Artist Statement

A white shelf six feet in length hangs from the wall about five feet from the floor. Flourescent light shies up from the shelf through the eleven plastic mechanical animals atop it. The shelf is equipped with a motion sensor. When the sensor is triggered it sets off a pseudorandom program, which ensures that the animals will respond in a different order every time. One animal will go on, then another and another until almost all of the creatures are barking and straining at their wires. At the end of the short time cycle, the critters stop simultaneously. The animals are store bought, originally battery operated and furry. They have been stripped down to their plastic skeletons and wired to accept AC power and signals from a “basic stamp” microcontroller.

• Tamara Stone, Canada. I am interested in human learning, processing and understanding of information as affected by emotion, self-awareness and personal accountability. How are they affected by socialization? How can i convey my own experience of learning and what processes can I initiate in an audience? In the last few years, intrigued by the contrast between the elastic and unpredictable nature of the individual mind and the structured way in which machines “learn”, process and respond I have come to focus on emerging media and their evolving roles in art making in an increasingly techno-centric society. I now work in a combination of traditional and new media. The figurative nature of my pieces provides physical and historical context while mechanical and computerized elements are intended to engage and challenge the viewer in unique ways.

Supported by the Canada Council.