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Hello, I suppose that it is actually not such a complex thing to create models that average and anticipate based on what is already known... (e.g. the norm, what is accepted and even desired within a monochromatic cultural landscape) What I imagine is more difficult is to derive expression from constantly changing parameters, such as would be the case if the problem space were to include the diversity of human cultures. Regards, Lily ------------------------------------- õõ õ õ õ Dr. Lily Diaz-Kommonen Professor, Systems of Representation and Digital Cultural Heritage Media Lab University of Art and Design Helsinki 135C HŠmeentie SF 00560 Helsinki, Finland + 358 9 75630 338 + 358 9 75630 555 (FAX) <[log in to unmask]> On 6.2.2007, at 1.23, Chris Rust wrote: > This research (reported by Terry below) shows it is possible to > predict > > acceptable faces. I suspect that any good orthodontist could do the > same. It says nothing about art or beauty and nothing about any > area of aesthetics where conformance to a norm is not the priority. > It also predicts a world in which deviance may become a prized > aesthetic characteristic - when the whole world has perfect teeth > who then is the attractive one? > > best wishes from Sheffield > Chris > > ******************** > Professor Chris Rust > Head of Art and Design Research Centre > Sheffield Hallam University > Psalter Lane, S11 8UZ, UK > +44 114 225 2706 (direct) > +44 114 225 2686 (research admin) > [log in to unmask] > www.chrisrust.net > > > > > Terence Love wrote: >> Hello, >> Last year there was a brief debate on whether beauty (as a >> surrogate for >> aesthetics in general) could be defined mathematically instead of >> requiring >> artistic skill. This has strong implications for design practice - >> particularly if software can simply 'maximise beauty' >> automatically in a >> similar way to reducing red-eye. This would reduce the need for many >> professional artistic or design skills to do with creating better >> visual >> aesthetics in a competitive business environment. >> >> The ACM (see below) reports that researchers in Israel have >> developed new >> software that can automatically enhance visual beauty of a face >> in an image >> by manipulating 250 numerical characteristics of the shape of the >> face. >> Beauty at the click of an interface icon. >> >> Importantly, for Design Research, it implies it is straightforward to >> identify general technical processes by which the techniques of >> automatically improving visual aesthetics can be applied to any >> designed >> objects that are relatively common - and perhaps even to 'new' >> objects'. It >> would be interesting to extend the approach to abstract objects, e.g. >> entities in the realm of mathematics assessed in terms of 'elegance'. >> >> Thoughts? >> >> Terry >> >> === >> Dr. Terence Love >> Tel/Fax: +61 (0)8 9305 7629 >> Mobile: 0434975 848 >> [log in to unmask] >> === >> >> ACM Technical News 5 Feb 2007-02-06 >> >> Israeli Researchers Promise a More Beautiful You >> Israel21c (02/04/07) Kloosterman, Karen >> Computer scientists at Tel Aviv University (TAU) have developed a >> computer >> program that can make an image of a person's face more attractive. >> The >> program is based upon a survey of 300 men and women who were asked >> to rank >> pictures of other people's faces on an attractiveness scale of one >> to seven. >> These results were correlated with exact measurements and ratios >> of facial >> features to produce an algorithm that can add desired elements of >> beauty to >> the image of a face. The program works in just minutes, and in a test >> conducted using large sample of volunteers 79 percent said the >> program, >> Beauty Function, made the face more attractive. TAU co-researcher >> Daniel >> Cohen-Or says, "Beauty is not in the eye of the beholder. Beauty >> is merely a >> function of mathematical distances or ratios. And interestingly, >> it is >> usually the average distances to features which appears to most >> people to be >> the most beautiful." Its creators believe that Beauty Function >> could become >> popular among plastic surgeons, or even become a "must-have" >> option for >> cameras, "just like the red-eye function is today," said co- >> researcher >> Tommer Leyvand. >> >> For fuller report see >> http://www.israel21c.org/bin/en.jsp?enDispWho=Articles% >> 5El1543&enPage=BlankP >> age&enDisplay=view&enDispWhat=object&enVersion=0&enZone=Technology >> >> >> > > > > -- > ******************** > Professor Chris Rust > Head of Art and Design Research Centre > Sheffield Hallam University > Psalter Lane, S11 8UZ, UK > +44 114 225 2706 (direct) > +44 114 225 2686 (research admin) > [log in to unmask] > www.chrisrust.net >