Recently a painter friend of mine was diagnosed with epilepsy, a condition that was directly caused by working with harmful chemicals associated with painting. Her condition kept her from doing many things including painting. She has since been trying to come to terms with this disability and her artwork.

This dynamic biometric video portrait will morph and shape shift based on nervous system data obtained from biometric sensors connected to a person suffering from nervous disorder. A remote system consisting of electrodes, biofeedback device and wifi enabled laptop will be worn throughout the day. The biometric sensor will read EEG and EMG data which will be sent whenever the device is in range of a wifi hotspot. Changes in brainwaves will be visualized as spikes, bumps and distortions appearing on the surface of the video portrait. This project is open ended enough to incorporate other biometric information such as pulse rate, muscle activity, galvanic skin response and respiration as well.

Electroencephalogram or (EEG)'s are a record of the electrical activity of the brain, obtained by means of electrodes placed on the scalp. The EEG is useful in the investigation and management of epilepsy. The medical industry has developed pocket-sized EEG systems that are designed for use at home via a laptop. Companies such as Televital enable real-time monitoring of biometric devices via the internet. This data will be used to control Max/Jitter to manipulate the video portrait based on the EEG reading of the wearer. This piece takes an experimental approach to art that challenges the perception of performance, place and traditional ideas of what an artist is.