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/
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