John Sebastian Porter

Creating this project for The Portland Winter Light Festival is just what we needed to get through the winter months. I love this festival, and the first time I experienced it in 2018 (I think), it radicalized my winter. I remember FaceTiming a few friends just to show them how wild it was. I must’ve been glowing myself.

Now we’re on to the tasks of engineering, fabrication, fundraising (ugh), tech, content-creation, etc. It’s a lot of work for an unemployed freelancer like me, but we have an amazing team coming together. I’ll make some posts about them as we progress.

There are technical hurdles, especially with the Theremin sensor system. Stability, sensitivity, range, etc. are all challenges in a capacitive sensor circuit. Options are out there, but I’m romantic about the Theremin. Who can blame me?

Would it matter to you if the piece was interactive, or would it be okay just to experience the beauty? Personally, I don’t usually create interactive art in this way, but if we do I think it should be more than just a gimmick. The interaction should be fundamental to the piece.