For this project we are to reflect on one of our previous works, make some improvements etc and eventually display this in an online gallery.
We were prompted to go more in depth in our projects and really reflect on them, for week 1 especially we are to think of what projects are best suited to the online display, for me I feel like most of my projects would be well suited online, however I feel like there are some projects better suited to it than others, if this were a physical gallery I would have used the Web Fundamentals project as I had the idea of presenting it projected on a wall and being very passive, I feel like if it was presented online it loses the impact that it would have in a physical gallery
However this may still look good as it would be good to see it embedded in the site. I think however in terms of the documentation I feel like either the creative coding projects or the dimensions project. In terms of refining however I feel that my dimensions project is the one that would best fit as my original idea was very different to that of the final outcome.
You can see here the changes that this project went through, especially from 2nd to 3rd. However now that I know more about maya and how the rendering works I feel like I can make it more similar to the initial development and Initial renders. Upon looking at my LJ for this project it seems one of the ones that requires the refinement. I even say it in my reflection in the final section of my LJ that it was due to my lack of knowledge of the software, I feel this is easily rectified, it also has a strong body of research and inspiration behind behind it citing various artists and art styles and I feel like both video and stills of this project would translate well to the online gallery.
Another option for this could be the projection mapping project, it’s another maya project and was a very short project one that I would like to spend a bit more time on. I feel like the conceptual basis for this is very strong as well as my research and inspiration in terms of designers, artists, media and nature.
I feel like I can easily refine and document this project as it has probably one of the strongest concepts surrounding the phrase “never ending change” as well as with the idea of using rocks and nature as an example of this. I feel like spending some extra time on this will help me to further refine this.
This is a difficult decision to make but I will most likely be going with either one of the 2 maya projects as I feel like these are the ones that will be the best translated to online viewing without losing the main themes and ideas of the work. This is the same in terms of it being re staged well. All documentation that exists for my work is very similar and is only within my LJ, this is something I am unsure about but as all of it is the same I don’t believe it will be a determining factor. I will sit on this decision for a day just to ensure that I don’t rush it in order to make the most of my time.
I feel like in terms of documenting my projection mapping project will be the best for this project the conceptual basis for the project I feel is much stronger as well as the inspiration from various sources in the real world from artists and designers as well as from different media such as television and music.
After reading Documentation and the Information of Art by Marc Kosciejew in the Tate papers research publication it talks about the importance of documentation and how it should be considered part of the material piece, how these pieces can convey ideas and that documentation is essential for this to happen. I feel like my Projection Mapping project will defiantly be best suited for this project as I have a conceptual basis with the project as well as having documentation that shows the developmental process of my work as well as the concept behind it. This seems very central to the article, especially the idea of process that is captured in my LJ for this project, why I made the decisions I made etc.
I feel like I could expand on this project in terms of further developing the concept and the final solution.
I have spent a lot of time throughout the Easter holidays outdoors, funnily enough around a lot of rocks since I’ve been doing a lot of climbing. I feel that has subconsciously inspired me to choose this project, after Fridays session with Paul he suggested to do more with the rocks, potentially have a greater number on the screen and really experiment with the things that projection mapping has to offer. Can continue with 3D or use actual projections.
Using rocks from a stream to build a campfire, rocks in a formation like so could be of use in my revisiting of the project.
experimenting with displacement maps as well as bump maps in order to refine my rocks.
made my own bump map texture and i feel it works well with what i had envisioned for this.
Taking pictures of stones I came across on walks with my friends, these stones were of various different colours, this is something I wanted to take forward into my final but using different almost unnatural colours to promote the virtual nature of this project. These stones are all clearly taken from different types of rocks, something that I wanted to also replicate a feeling of in my final.
I also have this video from the Moco Museum in Amsterdam, the colours and textures were all stone and crystalline sculptures. I can’t for the life of me remember the artist behind it but it provided some cool inspiration.
These are also some of the textures, patters and colours I wanted to re create in my final, I feel like having these textures help hammer home the fact that these are “projections” and don’t cover up what’s underneath.
I have also decided to add more camera angles of the stones in my final as it will further illustrate how different each piece of rock is as well as some of the textures changing as well as the rocks themselves animating furthering the theme of change within my piece.
The formation of the rocks I have put them in is inspired by the campfire I included above. The formations in fire constantly change as well as the smoke it produces.
The smoke from the campfire mentioned previously inspired these textures using different colours like the blue and pink inspired by the geodes.
I chose this as a texture yet again as a callback to the digital nature of the project but also the geodes researched previously. This is taken and slightly adapted from my creative coding project, it is a series of random shapes generated using processing, changing whenever the mouse is pressed, this again furthers the idea of change within my work.
Artist Statement:
In my work I wanted to highlight the idea of perpetual “never ending” change, I chose rocks as they are constantly being changed by natural processes as well as human activity. I sculpted each rock differently in order to demonstrate this. I also chose to animate certain textures included to further highlight the idea of change as well as the flowing nature of some of the text and patterns. To give the feeling of movement even though it is at a standstill.
The colours included are inspired by nature but taking ques from the digital world, a nod to the idea of “virtual” projection mapping, the blues and pinks etc taken from natural geodes this is also partial inspiration for my textures. Natural processes ensures that everything is different, but with some similarities. I chose a circle as this is uncommon in nature again a call back to the digital nature of this project, something that is man made.
I took inspiration from various sources such as 3d work from sucuk und bratwurst, artists I have found via instagram such as Guccimaze. This inspired my formations in my rocks as well as the textures used. Installation work from James Turrell and Hitoshi Kuriyama inspired the setting of my work, being presented in the all white slightly reflective “studio” environment to make sure that the entire focus of the video will be the rocks.
Reflection:
During this time I had a lot of chances to reflect, I thought a lot about lockdown and the things it has brought, especially with this being one of our final projects. I feel like the virus has impacted my motivation especially with this project. I would have loved to see everyones work displayed in person but the fact that it is online yet again as well as the news that next year may be online as well impacted my motivation. However, with the thought of the full thing together, the gallery, the takeover etc, I found my motivation to press on and finish the project.
Stewart Marshall IxD 