When we think of the era of Paul Gauguin, Henri Rousseau and Vincent van Gogh we imagine a time long-gone and far away from our modern reality. However, important artists of all times are the vanguard of their era, experimenting with new techniques, materials and ideas and creating something new, a silent revolution.
I’m sure that if Vincent van Gogh were to live in our times, he would have experimented with technology the way many contemporary artists do. It’s pretty natural then that “The Starry Night”, van Gogh’s magnum opus now exhibited at the MoMA in New York, has received the interactive treatment.
Petros Vrellis used openFrameworks to create a fluid and interactive simulation of the post-impressionist painting. The result is breathtaking, as the sky’s brushstrokes come to life, flowing and whirling around. There are around 80,000 particles that move around under the animation’s algorithm to create the amazing result. Best of all, the screen also offers multitouch tracking, so that you can directly interact and alter the painting. Oh, and the result is completed by some pretty atmospheric experimental music that also responds to the animations.
[Creative Applications Network, via theverge]
