Sonatina for Plotter & Laptop, 2023
An art installation exploring the sonic possibilities of pen plotters.
‍Presented at the Art Blocks 2023 Marfa community event.

Tools: Javascript, Max/MSP, SVG, AxiDraw A3
Visuals: Johan Ismael
Audio: David Grunzweig

What if the pen plotter was reinterpreted as a musical instrument? In this experiment, the unique sounds it produces while drawing are captured by a microphone and processed by various algorithms to produce a piece of sound art that explores some of the sonic possibilities of these machines. The visual design is inspired by graphical music scores, which modern composers like James Tenney or Iannis Xenakis used to write music for non-traditional instruments. The project aims to highlight a new dimension of this highly popular tool within the generative art scene.

The project was presented during Art Blocks' 2023 Marfa community weekend in art fair style. People would sit down and listen to the ambient soundscape created live from the plotter sounds. And they walked away with a small postcard plot as souvenir!