Project 3: Proposal

Site 1 (Preferred): Goodpaster Hall Entrance Way
-Audience: Foot traffic to/from campus center or academic buildings from students in Lewis Quad, the Greens, or WC. Also possible noticeable from road traffic, but unlikely to be seen well. Not likely to get large amounts of traffic but in a place that is easy to stop and look at it from.
-Foot Traffic: See above. Busiest around dinner time and between classes; somewhat quieter at night during weekdays but may be busier on weekends.
-Lighting Conditions: Some path lamps nearby, along with possible artificial light from windows
-Social Context: Would pay to tie into science-theme of the building, or might be cool to go full fantasy and contradict the building subject; connection/contract would be interesting with the building either way
-Scale: Hopefully to scale with the pillars in the entryway, possibly reaching above if space permits
-Projector Position: Possibly propped on a table across from the entryway; may be nearby some stairs, care should be taken not to make table unstable or easy to run into/trip over. Plug into outlet inside arch if possible.
-Architectural Elements: Pillars/archway, hopefully projection large enough to wrap around/cover these elements. Also near a door and windows, may or may not be incorperated, possibly give glass spots a separate look to them, time permitting.


Photos of area:

Diagramming/Planning:

Site 2: Montgomery Hall Outside Wall
-Audience: Similar to above, though possibly less traffic at times of day when meals are not involved.
-Foot Traffic: Similar to above.
-Lighting Conditions: Some nearby path lamps and possible lighting showing from indoors
-Social Context: Nothing particularly relevant to the building, but might be interesting to go more abstract than in the other location to go along with the theme of the arts.
-Scale: Cover at least part of the wall, ideally most/all of it but realistically more like half of it
-Projector Position: Propped on a table/similar platform somewhere in the stone "patio"-like area near the wall. Would need to be connected to a plug inside the building, but it would not be too far away.
-Architectural Elements: None, really. Just a wall.



Photos of area:

 

Diagramming/Planning:

 

Similar Images:

As I don't really have a portfolio of art, I don't have any material similar to what I intend to do. I can say that the mood will be more similar to Project 1 than project 2. However, I can draw on old artist research to give an idea.

http://www.magierski.pl/portfolio/32.html    

 

http://www.magierski.pl/portfolio

/37.html

More abstracts parts of the projection found in the CO2 Video Cube (http://www.light-harvest.com/), along with the more wavy, design-based parts of most of that group's projections

I hope to add music to this project, but this will have to be developed alongside the piece and I cannot speculate much on it until the piece starts taking shape.

Project 3: Artist Research

Artist Group 1: Obscura Digital



Obscura is a group of artists who strive to create visually stunning multidimentional artwork including, though not limited to, work in projection. Founded in 2000 by Rodger Raderman and having received recognition for their work as far back as 2006, Obscura Digital strives to create work that not only exists within an environment but works off of it, using its surroundings to enhance the sensory experience for the viewer. Obscura Digital's work has been featured in several prominent places and events, including the Sydney Opera House, Coca Cola's 125th Anniversary Celebration, and the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.

Obscura Digital's work, true to its intentions, makes incredible use of the space it is projected onto, the architecture itself becoming part of the piece. The work done on the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is absolutely beautiful (I cannot easily transfer images to this blog but a link to the piece can be found here), with more traditionally architectural-looking projections being mixed along with images like flowers climbing up the building. This piece is a little more subtly colored than many of their other projections, such as the piece done on and inside the Sydney Opera House (link here), which utilizes incredibly vibrant colors that catch the eye and bring the viewer's attention not only to the art piece but the curves and contours of the architecture.

The colors used in Obscura's work really make the pieces work. Sometimes the colors used contrast with each other, and sometimes they blend very well, but they are almost always bright, vibrant, and incredibly eye-catching. In addition to the colors used, the way the shapes in the designs flow along with the structures, especially within the more abstract designs, accentuate the structural strength and beauty of the buildings in a way that an image not designed specifically for that space would not. Together, the combination of colors that almost pop off the structure and designs that integrate themselves into the structure create a very visually appealing work.

This combination of art and architecture is definitely something I'd like to emulate within my own work. I work in the realm of landscape and ambient pieces, where the environment itself is the most important part of the piece, an expansive picture to be taken in gradually with no one piece of the artwork sticking out in particular. I think I could apply this concept to projection onto a building or other structure and really create an interesting and, I hope, immersive piece.

Information from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodger_Raderman
http://www.obscuradigital.com/about/

Artist Group 2: Light Harvest Studio

Light Harvest Studio, founded in 2004, is a group of artists who specialize in large-scale multimedia work. They have been commissioned by multiple big-name companies and groups including NASA, The United Nations, Universal Studios, Adidas, and Daft Punk. Their work consists of pieces done in both 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional media.

Light Harvest Studio's 3-dimensional work often exists as an extension of a structure, either one that existed already and was being built off of or one that was built specifically for the piece. The latter can be especially interesting; one of my favorite pieces of this type is the CO2 Video Cube, and 8.2m x 8.2m x 8.2m cube shown in Copenhagen which displayed various videos and animations in representation of the CO2 produced by one person in an industrialized country in a month. An example of a piece built off of an existing work is "As Above, So Below", a piece done on the Manhattan Bridge which, more than the CO2 Video Cube, accentuates the architecture of the building while at the same time creating the illusion of additional 3-dimensional structure. Both mentioned pieces can be found in the portfolio linked to from this page.

Though subtler than some other projection and video artists in terms of color, what really makes Light Harvest Studio's works shine is how well it works in the realm of dimensions, whether working with existing surfaces or creating the illusion of new ones. The viewer is captivated by the constantly moving images on the surface which seem to bring the structures to life, not simply show a work on a screen. I really like how the artists of Light Harvest Studios have utilized not only color but shapes and lines to really make their art pop.

The idea of creating the illusion of additional structure in a projection project that utilizes an existing structure is something that interests me. I have worked in perspective before, and I believe that pursuing faux-3-dimensional imagery would be taking the techniques I've used to the next level. I might consider using this technique along with multiple surfaces, if the area allows, to create an ambient setting reminiscent of my previous work.

Website: http://www.light-harvest.com/