Laser-Cut Wood, Color Changing LED's

Pixelbox is deceptively simple in appearance, but it is an experiment in emergent behavior. The piece consists of a grid of thirty-six color-changing LEDs which contain very small microprocessors. when powered up simultaneously, the LEDs begin as all red. But because of miniscule differences in the manufacturing process, timing changes occur, and the grid of LEDs begins to create patterns as the red, green and blue LEDs got through the patters.

In addition, The power consumption of the different colors is very different, and causes further changes in the timing of the grid. What results is a study in complex interactions shown as a visual display.

Concpetually, the Pixelboxes seem to be creating 'characters' or 'calligrams' (to quote Foucault) which hint at the legible symbol, but never quite gets there. It also is informed by John Simon's "every Icon" work which cycles through every possibility in a 32x32 pixel grid, creating every icon imaginable.