obx

NextText

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Creative explorations of the intersection between visual, dynamic and interactive form and linguistic content.

NextText is a Java library for building applications to display dynamic and interactive text-based applications. The library uses TrueType or OpenType fonts to render text which moves and changes shape according to programmatic direction. The programmer has full control over the text and the rules defining its behaviour. We use NextText [to create many of our experiments in expressive computational text and typography]. [link to Between Reading and Looking.

Projects

Research funded by:

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Docs

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Complex Text and Typography

Whose Idea Was This? Four questions that plague(d) me.

Lewis, Jason Edward. “Whose Idea Was This? Four questions that plague(d) me.” Common Pulse symposium, Durham, ON, 2012.

talk

Post PostScript Please

Lewis, Jason E. and Bruno Nadeau. “Post PostScript Please”. Digital Creativity, vol. 21, no. 1. Ed. Simon Penny. London : Routledge, 2010. pp. 21 – 32.

abstract | paper

Trespassing | Transgression

Lévesque, Maroussia, and Jason Lewis. “Trespassing | Transgression”. No More Potlucks. No. 1, vol. 2, Montreal, QC. (Winter 2009)

paper

Writing with Complex Type

Lewis, Jason E. and Bruno Nadeau. “Writing with Complex Type”. Proceedings of the Digital Arts and Culture 2009 Conference, Dec. 12 – 15. UC. Ed. Simon Penny. Irvine, CA : UC Irvine. (December 2009)

paper

Writing-Designing-Programming: The NextText Project

Lewis, Jason. “Writing-Designing-Programming”. Media-Space Journal: Special Issue on Futures of New Media Art, vol. 1 no. 1. Ed. Ingrid Richardson. Perth, Australia: Media-Space Perth, 2008.

paper

What Do We Lose When We Make People Disappear? The Passage Oublié Project

Lévesque, Maroussia, and Jason Lewis. “What Do We Lose When We Make People Disappear? The Passage Oublié Project”. Wi: Journal of Mobile Media. No. 1, vol. 1, Montreal, QC. (Spring 2008)

read online

(Im)mobile Nation

Lewis, Jason and Maroussia Lévesque. “(Im)mobile Nation”. Mobile Nation: Creating Methodologies for Mobile Platforms. Eds. Martha Ladly and Philip Beesley. Toronto: Riverside Architectural Press, 2008. 141 – 147.

book chapter

Performative Surface: Double Sided Interaction

Bruyère, Hugues and Thierry Giles. “Performative Surface: Double Sided Interaction.” MULTIMEDIA ‘07: Proceedings of the 15th international conference on Multimedia, 2007. ACM, 2007.

paper

The Threat of Text

Maroussia Lévesque, and Lewis, Jason. “The Threat of Text”. Public Lettering Conference, Montreal, Canada. (May 2007).

abstract

Cityspeak, Citywide

Lewis, Jason, Maroussia Lévesque and Lucie Bélanger. “Cityspeak, Citywide”. Mobilefest Conference on Mobile Technology, Sao Paulo, Brazil. (November 2006).

paper

P2P: Cityspeak’s Reconfiguration of Public Media Space

Lévesque, Maroussia, Jason Lewis and Lucie Bélanger. “p2P: Cityspeak’s Reconfiguration of Public Media Space”. Wi: Journal of the Mobile Digital Commons Network. No. 1, vol. 1, Montreal, QC. (Fall 2006)

read online

Taking Sides: Dynamic Text and Hip-Hop Performance.

Lewis, Jason and Yannick Assogba. “Taking Sides: Dynamic Text and Hip-Hop Performance.” Proceedings of the 14th ACM International Conference on Multimedia, October 23-27, 2006. ACM Press, 2006.

paper

Inter-inactivity

Lewis, Jason and Bruno Nadeau. “Inter-inactivity”. Proceedings of the Digital Arts and Culture Conference 2005, December 1 – 6, 2005. Copenhagen: IT University of Copenhagen, 2005.

paper

SenseText: Gesture Based Control of Text Visualization

Lewis, Jason and Frank Tsonis. “SenseText: Gesture Based Control of Text Visualization”. Proceedings of the 6th International Workshop on Gesture in Human-Computer Interaction and Simulation, Berder Island, France, May 18-20, 2005. Eds. Sylvie Gibet, et al. Frankfurt: Spring Verlag, 2005.

paper

A More Developed Life: Comments on the Materiality of Digital Media

Lewis, Jason. “A More Developed Life: Comments on the Materiality of Digital Media”, 2nd Annual Conference on Typography and Visual Communication, Thessaloniki, Greece. (June 2004)

paper

The Prime Designer

Textologies Interdisciplinary Workshop on Multmedia Technologies, Ethics and Culture, McMasters University, Hamilton ON (October 2004)

paper

Alien Letter Forms: An Ecosystem for Evolutionary Letterforms

Lewis, Jason and David Bouchard. “Alien Letter Forms: An Ecosystem for Evolutionary Letterforms”. Proceedings of COSIGN Conference on Computational Semiotics, Split, September 4 – 16, 2004. Ed. Andy Clarke. Split, Croatia: University of Split, 2004. 82 – 86.

paper

ActiveText: A Method for Creating Dynamic and Interactive Texts

Lewis, Jason and Alex Weyers. “ActiveText: A Method for Creating Dynamic and Interactive Texts”, User Interface Software and Technology Conference (UIST), Asheville, North Carolina. (November 1999)

paper

Dynamic Poetry: Introductory Remarks to a New Medium

Lewis, Jason. “Dynamic Poetry: Introductory Remarks to a New Medium”. Illustrations. M.Phil. Thesis, Royal College of Art : London. 13 December 1996.

thesis

Invisibilities at the Interface

Lewis, Jason and Adrian Chan. “Invisibilities at the Interface”. Technologies of Vision Conference, Stanford University, Stanford, CA (November 1992) (original title: “The Communicative Interface”)

paper

Aboriginal Territories in Cyberspace

You Want to do What with Doda’s Stories? Building a Community for the Skins Workshops on Aboriginal Storytelling in New Media

Lewis, Jason Edward. “You Want to do What with Doda’s Stories? Building a Community for the Skins Workshops on Aboriginal Storytelling in New Media”. In Community-Based Multiliteracies and Digital Media Projects: Questioning Assumptions and Exploring Realities. Eds. Heather Pleasants and Dana E. Salter. New Literacies and Digital Epistemologies Series, Colin Lankshear and Michele Knobel, eds. Peter Lang Publishing. Under contract; scheduled for publication in Summer, 2013.

abstract

A Better Dance and Better Prayers: Structures, Systems and the Future Imaginary in Aboriginal New Media

Lewis, Jason Edward. “A Better Dance and Better Prayers: Structures, Systems and the Future Imaginary in Aboriginal New Media ”. Coded Territories: Tracing Indigenous Pathways in New Media. Eds. Steve Loft & Kerry Swanson. imagineNATIVE + ? . Under contract; scheduled for publication in Fall, 2012.

abstract

TimeTravelers, Flying Heads, and Second Lives: Designing Digital Stories

Lewis, Jason Edward. “Time Travelers, Flying Heads, and Second Lives: Designing Communal Stories”. Interactions, Journal of the Computer Human Interaction SIG of the Association for Computing Machinery, vol. 19, issue 2. ACM : New York, NY. (March + April 2012). 20 – 23.

article

Call it a Vision Quest: Machinima in a First Nations Context.

Lameman, Elizabeth Aileen and Jason Edward Lewis. “Call it a Vision Quest: Machinima in a First Nations Context.” In Understanding Machinima: Essays in Film-making in Virtual Worlds. Jenna Ng, ed. New York, NY : Continuum Press, 2012. In press; page numbers forthcoming.

abstract

TimeTraveller™: A Case Study in Nonverbal Communication in Second Life.

Lameman, Beth Aileen and Jason Edward Lewis. “TimeTraveller™: A Case Study in Nonverbal Communication in Second Life.” In Nonverbal Communications in Virtual Worlds. Joshua Tanenbaum, Magy Seif el-Nasr, and Michael Nixon, eds. Pittsburgh, PA : ETC Press, 2012. In press; page numbers forthcoming.

abstract

Art Work as Argument

Lewis, Jason Edward and Skawennati Fragnito. “Art Work as Argument”. Canadian Journal of Communications. Vol. 37, Winter 2012. 205 – 212.

article

Skins: Designing Games with First Nations Youth.

Lameman, Beth Aileen and Jason Edward Lewis. “Skins: Designing Games with First Nations Youth.” Journal of Game Design and Development Education. Winter 2011, vol. 1, no. 1. pp. 63 – 75.

abstract | journal

Skins 1.0: A Curriculum for Designing Games with First Nations Youth

Lameman, Beth Aileen, Jason E. Lewis, and Skawennati Fragnito. “Skins 1.0: A Curriculum for Design Games with First Nations Youth.” Proceedings of the International Academic Conference on the Future of Game Design and Technology. Vancouver, BC: Association of Computing Machinery, NY NY, 2010. pp. 282

abstract | paper

Future First Nations: Rezzing the 22nd Century

Lewis, Jason, Beth A. Dillon, Skawennati Fragnito, and Bea Parsons. “Future First Nations: Rezzing the 22nd Century”. Canadian Games Studies Association Conference, Ottawa, ON. (May 2009).

abstract

Skins: Virtual Modding as Self-Determination

Dillon, Beth A., and Jason Lewis, “Skins: Virtual Modding as Self-Determination”, Native American and Indigenous Studies Association 1st Annual Conference, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN. (May 2009)

abstract

Aboriginal Territories in Cyberspace

Lewis, Jason and Skawennati Tricia Fragnito. “Aboriginal Territories in Cyberspace”, Cultural Survival Quarterly, pp. 29 – 31, vol. 29.2, Cambridge, Mass. (July 2005)

paper

Terra Nullius, Terra Incognito : Aboriginal Reservations About Cyberspace

Lewis, Jason. “Terra Nullius, Terra Incognito : Aboriginal Reservations About Cyberspace”, BlackFlash, vol. 22. no. 1, Saskatoon, SK. (Spring 2004)

paper

Five Suggestions for Better Living

Fragnito, Skawennati. “Five Suggestions for Better Living. On Aboriginal Representation in the Gallery. Ed. Lynda Jessup with Shannon Bagg. Ottawa : Canadian Museum of Civilization, 2002. 229-237. Print.

article

Ohmygod! The Bad Guy is Native??

Fragnito, Skawennati. “Ohmygod! The Bad Guy is Native??”. Fuse Magazine. Fall 2002. Volume 25 Number 4. 37-38. Print.

article

SenseText

admin — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:48:57 +0000

A wearable gesture-based input device for use within TextEngine.

2005
SenseText is a wearable device designed to apply behaviors to text within the Text Engine software. The setup consists of two wireless circuits. The first is a transmitter circuit embedded in a shirt cuff worn by a spoken word performer. The transmitter circuit consists of an accelerometer, a sensor which measures x and y tilt. As a result the transmitter circuit measures hand gestures. A second receiver circuit then converts the data sent by the transmitter circuit into MIDI. A simple Max/MSP patch analyzes this data, deciphering the extent of the user’s wrist movement. The Text Engine software has been designed to read in MIDI data. Each text behavior has a specific MIDI value.

Taking Sides

admin — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:46:56 +0000

Whose side are on?

2006
Taking Sides is a performance using a real-time speech visualization software system called TextEngine. Taking Sides is a collaboration between our research studio and a local hip-hop artist. Our primary goal was to create a strong conceptual link between the text visualization, the content of the artist’s lyrics, and his performance style. Additionally we wanted to test the flexibility of TextEngine in developing customized performance applications. Pursuing these goals led us through a three month development effort that cycled tightly between design, performance and programmatic iterations.

Resolution

admin — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:45:19 +0000

Ignoring the naysayers.

2006
Resolution is a performance in collaboration with Alex Mannarelli, a.k.a. Funky Chef. Like Taking Sides and Fugue 8, the piece consists of a real-time capture of the performer’s words and movements, which are displayed in the background. This work-in progress is focused on exploring the video component’s capabilities for triggering actions on the animated text. Certain body movements influence the motion, color, and dynamic behavior of the background text. Beyond its physical presence, the body becomes a method of input for digital media. Movements enable the performer to navigate between three main states, or acts, in the dynamic text. The visual design of these states semantically maps to the notions of self-confidence and social pressures addressed in the lyrical content of the song.

Fugue 8

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Choices & Consequences.

2006
Fugue 8 is collaboration with graphic artists / poets John Stuart and Kevin Yuen Kit Lo.
A giant projection (20ft by 20ft) complements the spoken-word performance of John Stuart. The words uttered are rendered visually using the TextEngine application, and projected in the background. The text’s behaviour is divided in acts, which follow the verses of the poem. Each act is a dynamic tableau meant to support and expand the rythm, tone and allegories present the verse. The system is able to recognize pre-determined keywords to allow the performer to control certain features of the text. In the same fashion, other features can be controlled by the position of the performer via the video recognition module.

Intralocutor

admin — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:34:50 +0000

Materializing speech.

Intralocutor is an interactive installation that allows two participants to play with ways of visualizing their speech. A real-time video capture is made of the two and projected onto a wall behind them. The video has been altered so that all observers see is the silhouettes of the two. As they begin speaking, the speech of person A becomes visible, moves from person A’s mouth and interacts with person B’s silhouette. Depending on qualities of person A’s speech such as speed, volume, pitch and rhythm, her words might bounce off person B silhouette, or penetrate it, or simply stick to the “skin”. The appearance of the words also respond to the speech qualities; for instance, words said with stress appear elongated and shaky; words said with a heightened volume expand; words said with a quickened rhythm come out crowded together.