Augmented Reality and story Telling
Augmented Reality in the Garden (2014)
Moving on from my AR animation paintings (below) I decided to experiment with video and chose the Edinburgh Botanic Garden as my inspiration. I thought this would provide an interesting platform to covertly embed layers of meaning into what appears, at first, to be quite traditional paintings. This is a selection of the work below.
It developed into a series of botanic garden AR paintings – with a twist. I collaborated with a film maker to produce short videos filmed in the Edinburgh Botanic Garden with a dark and somewhat sinister feel to them. I was intrigued by the possibility of turning seemingly aesthetically pleasing botanic paintings into something very different once one scans the artwork. Until the painting is digitally engaged the alternate reality will be hidden somewhere ‘inside/behind’ the painting. However, after the video is relayed through the artwork, even when the physical painting is seen at a later date the viewer will still be, on some level, consciously aware of the secondary, more sinister story line – a complete emotional contradiction to what one would expect from a colourful, garden painting.
Moving on from my AR animation paintings (below) I decided to experiment with video and chose the Edinburgh Botanic Garden as my inspiration. I thought this would provide an interesting platform to covertly embed layers of meaning into what appears, at first, to be quite traditional paintings. This is a selection of the work below.
It developed into a series of botanic garden AR paintings – with a twist. I collaborated with a film maker to produce short videos filmed in the Edinburgh Botanic Garden with a dark and somewhat sinister feel to them. I was intrigued by the possibility of turning seemingly aesthetically pleasing botanic paintings into something very different once one scans the artwork. Until the painting is digitally engaged the alternate reality will be hidden somewhere ‘inside/behind’ the painting. However, after the video is relayed through the artwork, even when the physical painting is seen at a later date the viewer will still be, on some level, consciously aware of the secondary, more sinister story line – a complete emotional contradiction to what one would expect from a colourful, garden painting.
Breathe, Oil on canvas, 18 x 32 cm
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Revive, Oil on board, 11 x 20 cm
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Exhale, Acrylic on canvas, 50 x 90 cm
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Metamorphosis, Acrylic on canvas, 50 x 90 cm
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Flourish, Oil on canvas, 18 x 32 cm
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Arise, Oil on board, 11 x 20 cm
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Flow, Acrylic on canvas, 18 x 32 cm
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Inflorescence, Acrylic on canvas, 50 x 90 cm
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AR Storytelling Paintings (2013)
I discovered AR early 2013 and I was soon researching ways to fuse this exciting technology with my art. Storytime.org.uk became my first adventure/project working with AR. The paintings could be scanned with a smartphone or tablet to become interactive, moving images and to link to a 'story telling' website built specifically for the artwork. Viewers could scan the artwork and click on any of the individual animated figures to access Storytime and leave their own thoughts, comments or interpretations about the painting for others to engage with. Moreover, other viewers could like, share or comment on the original post creating a conversation about the artwork that could be accessed through the painting itself. Originally, we used the AR company, Layar, to augment these works; however, after becoming too expensive, I opted to let the AR features expire and move to another AR platform. |
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Usher Hall, Oil on canvas, 90 x 120 cm
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Arthur's Seat, Oil on canvas, 90 x 120 cm
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