Touch = Color
leds, microcontroller, wood, metal, plastic,
rubber
46" x 36" x 10" (2008)

-----This works consists of two grey boxes. The larger box is the output device and the smaller box is the input device. The larger box contains a light panel that can display thousands of colors. The smaller box reveals a soft, rubbery, black square region that can sense the pressure of the viewers touch. It also contains the microcontroller and circuitry that enables the work to produce behavior in relation to the viewer’s actions.
-----This work is about the translation of touch into color. Often, we overlook the value and richness of nonverbal communication. The complexity of touch is one example of this. Touch can be versatile in it ability to convey many different messages. It also has the power to communicate stronger meaning than verbal communication alone. What could take thousands of words can be summed up into the single act of a hug. By translating touch into color I am presenting the viewer with a new perspective on how touch affects a situation. My hope is that this new perspective will allow interactants to realize the potential of touch. I want them to recognize that the act of touching is a form of communication and inevitably leads to a reaction.
-----Interaction is an integral part of this work. It is necessary for the viewer to physically interact with the piece in order to complete the work. When the viewer touches the black region on the small box, different colors are displayed. Depending on the pressure the participant uses determines the color that is displayed. The way this work is configured is intended to give the viewer a sense of one-to-one communication. When they do something, the piece does something.