Ivan mendoza

"creative coding developer and physical computing artist"

Ivan Mendoza is a Creative Coding Developer and Physical Computing Artist, whose practice centers around the exploration of technology as a medium for art, while also embracing his Mexican American heritage. His immersive art experiences are created through the use of creative coding, while his sculptural pieces are enriched through the use of physical computing to enhance their narrative and emotional resonance. Ivan’s approach to art is rooted in a deep appreciation for the traditional artistic styles and mediums of his heritage, which he blends seamlessly with cutting-edge technologies to create a unique visual language that speaks to contemporary audiences.

 

Skills

Programming

  • Max Msp
  • Arduino
  • Micro-Python
  • OpenGL
  • WebGL
  • Jitter
  • GLSL

Physical computing

  • Arduino
  • Teensy
  • Raspberry Pi
  • Analogue circuitry
  • Soldering
  • Circuit Bending

Fabrication

  • Welding (Gas, Mig, Tig)
  • Laser Cutting
  • Plasma Cutting
  • Metal/ Wood work
  • Experience with various Fabrication tools

PHYSICAL COMPUTING

SCULPTURAL/ ANALOGUE CIRCUITRY WORKS

INVERSE DETESTATION

This piece was in a 3d show I'm actually pretty proud of. It was the first sculptural piece I made using face tracking software coupled with Arduino to move a stepper motor based on the position of the user. I wanted to make something that played on the fact that we as people go to galleries and museums and stare mindlessly at works but what if the art stared back at you.

HEART STRINGS MELODY

This was an interactive installation piece I made last year that used a heart pulse sensor to turn the users heart beat into AMBIENT SYNTH noise by using a micro controller and max msp / Arduino code and a visual representation of the reverberation of a person's heart beat. Reactive to the noise of the users heart beat.

GABRIEL

GABRIEL IS AN A completely ANALOGUE SYNTH INSTRUMENT, USES NO CODE. DRIVEN BY A HEXSCHMIT TRIGGER IC. THEY WAY YOU CAN PLAY GABRIEL IS BY GRABBING THE TWO METAL CONTACT POINTS AND COMPLETING THE CIRCUIT TO CREATE A TONE THAT CAN THEN BE MODULATED BASED ON HOW MUCH LIGHT THE PHOTO CELL ON TOP OF THE JAR GETS. THIS KIND OF MANIPULATION CAN GIVE INTERESTING RESULTS AS THE TIGHTER YOU GRAB THE CONTACT POINT THE MORE INTENSE THE SOUND GETS. TOUCHING DIFFERENT CONTACTS CREATES DIFFERENT TONES.

APOLLO

THIS IS APOLLO AN INTERACTIVE HYPER INSTRUMENT I BUILT OUT OF A TEENSY MICRO-CONTROLLER AND A MULTITUDE OF OTHER SENSORS. HE HAS AN ACCELEROMETER, A GYROSCOPE, potentiometer, PHOTOCELLS, FLEX SENSORS IN THE TONGUES, AND A SMALL MICROPHONE FOR REVERB NOISE. APOLLO IS A VERY EXPRESSIVE EVER CHANGING INTSRUMENT THAT HAS SO MANY SENSORS AND DIFFERENT WAYS YOU CAN MAKE SYNTH NOISE WITH IT , YOU'LL ALMOST NEVER PLAY IT THE SAME TWICE.

PLANTAINS MELODY

In trying to lighten the mood of these crazy and troubling times I put this video together TO LIGHTEN SPIRITS. makeymakey electrodes mapped to synthesizers coded in maxmsp . Touch the knife with one part of the circuit to the banana with the other part of the circuit to complete the connection and trigger the sound. fun little day project to do during quarantine.

CIRCUIT TREE

a circuit bent toy coupled in parallel with a hexschmit trigger oscillator circuit

OSCILLA-TV

CIRCUIT BENT TV TURNED INTO OSCILLASCOPE.

ARNIE

moving pully motors, wired switch light sculpture made to pay homage to the original terminator.

BIO

I am Ivan Mendoza, a first-generation Mexican-American multimedia artist. My work focuses on exploring the intersection of digital and physical interactive environments, incorporating elements of my own Mexican-American heritage. I have a passion for creating interactive installations and immersive environments, utilizing creative programming to bring my vision to life. My expertise in hardware and software systems, combined with my background in Latino studies, allows me to bring a truly unique perspective to the field of multimedia art. In addition to my digital art skills, I also have a strong background in fabrication and sculpture. My experience in MIG welding, metal, and wood working has allowed me to bring my digital creations to life in the physical world, creating works of art that are both technically impressive and deeply meaningful. I am proud of my heritage and strive to reflect it in my work. Whether I am working with cutting-edge digital technologies or more traditional materials, my passion for creativity and my dedication to my roots are evident in everything I create. I am confident that my unique perspective and diverse skill set make me a valuable asset to any team.

Software Projects

Installation/ Research

"THE SUN COMES OUT BUT THE DEJECTION NEVER LEAVES"

An experimental interactive art performance. That’s supposed to represent the struggle between mental issues such as schizophrenia, depression, and other forms of mental illnesses that aren’t curable. The code used in this project repurposes a dated tracking method included in the CV.JIT package library brought into Max Msp and mapped to a sine wave synthesizer. In my research of this package, I found that the Optical tracking algorithm would track any position of the mouse click. But could be easily confused by the rapid movement of different pixels. This served as an interesting way to interact between the program and the real world. By then incorporating the synthesizer to adjust the frequency of the sine wave to the position of the Optical tracking point, it further pushed that narrative of a never-ending battle with something that doesn't go away and you can’t control but find a way to live with. March 10, 2019

INDESTICTLY LUMINOUS

Video processing installation put in ASU design library lobby. PIECE WAS CENTERED AROUND GETTING STRESSED OUT STUDENTS DURING FINALS WEEK TO ENGAGE IN FUN MOVEMENT. THE SYSTEM OPERATED ON THE DISPLACEMENT OF PIXELS WOULD ILLUMINATED THE VIEWER. SO THE MORE THEY MOVED THE MORE THEY WOULD SEE THEMSELVES.

FIELD ORCHESTRATIONS

over the summer I was doing an internship the school of Arts media and Engineering at ASU and was tasked with the job of creating a set of interactive kinds of "brushes" to offer a more immersive alternative to zoom learning in this time of a pandemic. this was the first iteration to drawing with a person's gestural movement.

LUMINOUS TRACK

OVER THE SUMMER I WAS DOING AN INTERNSHIP THE SCHOOL OF ARTS MEDIA AND ENGINEERING AT ASU AND WAS TASKED WITH THE JOB OF CREATING A SET OF INTERACTIVE KINDS OF "BRUSHES" TO OFFER A MORE IMMERSIVE ALTERNATIVE TO ZOOM LEARNING IN THIS TIME OF A PANDEMIC. THIS WAS THE FIRST ITERATION TO DRAWING WITH A SIMPLE CELL PHONE LIGHT.

PAINTER_01.

Painter_01. This was a interactive piece I was working on over this last summer while being quarantined! Test footage just crossed me again and I thought I'd throw up here. The system uses the users hand movements to distort or "paint" using the digital pixels of the image being fed into the system. A simple snap will reset the image and there are a few distortion features integrated which is shown at the end. Art work sampled in this test document is from @zydeonline 🙂

POLYCHROMATIC MALFORMATION

meaning multicolored deformity. I created this video processor code to distort the live video by using light. These are a few of the interactions with the art piece, love seeing how people react to my work. I'm grateful to @xicoinc for allowing me to show my art in this space .

KILLOSCILLATOR

this was a project I made for my advanced interactive sound class. I tried to make my own version of KORGS oscillator app. This project was the first time i implemented OSC messages to control parameters in max msp. Each 2D XY slider is connected to its own individual coded synthesizer; sample.playback, Drone, and an FM.synth. the goal of this project was to create a system that anyone could walk up to and use and compose with. I wanted to couple Visuals with this project to set more of a immersive mood. this semester I've been focusing more on coding in jitter / gl.pix thats what the oscillation feedback distortion affect was coded in. I used frame differencing of a Mickey Mouse halloween special episode from the 20s to control the rate of oscillation in the visual. the goal was to create a kind of analogue video synthesizer emulator.

CONDUCTOR

I was lucky enough to get the chance to work in the well know ASU istage facility in the school of Arts media and engineering. this stage is equipped with a multitude of sensors that are able to be programmed to create an immersive environment. Myself and two other students coded synthesizers to be mapped to up to 5 people in this space and as you all moved the lights, sounds and intensity went up.

collaborative public sculpture

TESTS/RESEARCH

FIRE

VIDEO PROCESSING PROGRAM THAT CREATES A FIRE EFFECT.

FLUID

FLUID SHADER TEST. THE SOUND OF SNAP WILL TRIGGER FLUID DISPLACEMENT ON LIVE VIDEO.

DELAY

VIDEO PROCESSING DELAY PATCH.