Portrait Machine 2009

Portrait Machine, 2009, by British artist Theo Watson and Kyle McDonald is an interactive photography installation which visualizes the connections between visitors of CBK Amsterdam. This is done by first allowing the visitor to take a picture of them self using a fixed camera. The visitor can see what the cameras views though a large LCD screen which is positioned vertically, a bit like a photo booth. The photograph is then stored along with all the other visitors’ photographs. These Photographs are then sorted based on a number of features, such as clothing choice, hair colour, facial expression, and composition within the frame. The installation projects both the similarities and differences in these characteristic though three LCD screens (the LCD screens are positioned vertically and in a row) each one showing one photograph of a visitor.  Portrait Machine purposes is to make the visitor aware of human connectedness and uniqueness though creating strong visual patterns and playful juxtapositions. Portrait Machine really fulfils its purpose as an interactive installation. When the visitors photograph is project on one of the LCD screens it either shows their uniqueness compare to the other visitor or their similarlest. During the short Vimeo video I found it interesting how the visitors interacted with the camera creativity to trick the installation in to creating more playfully juxtapositions of the photographs. This got me thinking how an Interactive installation could evoke the audience into trying more creative action, thing etc with digital media.