ABOUT THE PROJECT

PVLSE is a multimedia project that draws on data visualization techniques & machine generated artwork to explore the threads that connect to human emotion. Collecting data input information from individuals (i.e. via web-based surveys) and popular internet search results via Google Trends Daily Search Trends and Real Time Search Trends, PVLSE will generate a series of emotion based images & animated visualizations that establish a framework to map thoughts within communities and around the world.

The project draws inspiration from the book Thought Forms by Annie Besant & CW Leadbeater; aspects of Indigenous transmotion; WindMap online visualization; Johanna Drucker's Digital Ontologies:... & SpecLab. This project is a continuation of my exploration of Thought Mapping - a terminology developed for my final paper for C&T I. The goal of thought mapping is to find ways to capture pinpoints of emotions, and plot the ethereality of residuals, and imprints of emotion and emotional states.

In this sense, the project and the resulting visualization(s) would map planes across layers, or planes of movement and ask what emotional traces of place, space and self might look like. It would ask whether these emotions can be mapped to something and if so, how? Essentially thought mapping was concerned with establishing a geography and/or topography of human emotion.

In its final state, PVLSE resides in a state of perpetual motion; continually shifting and re-defining itself and the landscape it inhabits. Its evolution is the result of and a response to regular information and data updates. The work so far has been centered around how the project receives its information and what it does (creates) as a result of receiving it.

PROGRESS TO DATE

The project began with the idea to map user response to a simplified statement such as "how are you feeling in the world today?". It was initially proposed that a survey would be developed to pose the question and collect geographic location data and other non identifying information that could help develop the visualization.

As research progressed and given project time constraints, the project pathway eventually divided, reaching a proverbial crossroads that would inform the outcome. This website will present the findings of two distinct processes - the potential for dataset & survey driven visualizations (artwork generated using Microsoft Excel) & machine driven visualization (artwork generated by A.I.). Both ideas relied on aspects of Thought Forms 'Key to the meanings of colours' chart. This chart would be used for reference in developing a custom colour palette, and in developing AI text prompts. Below is the custom colour palette, and the two resulting visualization processes.

THE CUSTOM COLOUR PALETTE

The project uses a custom colour palette that is used in all facets of development including the website, prototype logo & brand imagery, and the data visualizations. This palette is based on the 'Key to the meanings of colours' from the book Thought Forms by Annie Besant & CW Leadbeater. The resulting custom colour palette for PVLSE and brief rationale described below:

VISUALIZATION ONE: CONTOUR MAP IN EXCEL

Below are two renderings of a contour map visualization generated in Excel. The chart uses prototype data that does not come from actual participants or pre-existing datasets. This visualization is more of an exploration of how numerical data might be translated into visual works.

*** the image below is set up as a comparison slider - slide the chevron icon from left to right to view the different image colour schemes ***

VISUALIZATION TWO: MACHINE GENERATED RESPONSE

The videos and images below were generated using two AI generators. This generators were highlighted in YouTube videos on The A.I. Whisperer's channel. The videos link to Google Colab notebooks.

MOVING FORWARD

PVLSE has shifted to using machine learning to map human emotion. The final stages of this project will involve the following: Develop prototype video using A.I. based software such as Rough Cut A.I. Assistant Editor. Create audio generated by web based platform. Idea is to create video pieces that combine the animations & static images generated by A.I. programs using queries established by Realtime Search Trends results. A.I. edited video to be assembled and released at pre-defined intervals.