Synchronous Site and Self-Portrait

This week was our first meeting for Live Web. I am excited for this course for a number of reasons, most significantly that I want to learn more about facilitating real-time collaboration online.

Toward the beginning of class we were asked to consider what kinds of media we consume live. Things like sports, concerts, or news were the first to come to mind. We were then asked why “live” is important for these? Having an experience that is unique, or authentic, seems to be a big part of it.

Synchronous Site

After class I was tasked with finding a website that demonstrates synchronous web technologies. With some Googling I found my way to an odd live webcam stream of Andy Warhol’s grave. This stream, showing a graveyard in Pennsylvania in real time, struck me as a wonderfully appropriate tribute to the artist whose legacy includes the 8 hour film Empire (1964).

Warhol’s film, a slow motion unflinching view of the Empire State building, is something I had experienced in my undergraduate film school studies. For me it lives in a memory parallel to Padre Pio’s casket which was displayed on live TV in Italy back in 2002 while he made his way to sainthood. Watching the TV I wondered if anyone thought they might tune-in and experience a miracle.

Self-Portait

To demonstrate some of the HTML5 web technologies we are learning I created this self portrait in P5.js. You can explore the full code here. As you move your cursor over the video below my head should turn to follow.