aeiou : from the prelude : grey code installation by revad david riley (physical installation 520cm x 280cm, 2007)
(click thumb to view a larger preview - originals are 60cm x 60cm)
Produced in response to the theme Random and Considered while using the book From The Prelude : Selections from Wordsworth’s poem : Edited by H. S. Taylor as a starting point, this work analyses a short section of text from the book using a simple five bit binary reflective Gray code and the position of the vowels within each line of the chosen text.
The section of text used was from page 48:
... The memory languidly revolved, the heart Reposed in noontide rest, the inner pulse Of contemplation almost failed to beat. Rotted as by a charm, my life became A floating Island, an amphibious thing, Unsound, of spongy texture, yet withal Not wanting a fair face of water weeds And pleasant flowers. The thirst of living praise, Fit reverence for the glorious Dead, the sight Of those long vistas, catacombs in which Perennial minds lie visibly entombed, Have often stirred the heart of youth, and bred A fervent love of rigorous discipline--- Alas! such high emotion touched not me. Look was there none within these walls to shame ...
Some consideration was given to the chosen text to ensure that the number of lines roughly equalled the maximum number of vowels per line, thus ensuring the making process would yield the considered aesthetic of a square image. As an example here is one component square which represents the presence of I and U and the absence of A, E and O, as represented by the binary code 00101 (for AEIOU).
00101 : aeiou : from the prelude by revad david riley (60cm x 60cm, 2007)
The final installation is constructed of thirty two square components with each one analysing the presence or absence of the vowels in the text in accordance with a five bit binary reflective Gray code. The four high by eight wide layout was chosen to continue the Gray code concept between adjacent squares in any direction (both horizontal and vertical) and then result in a 2:1 ratio image installation (designed to fit the intended installation space). Each square component is 60cm x 60cm and the final installation is roughly 520cm x 280cm including space between components, although components could be produced at other sizes to fit a different installation space.
The individual square components could of course be arranged in many other ways giving the potential for a different final aesthetic, something that will be explored further in derivative works in the future.
