Review: Art in Motion - Go With The Flow

Overview

Particle visualizers have recently gone from a few niche art apps to a burgeoning sub-(sub-)category in the iTunes store. Representing a very interesting blend of half-science, half-trippy kaleidoscope fun, they offer a unique way to use fingers- lone or in unison- to create and manipulate colorful dots of color. (If you are still unsure what a particle visualizing is, think of those psychedelic screens that swayed with the music in Windows Media Player- before we stopped using it and started using Pandora and Last.fm) Art in Motion is the latest, and may I say most in depth, venture into this new field of fingery fun. That being said, it is still a solution in search of a problem; a point that is hard to justify when it is three times the cost of other, similar apps.

Features

Let me add a disclaimer by saying that AiM isn’t advertized as a particle visualize (though it most certainly is). Rather, it is promoted as ‘a new kind of art application’ and that it is ‘based on the idea that art should evolve with technology.’ Basically the creator Pavel Doichev (also creator of Sand Garden, Frazzled 3D and Trippin’) wants you to think of the art you make with AiM as ‘dynamic’ verses static paintings much in the same way that a movie compares to a picture. Once you understand that it isn’t your classic painting app, but it also isn’t just for pushing circles around with your finger, you can (try to) get a grasp on exactly what this application hopes to accomplish. ‘Orbs’ are the brush that you work the magic with- little circles that spew forth from your fingers and interact in the way you feel most pleasing. They can be big or small, single color or pulsating. They can zoom across the screen or stand still. This is pretty much how AiM works. The Good Features are where Art in Motion excels. You can adjust nearly every aspect of this application- from what the tap of your finger does (draws, creates one or many orbs, or attracts or repels existing orbs…), to what your orbs are (size, color, explosive, bouncy, frictiony…) to how it all comes together (fades, blends, glows, resolution…) and finally to the physics and speed. The infinite possible combinations all of these options present will soon excite you or just make your head hurt.

Another great feature is the help section. Instead of just giving you a few FAQ, there are several in depth sections to help you get the most of your dynamically artistic experience. Since most people aren’t well versed in said apps, the tool guide and tips are a great place to get started. There are 20 ‘template’ scenes in case you don’t know what it is capable of. These are very nice. Fluid, inferno, magnet fingers or bubble gum are sure to get your creative juices flowing. You can either start with your own scene, or use one of these and adjust it to your liking. There is also a tool to take pictures when you feel your orbs are aligned just right. Art in Motion also passed the ‘baby test’ that I subject all similar apps to. My six month old joy fully pawed and pounded at the screen to his delight and at one point he even tried to take a two-toothed bite out of the screen (it must have been the bubble gum scene). The Bad I’m still not sure where to mentally categorize this app. Sure it makes somewhat pretty pictures, but then what? Am I supposed to print it out and send it as a postcard to grandma? Should I print a mouse pad with it? It is fun to play with in the same way that Uzu and Gravilux are fun, but the significantly higher cost isn’t justified by this attempt at leaning it towards ‘art’. I was also disappointed by the lack of multitouch creativity that kept me coming back to Uzu. Multiple fingers are surely supported, but they just spawn more orbs. Uzu enthralled me by the fact that from one finger to ten different things would happen. When I am frustrated at an app of this potential that just doesn’t get it, I often wonder why the creator just doesn’t bundle it with something else. This would be a great addition to a full-featured painting app, or a great in-app purchase to a music visualizing program, just for example. It’s not that AiM fails; it just doesn’t convince me it does anything worth anything. The Verdict If you have played with Uzu and Gravilux and can’t get enough of playing Creator to dots on a screen, or if you have a little one that loves to slap glass and see it react, Art in Motion might be worth it for you. But for most of us, one of the two mentioned above will suffice for a third the price - if you even want to venture into this double sub-category at all. Sure, what Art in Motion does, it does well. I’m just not sure what it does.