Clever on Sunday

Clever on Sunday is an interdisciplinary approach to data materialized. 

Data visualization, “the practice of taking the sprawling, messy universe of information that makes up the quantitative backbone of everyday life and turning it into an understandable story,” (Yaffa) strives to present data clearly and efficiently. Commonly regarded as both an art and a science, data visualization is increasingly important because of the exponential growth rate in data. In contemporary art, data is often utilized to support a conceptual message. In this paper we present Clever on Sunday,  which represents an alternative approach to utilizing data as source material. The processes employed in this installation originate with statistical data which drive the computer-generated radial patterns. The patterns are adjusted to conform to digital fabrication parameters and produced as silicone rubber doilies, combining ideas of  domestic consumerism, traditional gender roles, computing, and government research as they are arranged Venn diagram patterns.

Yaffa, J. (2011, May/June). The Information Sage. Washington Monthly.

A very special thanks to those who have helped to make this work possible: 

Olivieri's Arts, Crafts & Coffee for the generous use of space where Clever on Sunday was fabricated.

Susan Reiser at University of North Carolina - Asheville who wrote the code. 

Esther Joy and Felix Olivieri who produced and directed the short film about this piece (click here to view).  

Jennifer Scanlan who believed in the concept for this piece, before it was even started. 

The Computing in the Arts Workshops which were funded by National Science Foundation’s TUES grant numbers 1323610, 1323593, and 1323605 which I was invited to participate in and at which I came to the idea for this work and met Susan to collaborate with. 

My wonderfully supportive husband, Michael Gayk, who is the best partner in this crazy life.