Four Letter Words, custom electronics that display all 26 letters of the alphabet with fluorescent lights:
The piece displays an algorithmically generated word sequence derived from a word association database developed by the University of South Florida between 1976 and 1998. The algorithms take into account word meaning, rhyme, letter sequencing, and association. The algorithm’s tendency towards scatological or “dark” subject matter is influenced by a variety of language and perception studies, especially Elliot McGinnies’ 1949 study “Emotionality and Perceptual Defense.”
I enjoy that it’s an entirely different four-letter word machine than this, which explores the purity of white light, the mystery of language, and the precision of digital codes. Two four-letter words are better than one.
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