Viral Data Flux

At this point I have decided to start to look at the creative, rather than destructive elements of my project.

I am aiming to create a small app. that will allow the user to enter a number [preferably one with upwards of 8 digits - passport number, phone number etc] with which I want to create a generative image.

This image would then be a visual representation of that specific number. I would like to attempt this piece in both flash and processing as I believe both have potential to create a strong visual outcome.

I would like to allow the outcome to then be saved as an image file for future viewing. I would like to attempt a visual collection of the important numbers in my life [ascii conversion may be used to allow for alpha-numeric numbers to be included as well].

Ok so I have started to consider this project again, although it is one which has a later deadline and therefore is still taking a back seat compared to other briefs.

However I have decided that it is necessary to document my continuing progress in order to both present what I have done to my group of peers but also to allow me myself to see just what I have [or haven't yet] done.

At the moment I have created a number of different glitched images. These images have been glitched using a hex editor that allows me to view the hexadecimal structure of the images and manipuliate them from the inside out.

I gathered the following images from the DeviantArt gallery of ??.

I initially open this image [the.perfect.ending] as it was my current desktop image. I scrolled down into the body of the hex code [so as not to corrupt the image header - which specifies certain information required to display the image] and insert a string containing the Picasso quote which has become one of the pillars of my concept/s; "Every act of creation is first of all an act of destruction".

I feel that the first outcome [as simple as it is] manages to show a distinct change in the subject matter. In the original image we see a cold and grey womans face. Yet at the point where the quote has been inserted we see a small area of blue pixelation and then the rest of the image takes on a far more human appearance, just through the introduction of a skin tone.

To me, this image shows the creation of life through disrupting an image of a not so living face. This was an encouraging start.

I decided to repeat exactly the same procedure for a number of other images to see what effects could be achieved.

As can be seen from the images - the results weren't quite as inspiring. It seems that by choosing to glithc a simple image first and then apply the same glitch to different, more complicated images, that the additional text had no where near the same effects on the displaying of the image.

There was however one acception to this rule, and the following image was glitched in another totally different manner.

Due to the rapid speed that my virtual envrironments presentation is approaching, I have decided to let this project stand still for the remainder of this week.

I shall re-awaken it after my presentation on friday.

I have been experimenting with Glitching images in a variety of ways and I am now seeking to find a way to create a web based application that will allow this to be done via a website.