How to Create Work from a Technology Perspective: Theodore Watson

Theodore: Actually, before Kinect came out, I tried mapping my entire skeleton from scratch. First, I'd find the arm and head, then get it to recognize the angle from the head to the body's center, from the center to the hand, and from the center to the other hand. For example, if you made a gesture raising your arm in front of the wall, you could make the tree projected on the wall do the same movement.

The wonderful thing about this work is that since the audience is children, no one criticizes the piece. For me, whether to call this art isn't such a big issue. For instance, we once exhibited Funky Forest at a museum in Singapore. That exhibition was themed "Art and Garden," focusing on nature, and we ourselves felt very relaxed and free-spirited about the presentation.

Kida: You truly enjoy your work from the bottom of your heart.

Theodore: This was truly a joyful project. Seeing the children so happy and excited made all the hard work beforehand disappear in an instant. It was truly wonderful.

 

What I Want to Tell the Advertising Industry

Kida: I also studied interactive media and design in university. Lately, it feels like the advertising industry suddenly became very noisy about "interactive." I feel a bit bewildered that two previously separate worlds are starting to merge.
Theodore, is there anything you feel strongly about wanting to say to the advertising industry?

Theodore: I feel the relationship between artists and the advertising industry can be wonderful, or conversely, completely terrible. I think it depends on how the artist is approached.

If an ad agency wants to hire an artist to celebrate their work, they shouldn't take the attitude of, "We have this amazing vision, but we can't achieve it alone, so let us use you for our own convenience." Instead, they should let the artist do what they do best.

I worked with Professor Zack on building Nike's corporate brand. At that time, we executed several projects merging running and art.

Theodore: This project was truly excellent. While many people were involved in the project itself, in a way, we interacted directly with Nike. When we posed challenging questions to the Nike team, we discovered they were grappling with similar issues. However, regarding areas where we excelled, the Nike team gave us complete freedom to proceed.

Kida: Hearing Theodore speak, I realized that building a sensitive community—including the client—is crucial. If the team is strong, you can push things further.
Thank you.

 

[After the Interview]

I was completely overwhelmed by Theodore's stoic approach to creation throughout. Yet, he himself might not see himself as particularly stoic. Regardless of what he creates, I sensed that at his core lies the question: "Am I enjoying making this?" and whether it results in "work that is enjoyable for the audience." There are no boundaries like "media art" or "design" in that space.

Over ten years ago, media art was confined solely to the academic world. However, as "digital" tools became widely accessible, media art began bridging the gap from academia to advertising and entertainment, giving rise to new forms of expression and creators. I feel we are now in an era where previously separate domains are increasingly intertwining.

In this context, what becomes more important than ever is how to build creative communities. How can people with diverse backgrounds and expertise pool their knowledge and skills to create new outputs? That, I believe, is the very source that will generate new forms of expression going forward.

Dentsu Lab Tokyo features in-depth interviews with creative technologists from around the world.