25 Jan ART 718 presentation and the final thoughts.

I am constantly exploring new techniques and mediums to bring my ideas to life. This semester, I have been delving into the world of etching, bookmaking, and virtual and augmented reality to push the boundaries of my art and create new and exciting experiences for my viewers.

Etching

I looked at etching as a technique and how I could use it in my project – it feels like I have been doing etching forever, but that is because I started learning last year – I started as a full time student, and I have already picked up on what i am going to be exploring for the 718. 

I have always been drawn to the medium of etching. The process of creating a piece like this involves using a metal plate – I started with aluminum but I moved to copper plates this semester, just so I can explore more of the technique and acid to etch lines into a metal plate, which is then used to make a print. I find the technical aspects of etching to be incredibly satisfying, as it allows for a high level of detail and precision in my work. I found the whole process quite meditative for me and the final result is a piece that is not only beautiful, but also has a tactile quality that I find really interesting.

The whole process of designing the art, sketching it out, transferring it onto a metal plate, then submerging it in an acid bath, and then cleaning it, inking just to find out if you did everything right, or you need to do the process again is truly inspiring to me. 

And I am very happy with the overall results… I messed up two plates, as I was trying to save time, and not do the whole varnish, sketch and etch circle just to ink and print it- so I used a technique called dry needle to scratch the lines directly onto the plate- just to find out that it takes ink in a strange way creating this dirty looking effect. So that was far from ideal, I researched the ways I could still save it- and the closest I found was actually diluting the printing ink with oil so it is more watery and it cleans easier from the plate, but I feel I will have to do that piece again at some point, as at the moment I do not like the result of that one. But the overall feeling and results – I am extremely happy with. 

Bookmaking… 

Well that idea I got super excited about. I love books, and creating a physical one of a kind book with art connected to this project felt like the right move. So I started the research, I went to a workshop to learn bookbinding, I got some books on the japanese style of bookmaking. I bought the tools… just to find out that my right wrist that I broke a few years ago and had several operations on is not giving me enough precision and details that I would like to. So I have to say, as much as I loved the idea, I am unable to do this on my own, so I might have to think about different ways of displaying the final works. It could be a commercially made book that people will be able to purchase from my store online. And maybe I will just add a limited edition print with it. I am not sure at this point how to go about this. 

Augmented Reality

I also started to look at how to  incorporate augmented reality into my work. 

This medium allows me to create an experience that transports the viewer into a dreamlike world. By mixing our world with the AR I am able to create the dream-like feeling where we do not know what is real and what is not. Augmented reality is particularly effective in allowing the viewer to connect with the imagery in my work on a deeper level.

I found a website and an app that in quite an easy way allows me to create AR pieces, in a free version it is limited to 100 views, but at the moment of testing it I do not think I need more. 

Virtual Reality

The research into AR naturally led me into Virtual Reality. The VR technology allows me to create a multilayered experience for the viewer. Each medium adds its own unique aspect to the overall experience, and I find that by combining these mediums, I am able to create a truly immersive and meaningful experience for the viewer.

At the moment I am still experimenting with VR and what is possible, but I can see the future of this project being partially in a virtual reality. So I plan to get in touch with someone who does vr programs or knows how to make them.  I am still experimenting with VR and what is possible, but I am excited about the potential of this medium. 

So yes this is the summary of what I was exploring and researching.
Some things worked, some didnt, however I learned a lot from 

Here is a first test of a 360/VR Dreamscape film :
You can navigate it with the arrows but the best results are when you use vr googles