The Abstraction, Transmission, and Reconstruction of Presence

While there has been a recent growth of interest in the use of computers to assist in creative expression, there has not been much discussion about appropriate strategies for the design and implementation of such works. Many interactive computer works to date have used either cinematic or architectural approaches in order to provide for artistic content. It is my assertion, as outlined in this thesis, that there exists a new form of creative expression, via computers, outside of these other artistic formats one that is purely "computational" in design and implementation. Through the following work, I will propose a general model for computer-based interactive art, using continuous "salient" parameters that are derived from the physical environment as sources for subsequent artistic transformation of abstract content. This work demonstrates several possibilities towards expressive cause-effect relationships between the interactive participant and the environment, illustrating these links through mathematical modeling and corresponding examples. Furthermore, this model of interactive art is upwardly scalable, allowing for multiple participants to interact within a shared environment. This thesis will explore some theoretical issues, present related research, introduce and detail each sub-system of the model, apply the model to six different real-world interactive environments as part of Tod Machover's Brain Opera, and provide an evaluation of the research project.