Jamie Girouard
Matmul, 2024
Matmul is the technical term for a matrix multiplication, which is an operator in machine learning. This combination of pathways that determine decision-making is depicted by cubes upon cubes with a multiplicity of patterns connecting them. Each corner of each cube represents a kernal, or a piece of information. When we ask an AI or large language model, such as ChatGPT, to generate something for us, it calls upon these kernels as the basis and uses them to weigh their connected offshoots to create a likely response.
Matmul is inspired by a blog post by Anthropic’s Performance Team member, Simon Bohem. The nature of this operation is visualized to aid in understanding its mechanics to aid in implementation. The patterns that have emerged in trying to understand this aspect of machine learning invite contemplation and are pretty fun to find. Other ml connections between computer vision bounding boxes and other data-driven algorithms are easy to make when looking at Matmul, but the handmade nature of this rug ground it in the tangible world.
To build the rug, an empty burlap coffee sack was stretched on a frame and each strand of wool carefully pulled through from bottom to top, loop by loop using a handheld hook fashioned from a screwdriver. This traditional form of rug hooking makes the piece relatable to everyday life and reflects the culture of textile arts.
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Jamie Girouard is a rug builder based in Vancouver who blends Acadian tradition and innovation in his artistic pursuits. Jamie explores themes about human emotion, science, and technology.
His rugs are thoughtfully crafted from start to finish. The tools, frames and materials are hand assembled and built and he is deeply committed to environmental consciousness and strives to produce zero waste. He is proud that the final pieces are planet-friendly.
Jamie works, learns, and un-learns within the unceded, ancestral territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations and weaves together threads of tradition, innovation, and reverence for the land.