2D Shadow of 4D Self (AR), 2022

Is happiness a place? or a moment carried through time?

After years of study, I developed my own unique style of meditation. In simple terms, I close my eyes and focus on the patterns of aqua-magenta sparkles. At first it seems like total chaos, but after a few minutes my body and eyes relax. Static nonsense morphs into shapes and feelings. A tree, a bird, a person walking. In my mind, I narrate the story unfolding behind my eyes. If I’m lucky and can stay focused for about 90 minutes, I find myself walking on a road that eventually turns into a tunnel of fractals, winding in and out of subconscious reality. This is my happy place. Home of creativity and raw imagination. Freedom from restriction of time and space. Merging traditional art with AR tech, I present an interactive projection of the Self I find in this sacred place.

For me, every project is an opportunity to experiment with the unknown. Stumbled journeys reveal new perspective of myself, previously invisible to my own understanding.

This piece is both my first augmented reality project and first time painting on canvas. Venturing into both worlds completely raw with no background or technique was very intimidating. The goal was to produce a tech piece that could be used by all. It was also a test to see how people would interact with this wacky new virtual world. I spent several several days experimenting with how to make the experience as seamless as possible on both iOS and Android (this was the hardest part). 100% web with zero app stores or downloads. Just a QR code scan that jumps right into the experience.

Like all experiments, research doesn’t end when the piece is “finished”. At the opening gallery, I observed how people interacted in the experience. Both with my piece and with each other. Many scanned right in and started exploring. Few actually read the instructions. Some naturally volunteered to help others. And a couple curious folks pushed the AR portion even further than I expected it to work.

My biggest takeaway: Design the virtual and realworld components to be noticeably different. If they look too similar, it reduces the effect and isn’t as fun.

All valuable knowledge helping me improve my communication and ability to relate to others as authentically as possible.