#objectperformance

Over the semester I have learnt a variety of skills from literature through to design for laser cutting. Overall I am pleased that I explored a variety a range of mediums and in the future I would like to continue learning creative skills, whether this be self-taught or attending different classes. Being in Object Performance gave me the freedom to be in control of my final exhibition. Although the main theme was Alice in Wonderland, I was able to grow as an individual and do work with laser cutting... If I was in a different stream I think I would have only covered one medium, rather than expressing who I am creatively.

Being in a student in the BCT has pushed me as an individual. I have been in situations where I do not want to be in, but from learning experience and many fails along the way I have came out of this a lot stronger. From year one where I was just trying to fit in and had no idea what I was doing, to now. I still have no idea what I am doing but at least being in year three I have found my passion. I enjoy designing different patterns for fabric and I hope I am able to work in an industry where people like what I make. Having a variety of soft skills I think this will help me to adapt to change in any work field. 

In reflection to my project there are a variety of things I could have done better, but at the end of the day I done the best I could. Being sick during the semester definitely brought my project to a halt, but I was able to overcome this. I think the most successful element of my project is my laser cut roses although in future I think I would use different glue, around the outside of pieces it is rather messy and did not dry clear. Although I probably spent majority of my time working on the photo-manipulation designs, I think the final six series look tacky and I am currently uncertain on whether or not I like them. Comparing it to the tapestry I made last semester I think I have let myself down in some aspects, mainly because too much is going on an geometric patterns look more appearing to the human eye.  I think if I had to re-make my 3D model I would probably make the installation different and have a different view for the audience, e.g. something you can look down into like when Alice falls down the rabbit hole.

Lost in Wonderland is how I interpret the world from pessimistic observations through to having an optimistic outlook on life. My project represents a range of interpretations of how everything in society can be overstimulating to our minds. The environment that we are placed in can affect the way in which we perceive the world. “When you are surrounded by all these people, it can be lonelier than when you are by yourself. You can be in a huge crowd, but if you don't feel like you can trust anyone or talk to anybody, you feel like you're really alone.” - Fiona Apple. During the semester I reflected on Alice in Wonderland’s version(s) of what ‘Wonderland’ is and related it to my interpretation of ‘Wonderland’, and the reality for me moving to Auckland City.  

At the beginning of the semester my project was Unknown in Wonderland because I wanted to explore a range of creative practices before finalising what I wanted to present. I was not 100% certain that shadow art was something I wanted to pursue and I could see that my project was lacking originality and my creative style. I realised that as a creative practitioner I am passionate about creating my own designs and then printing them or constructing them onto different materials. Designing a variety of my interpretation of ‘Wonderland’ allowed me to have 30 diversely range of images. From that process I chose six designs that portrayed what ‘Wonderland’ could be and how I see society from dark tones through to bright and vibrant colours. The contrasting colours reveal my mood and how it can drastically change from one image to the next. Producing a series of digital prints onto silk charmeuse portrays an art gallery feeling, where the audience can see the work and interpret the art how they perceive my version(s) of ‘Wonderland’.

Considering it is my last semester of Creative Technologies I wanted to learn more soft skills and make tangible products. My model of ‘Wonderland’ allowed me to explore ideas through a range of creative and technology processes including: laser cutting, physical computing and soldering. I was able to re-create ‘Wonderland’ from Alice in Wonderland by making my own objects and a range of other purchased objects to create an installation model that portrays what ‘Wonderland’ could look like. I designed the roses to be layered and purposefully painted some layers red just like how the Queen wanted red roses, this conveys us that characters had to paint the roses. In this situation I can relate to the Queen because we often want to change ourselves or the things we have just to ‘fit in’ with society’s perception of beauty. Although I did not make glowing mushrooms as an end product, I did create a circuit which conveys the idea of how the mushrooms would glow by fading in and out. I have chosen a range of objects from the story and different films that have been made based on Alice in Wonderland for symbolism purposes that relate to where I am as an individual at this point in time. The key represents liberation and freedom after graduation. Mushrooms symbolise the opportunity of me growing as an individual and being in a leadership position this year for university (Vice President of our Student Association). The watch is a representation of time and symbolises how I am not in control of my life, but as long as I have a plan and structure to follow I am one step closer to my destiny. A flower in the jar symbolises youth and how much growing I have to do whilst being passionate about life. I have chosen each card to symbolise who I am at this point in time: Hearts represents vulnerability, Clubs represents education, Diamonds represents responsibility and Spades represents environment. 

I have also written a short story to illustrate how I perceive Auckland and how I feel placed in the world at this point in time. To structure my creative writing piece I used quotes from Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland story this retells old literature in current formation. During the process of writing I wanted it to be clear to the audio-story listener how overstimulating Auckland City is and that images are “the spam of the earth” (Hito Steyerl).

“She took a step and didn't want to take any more, but she did.” - Markus Zusak. Every individual has a perspective of their reality and surroundings. Over the semester I have been developing a range of soft skills while studying Alice in Wonderland in the Object Performance studio stream. We all interpret the world divergently some people are optimistic, realistic or pessimistic. The purpose of my project is to portray to my audience what my interpretation of ‘Wonderland’ is through a range of mediums and also relate wonderland to my reality of living in Auckland City. Throughout the semester I explored a variety of creative practices, as a result my final project for submission is: a series of digital prints, laser cut roses, wonderland box with a range of objects from the books and movies, a short story and a small Arduino circuit. These are my main research points throughout the semester: photo manipulation art, textile pattern design, and author: Lewis Carroll, NZ author: Kirsty Gunn and the Alice in Wonderland film(s). My final project reveals what it is like to be in an unfamiliar environment with a mental illness through a range of creative technology mediums.

A range of still image artists and fabrications have influenced my digital prints. I chose to do photo-manipulation to express my conceptualisation of ‘Wonderland’. My main artist models which I have referenced for my designs are: Andy Warhol, Fiona Pardington, Salvador Dali, André Kertész, Sarah Charlesworth and Lisa Reihana. I chose silk charmeuse to print my photo-manipulation images onto as it aesthetically reveals an art gallery ambience. Using a lightweight fabric signifies the delicacy of my version of ‘Wonderland’ and how each individual’s ideas can be fragile; especially when exposing them to other people, as students can feel vulnerable when presenting their work to their peers. The final six series of my work communicate how it feels to be living in ‘Wonderland’ and today’s society.

Layered laser cut art have been a significant inspiration for my Alice in Wonderland roses to be physically made. Anila Quayyum Agha is the fundamental artist model for me wanting to create a laser cut image. Witnessing numerous laser cut artworks gave me the incentive to pursue creating layered roses at the 3D Lab. I have expressed my interpretation of what the ‘red roses’ from Alice in Wonderland look like by painting some layers to represent how the Queen wants everything to be her way. In this instance I have created ‘Wonderland’ in the way I envision it. Understanding the process of laser cutting has benefited myself, because I can take away from our degree a useful design skill.

My ‘Wonderland’ environment model I have made has been influenced from a variety of stories and films. Symbolism is a major factor for the final outcome of this physical re-creation. I have made my own objects and have purchased a variety of items which represent the original and retold stories of Alice in Wonderland. I collaborate a sympoiesis viewpoint between my own interpretation of the environment and the historical translation of ‘Wonderland’. By having a collection of objects I wanted them to convey a message that everything has a purpose in life, everything is not straightforward once you have given energy and time into each item placed inside and outside of my wooden black box.

Incorporating creative writing to describe a short story of my current perception of the environment I am surrounded by I reference Lewis Carroll’s story of Alice and Wonderland. Kirsty Gunn is also a short story Aoteroa author who has been an influence on my short story. I wanted to portray what it is like moving to a new environment when you have a range of mental illnesses and how it feels like adjusting to a larger city. Reflecting on where I currently live and how it affects me on a day to day basis relates to Alice feeling lost while being trapped in Wonderland. Expressing how you feel through literature has helped me mentally, because it can be challenging and you can feel lost in a new environment, but it is crucial to be able to express how you are feeling when you are trapped in your own thoughts.

When going into a project that requires a certain aesthetic and particular setting or environment there is a lot that goes into fulfilling that and having it up to a certain standard that meets your demographic. 

For us, ecilA’s setting is very specific in design but basic for the overall ‘City’ concept. Making it obvious that its a city and giving off that certain ambiance of what an actual city would be like is essential in executing our base environment correctly. When adding our own touch to things we needed the foundation to be set and this would be done through the base structures and props. Time wise and considering non of us are prominent 3D modelers, we have become accustomed to utilizing Royalty Free 3D models for our own use and only 3D modelling our own models when they are basic enough to get done quickly. 

http://www.turbosquid.com/  - “Our Royalty Free License allows extended freedom to use content in a huge variety of creations.”

https://www.cgtrader.com/

Sites like “TurboSquid” and “CGTrader” are the go-to for when we want 3D models without much hassle. In the first screenshot you can see the downloads that i have in my library as well as seeing that they most of them have materials on them that come with it. Sometimes these materials and objects are corrupted and need to be edited in Maya but most of the time its all about importing it correctly. CGTrader is more or less the same but doesnt have a library filled with your previous downloads. All you have to do is choose you model and make sure it is free and not too high poly. 

This process ends up saving us a lot of time and allows us to focus on level design (Placing the objects in the game) and the core mechanics. When it comes to it as previously mentioned, we will go on maya and make ourselves a basic object (Showcased in the screenshot below)

Where are we?

Her mind begins to be overstimulated by the: colours, sounds and buildings. As she wonders down the road, she questions her existence. What am I doing here?

All of the colours flash inside of her head, some more vibrant than others. She thinks to herself “It’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.” Noises distract her while she stumbles with one foot in front of the other, “curious-er and curious-er!” Auckland City becomes a blur, she feels as though she is invisible to those who are walking down Queen Street. Buildings tower over lost Alice.

Her mind was the only thing that she can trust and now that she is here, she has become unsure. No longer confident in her actions. “In a Wonderland they lie, dreaming as the days go by, dreaming as the summer die.” Is Alice really who she thinks she is, or something less maybe more?

The unknown is our biggest fear. If I knew how this story was going to end, I’d tell you dear. “If you don’t know where you are going any road can take you there…” Was this the right decision for Alice – to move here all alone?

Does everything really happen for a reason, or is it up to us to control our destiny?

“How puzzling all these changes are! I’m never sure what I’m going to be, from one minute to another.” The smallest things in life begin to have an impact on Alice’s thought process. At the beginning of her journey she had imagined herself being: mature, focused and strong-minded. But once she arrived to this land she felt: anxious, vulnerable and lost.

Time goes by and we are the ones who have to keep ticking by. You have to live your life for yourself; once Alice had discovered this message, she did not feel as threatened being lost in Wonderland. By now you are probably wondering who is Alice?

Well you see Alice was me, I have been lost in Auckland’s wonderland and I’m trying to find the beauty in everything that I stumble across, from day to night. Don’t fall for a city or you could become trapped.

With the deadline in sight, I wouldnt say we are feeling the pressure so much as we are trying our best to work together quickly and efficiently, quickly settling any arguments over how the game should look or played. Because of this i thought this would be a perfect opportunity to read up a bit on game design.

http://gamedesignstuff.com/less-is-more-4-reasons-to-keep-your-rewards-scarce/

Talking to Ben Kenobi (lecturer at AUT) in another paper, i remember him talking about “less is more”. When creating a game you get so ahead of yourself that you lose sight of what you actually need to do to complete a GOOD game.

http://gamedesignstuff.com/less-is-more-4-reasons-to-keep-your-rewards-scarce/