Since 2003 Matt has been running a hobby electronics business as an Electronic Design Consultant to ‘New Media’ artists.
This work has led Matt to be involved in local and international festivals and exhibitions at prestigious galleries such as the Queensland Art Gallery and the Ipswich Art Gallery in Queensland.
Some examples of collaborated works include a Travel Globe detailing the exploits of aviator Bert Hinkler, displayed in the Hinkler Hall of Aviation in Bundaberg. This Globe consists of series of LED lights that are programmed to sequentially display the flight paths that Bert Hinkler followed around the world. The system also includes two stock ticker displays that inform the viewer of Bert’s activities. This system is not computer controlled. Rather, the whole system runs from a microcontroller which sends information to the lights via Ethernet cables and the UDP protocol. This enables staff to turn it on and off daily without worrying about hard disk corruption or long boot up times.
Below is a project known as ‘Charmed’, incorporating a touch sensitive display. Charmed was initially exhibited as part of Experimenta Playground: International Biennial of Media Arts, which attracted a total of 44,043 visitors. Each Charmed pod can be moved around on the table top and a downwards-facing LED tracks its position via video camera. The images on the screen react to position and user interaction, enabling the user to zoom in-and-out of each of the apartment windows displayed in the image.
‘Distracted’ is another work involving Ethernet controlled lights. This particular project also incorporates distance sensors, allowing the columns of light to react to the proximity of the viewer.
In his employment as a design consultant, Matt has been invited to give workshops and panels for such organisations as The State Library of Queensland, The Electrofringe Festival in Newcastle, and Transit Lounge Youth Space in Brisbane. Matt has also served for more than 3 years as an electronics tutor at UQ. His workshops have enabled novice hobbyists to learn more about microcontrollers and basic electronics.
