Each week we chat about the tools of the trade with one outstanding creative to find out exactly how they do what they do. The questions are always the same, the answers, not so much. This week: Pixel Noizz.The Creators Project: Who are you and what do you do?
Pixel Noizz: My name is David Szauder and I have a kind of double identity. In the daytime I work as a media artist and media designer, doing interactive and video installations, visual design and many other things. But afterwards I become Pixel Noizz, and while in the daytime I try to make perfect imagery, as Pixel Noizz I do things that are imperfect involving generative and glitch art.What hardware do you use?
I generally use computers (Apple), but nowadays I’m trying to broaden that and involve other hardware options. I’ve started to use VHS tape, analogue cameras and so on. When doing live performances I use an iPad or Wii. For installations I prefer Kinect because it’s easy to use.What software do you use?
In most of the cases I use Quartz Composer but I’m no fanatic, my story is fairly simple: When I started working with generative stuff and digital glitches, that was the software next to me. It was there for free and easy, so that was my choice. Sometimes I have the impression that it’s not enough or sufficient for my purposes, but mostly I’m happy with it.CurlyCodeIf money were no object, how would you change your current setup?
Good question, haha. Years ago I would have answered this question quite easily, but the situation became more difficult recently. As I already said, I’m more of a computer person but am always experimenting with other techniques as well. Nowadays I’m really interested in trying analogue techniques, video synthesizers, cameras, mixers and so on. When you touch these old pieces, you get the sensation of the material.Is there any piece of technology that inspired you to take the path you did?
There are many, but the tablet as a piece of hardware and digital drawing as a technology inspired me a lot. First, I made a really complex live 3D drawing application called CurlyCode (above), which is really useful if you want to react to music visually in a live situation. But I developed this idea further, and I made the first gestural tablet control software called Get Control. Basically, you can manipulate your video timeline on a simple surface, see the video here. I just wanted to create a simple video scratching tool.What’s your favorite relic piece of technology from your childhood?
Old computers of course, but first of all: C64. That was my first computer, and I still like the essence of the images that come out from that piece of plastic, I like the design of the keyboard and the simplicity of the old guy.What fantasy piece of technology would you like to see invented?
It’s not a big dream because the technology is already invented, but I would like to see more precise brain and neuron sensors and work with them—to somehow be able to control imaginary abstractions with brain waves, that would be really cool. The level of the abstraction would depend on the creativity of the artist and of the user.
Pixel Noizz: My name is David Szauder and I have a kind of double identity. In the daytime I work as a media artist and media designer, doing interactive and video installations, visual design and many other things. But afterwards I become Pixel Noizz, and while in the daytime I try to make perfect imagery, as Pixel Noizz I do things that are imperfect involving generative and glitch art.
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I generally use computers (Apple), but nowadays I’m trying to broaden that and involve other hardware options. I’ve started to use VHS tape, analogue cameras and so on. When doing live performances I use an iPad or Wii. For installations I prefer Kinect because it’s easy to use.What software do you use?
In most of the cases I use Quartz Composer but I’m no fanatic, my story is fairly simple: When I started working with generative stuff and digital glitches, that was the software next to me. It was there for free and easy, so that was my choice. Sometimes I have the impression that it’s not enough or sufficient for my purposes, but mostly I’m happy with it.CurlyCodeIf money were no object, how would you change your current setup?
Good question, haha. Years ago I would have answered this question quite easily, but the situation became more difficult recently. As I already said, I’m more of a computer person but am always experimenting with other techniques as well. Nowadays I’m really interested in trying analogue techniques, video synthesizers, cameras, mixers and so on. When you touch these old pieces, you get the sensation of the material.Is there any piece of technology that inspired you to take the path you did?
There are many, but the tablet as a piece of hardware and digital drawing as a technology inspired me a lot. First, I made a really complex live 3D drawing application called CurlyCode (above), which is really useful if you want to react to music visually in a live situation. But I developed this idea further, and I made the first gestural tablet control software called Get Control. Basically, you can manipulate your video timeline on a simple surface, see the video here. I just wanted to create a simple video scratching tool.What’s your favorite relic piece of technology from your childhood?
Old computers of course, but first of all: C64. That was my first computer, and I still like the essence of the images that come out from that piece of plastic, I like the design of the keyboard and the simplicity of the old guy.What fantasy piece of technology would you like to see invented?
It’s not a big dream because the technology is already invented, but I would like to see more precise brain and neuron sensors and work with them—to somehow be able to control imaginary abstractions with brain waves, that would be really cool. The level of the abstraction would depend on the creativity of the artist and of the user.