proclaimed:

Imagine the power and potential of a million people around the world, connecting, collaborating, creating, and celebrating all that creativity inspires and invites.

I think Peter Reynolds would say that the resulting creative expression would be pretty perfect.

More than a Token of Creativity

With the masterpieces displayed in the city’s cultural art center, the same venue where world-famous musicians and actors perform, Peter Reynolds asked all the students and adult artists in attendance to raise their hands.

Every child’s hand shot up immediately.

Reynolds waited expectantly for the adults to realize that they, too, are all capable of marvelous creative expression as well. My hand timidly rose with the rest of the audience’s.

As a wooden token was pressed into my palm that ensured my lifetime membership in the Dot Club, I reached my own “Oh, I see” moment: I can make my mark at any time, at any age. It’s never too late!

Dot Club token, given by Peter Reynolds, author of The Dot, to inspire creative expression in people. (Image © Janine Boylan)

Official Dot Club member token
© Janine Boylan

Comment on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

Janine Boylan 3 Comments

Literary World/The World's Art & Design

Jan

Vintage Paper Collecting: Fun and Finds

by Sheron Long on January 16, 2014

A collection of old valentines are part of the ephemera at a vintage paper fair. (Image © Sheron Long)

Which valentine will strike a chord in a collector’s heart?
© Sheron Long

The Lasting Connections of Ephemera

I have only a fleeting understanding of the word ephemera, perhaps because it means something short-lived. In the collecting world, it refers to antique and vintage paper products whose intended use was not long-lasting—

postcards and calendar pinups,

movie memorabilia,

ticket stubs and bridge tallies,

greeting cards and old photos,

food and luggage labels,

concert handbills, and more.

And yet, families have stored away these items for years, even across generations. Collectors have preserved and enjoyed them, bought and sold them, donated them to museums, and thus extended their lives long past the intended use.

I found out why when I wandered into the recent Vintage Paper Fair in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. A respite from digital angst, the fair was filled with ephemera that encourages lasting connections.

Connecting with Fond Memories

When my photographer friend Erick Paraiso and I stepped inside this paper world, we stashed our electronics and wandered the welcoming aisles of vintage.

Woman searching through vintage postcards at a vintage paper fair where she is collecting ephemera. (Image © Erick Paraiso)

Pretty quickly, we were pawing through the bins of old postcards categorized topically from “Music” to “Mermaids” and geographically from “France” to the “Philippines.”

Erick is from the Philippines. I lost him somewhere on Aisle 2.

When he surfaced, he held two very special postcards. The first reminded him of the water buffalo (kalabaw or carabao) that gave him trouble as a kid: “I remember riding him without a saddle and falling down as the kalabaw gained speed.”

Vintage postcard, showing a water buffalo pulling a cart in the Philippines, at an ephemera collectors fair. (Photo of postcard © Erick Paraiso)

The second postcard was an amazing find—a picture of the Basilica where his mother used to go in Manila. “I remember her taking me to this church when I was very young. She was a devout Catholic and prayed here, kneeling in the middle of the nave from the entrance to the front of the altar.”

Vintage postcard showing a Basilica in Manila, at a vintage paper fair for collectors of ephemera (Photo of the postcard © Erick Paraiso)

Family connections. Childhood memories. The paper postcards became a tangible symbol of my friend’s ties to his personal past.

Connecting to Creative Inspiration

Who goes to a vintage paper fair besides wanderers like Erick and me? Collectors, of course, trying to add to their assortments of roosters and chickens, pin-ups, and horror movie posters.

Movie posters for sale as part of the ephemera being collected at a vintage paper fair.<br />(Photo of the posters © Sheron Long)

These collectors may be in it for investment. More likely, they have found a passion, enjoy the fun of the quest, or collect as a way to show their individualism.

Box of old photos, or ephemera, available for collecting at a vintage paper show. (Photo of the photographs © Sheron Long)

But artists come, too, in search of old greeting cards, labels and photos that find new life in their creative works.

Perhaps they are looking for Art Deco graphics with just the right colors or subject matter to make into modern-day greeting cards.

They may be selecting old photos with an interesting use of light or with intriguing people to incorporate into collages, mixed media, or sculptures of found objects.

One artist had chosen this photograph to include in a work on communication.

Old photograph, or ephemera, on sale for collectors at a vintage paper fair. (Photo of the photograph © Erick Paraiso)

Evidence of non-communication in the non-digital age intrigued
the artist who bought this photograph.
Photo of photo © Erick Paraiso

Photos of the past that are included in a modern-day work say something about continuity, and they reflect the artist’s sense of aesthetics. Ephemera, short-lived as it may be, lives long when an artist breathes new life into it.

Connecting on Special Days

Those of us without collections or artistic talent can still profit from a visit to a vintage paper fair, especially when Valentine’s Day is just around the corner.

My practical search turns up a pull-down valentine at Margo Essman’s table. The valentine looks flat, but the bottom pulls down to make a stand, revealing amazing layers of artwork.

Valentine from a vintage paper fair for those collecting ephemera. (Image © Sheron Long)

Margo told me the story of a customer who starts early to declare his love, giving his wife a vintage valentine on each of several days leading up to Valentine’s Day.

That sounds romantic, but I bought only one—as it says, it’s a token of love.

I love that the ephemera I chose has a little tear in it and that there is a message on the back from the person who gave it once before.

Happy with my find and the conversations I had had at the fair, I headed back into San Francisco’s wired world.

The fair was fun; the finds were good. But the greatest find was seeing the joy that comes from collecting and connecting. With family memories. With creative inspiration. With that special someone. Oh, I see—these connections, prompted by something so fleeting as ephemera, are longer-lasting than I had thought.

Open suitcase filled with ephemera for collecting at a vintage paper fair. (Image © Sheron Long)

See more examples of vintage postcards and visit the Oakland Library blog for fascinating ephemera left in books and collected by librarians over the years.

Collectors Weekly has good background on vintage papers and postcards. Schedules of Vintage Paper Fairs for 2014: East Coast, California.