Melissa P's Computerless Algorithm

Computerless Algorithm - Put on my face?

Having someone else apply my make up based solely on these instructions.

Make-up is a way of representing oneself. It is a personal choice to wear and to choose how to apply it, what colours to wear etc... In my algorithm I put the way I represent myself into the hands of someone else. These are the instructions they had to follow:

//Defining variables

round brush = long silver brush with rounded tip

eyeliner = round container with black inside labelled Eye studio

eyeliner brush = long black brush with hard tip

double tip brush = blue brush with flat tip on one end and fatter tip on the other

eyeshadow = black box labelled Sephora

open eyeshadow = opening the box

void setup () {

//seat makeup subject in chair

//position make up and make up brushes close to the subject

// position yourself in front of the subject and close to the make up

//ask the subject to close their eyes so you can put makeup on them

void draw() {

open eyeshadow;

base colour (light beige);

for (light beige as base colour) {

(round brush dipped in light beige covers the area of the eyelid up to the eyebrows with light beige);

(repeat on second eye);

(move to the next step once both eyes are done);

}

second color (gold);

for (gold as second colour) {

(flat tip of double tip brush dipped in gold covers the area of the eyelid up to the crease with gold);

(repeat on second eye);

(move to the next step once both eyes are done);

}

third colour (aqua blue);

for (aqua blue as third colour) {

(flat tip of the double tip brush dipped in gold covers half of the area of the eyelid from the outside of the eyelid to the centre);

(repeat on second eye);

(move to the next step once both eyes are done);

}

liner (eyeliner ++ eyeliner brush);

for (liner) {

(dip the eyeliner brush into the eyeliner);

(use the eyeliner brush that now has eyeliner on it to draw a line on the eyelid that follows and is located just above the eyelashes);

(repeat on second eye);

(ask the subject to open their eyes);

}

}

I found that my algorithm was interesting because it explored a few different areas of social interaction. First of all the person who is having there make-up done (me) has no control over what is happening to their face, how they are represented. It is like having someone else create your avatar in a virtual world. Second, there is the person doing the make-up, and in this case it was interesting to have a man be the person who applied the make-up. Not only was he uncomfortable be in charge of the way someone else looked, but he also likely has never interacted with make-up at all. It would be interesting to expand this work into the realm of new media by integrating avatars, or to expand it in its social context it would be interesting to line up a group of people in chairs to have their make up done by a group of random people. The people would have to follow the same set of instructions. It would be interesting to see the different outcomes and the interactions people would have.