Permacultures # 1: Simon Blackmore

'Data Plants' 
Simon Blackmore was the first resident artist on the PermaCultures Programme and was at SPACE during March 2009.

Simon makes performative sculptures and installations using sound and custom-made technology that explore the relationship between the physical and digital. Simon also works with the Owl Project - a collaborative group of Manchester based artists who share interests in human interaction with technology and process-led art.

During his time at SPACE Simon developed a drawing machine out of open-source hardware. He constructed a machine to move a small LED accurately through space. To the naked eye this looks simply like a light moving, however long exposure photographsl reveal complex 3-Dimensional forms. The resulting 'light tracings' become a range of plant structures generated through mathematic procedures and influenced by electro magnetic activity. The work offers a visualisation of the flow of data within a given space.

The project is based around a range of open-source hardware and software and includes a RepRap, a self-replicating machine that can be used for rapid prototyping and manufacturing.