ConstellationXR at Ars Electronica 2023

 I'll be showing the large-scale AR installation, ConstellationXR at Ars Electronica in Linz, Austria in September. This is the premiere of an intended networked worldwide piece dealing with Hope, Empathy, Awe & Love (HEAL). If you happen to be attending, please come along & say hi. Here are a couple of screenshots of the VR version (in Unity):

ConstellationXR, 2023

ConstellationXR, 2023

New World City A.R. (web version) for Leonardo ISAST

 Just published (embedded via QR code and marker) in Leonardo Journal 54:3. More info at: https://leonardo.info/new-world-city-about

To view, scan the QR code & click "allow" & point the phone camera at the lower icon. For better results, click to make the image full screen.

New World City AR web-based version

 Here's the augmented reality project I've been working on recently. This is a new, "portable" version of New World City, originally conceived as a large-scale outdoor AR installation. This uses many of the elements of that piece in a small-scale marker-based piece using the A-Frame software framework. This means that you will go to a web page, be prompted to allow use of your camera (phone or computing device) & the 3D imagery will pop up when the marker is recognized. This is currently nearing completion & I'll put information here about the final piece when it's ready.

New World City AR (portable web version)

The double helix building left of center was created by my daughter, Lizzie

Project for an AR sculpture gallery

 This is an early version of a projected AR installation. More info will be posted as it (hopefully) develops.

Project for an AR sculpture gallery

The Sleeper

Here is a close-up shot of the sleeper (from the previous posting). As my Blender 3D digital sculpting skills improve, the figures and other elements will get more realistic. I'm not going for photorealism by any means, but it's important to gain control over the tools, to make them do what you wish. It's a process, & I'm in it.

The Sleeper, digital 3D model

The Sleeper in the Sphere

This is a study, if that is the correct term--prototype might be better. It's based on a painting I did a few years ago, and would become a large-scale augmented reality piece, should it come into being. This is at an early stage, so may change significantly before it's done. As usual, the sculptural parts are done in Blender, & it is assembled in Unity.

Sleeper in the Sphere, digital animated image

Below is the original painting, from 2015.

Asleep in the World, 2015, acrylic on gatorboard, 12" x 10"

Resilience Rising Tribute (augmented reality)

The Resilience Rising Tribute AR artwork is now live on the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. It's a tribute to Arizona State University (where I'm currently affiliated as Visiting Artist) and the graduating class of 2020. The graduation this year has unfortunately been confined to a virtual one this year due to the Coronavirus pandemic, so this is our (myself, Leonardo ISAST at ASU, SFIS, Herberger Institute for the Arts and Meteor Studio at ASU) tribute to the students and university. The app part is a small-scale animated & interactive trophy (tribute is probably a better word) that will be mirrored on campus by a very large-scale AR piece, and also by a surrounding "Covid Quilt", a circular looped montage of stories of resilience from students, faculty & staff. The app is available now, the larger on-site piece will be happening later in the year.

You can find the app on the respective stores by searching for "Resilience Rising Tribute".

Links:
Get it on Google Play.
Get it on the App Store (via iTunes).

Resilience Rising and Covid Quilt, small scale prototype

Android phone screenshot of the Tribute, earlier version

Resilience Rising update

Here is a screenshot from an Android phone that I took yesterday of the latest version of the app (currently undergoing evaluation on the App Store) with its enhanced functionality. There is a "refresh" button (top left), scale slider (center), info button & photo shutter button (right). There are some other features in the making also. It's looking good. When it's available, I'll post something on this blog. Thanks to Robert LiKamWa and Meteor Studio for programming & other technical (& aesthetic) input.

Resilience Rising screenshot (Android)

Resilience Rising animated GIF

This endlessly looping animated GIF probably gives a better idea of the piece (this is still in prototype form) than the small video previously posted. The overall effect is promising, the actual figures, if studied closely, are not where they need to be. The "new world" sphere (growing out of the old world) is textured with the painting from the front cover of my wife's book, A New Global Agenda, incidentally).

Resilience Rising, animated GIF (converted from movie file)

Resilience Rising in Bronze

I was wondering what Resilience Rising would look like cast in bronze, so here is a rough simulation. This is actually a screen grab from Blender's "sculpting" workspace, so it's not technically accurate, but gives a reasonable idea what it would look like, should that ever happen. Also, since this is a prototype, you can see how rough the figures actually are. I expect they will get better as things progress...also, the figures should be more ambiguous & varied (I've replicated the one figure many times here).

Resilience Rising in Bronze (digital simulation)

Resilience Rising

Here are the studies & a short screen capture video of the proposed large-scale augmented reality (A.R.) public art installation, Resilience Rising. This piece is in its early stages & will most likely go through several iterations before it is finished. I'll post updates here as they happen. The small figures in the video (actually, one figure repeated & repositioned for expediency) were sculpted in the 3D software package Blender.

Resilience Rising, 2020, acrylic on panel, 10" x 8"

Resilience Rising, 2020, brush & ink on paper, 14" x 11"

New World City prototype in Unity

Here is a screen grab from my computer where I'm assembling this early version of New World City, an intended large-scale public AR (augmented reality) art installation. The basic idea is of a Utopian city inside a bubble, suffused with positive energy (warmth, humanity, love, stars, etc) & hovering in the sky above us, just out of (or in) reach.

As you can see, I'm building it inside the software package called Unity (the name itself conjures up ideas of human cooperation), having built most of the individual parts in Blender, the 3D modeling program. The double-helix tower near the front is new, having been built specifically for this project by my daughter Lizzie. I'm hoping to gradually replace the more geometric & "computer graphics" -type buildings with more organic forms, possibly sculpted by myself & then scanned into digital format. Previous attempts at 3D scanning have not been stellar, but I'm hoping that with work, we can improve that side of things.

Unity screen grab (PC) with New World City

New World City triptych

Here is a montage of screen grabs from an Android device of the prototype of New World City, which is intended to be a large-scale augmented reality installation. Not sure when this will happen given the current global situation, but I'm working on it in Unity right now. The individual buildings were made in Blender with my developing skills. More to follow when it happens.

New World City AR montage of screen grabs

PsycheAR on the App Store

Just a note to say it's available. It may only work in Mesa AZ (I'll have to check on that & update this). Unfortunately, the Emerge Festival 2020 for which it was created has been postponed due to COVID19 concerns.

Just search the App Store for "PsycheAR". It's free to download & use. That is all.

(Or use this link: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/psychear/id1502035232?ls=1)

App Store screen grabs

Manna From Psyche AR tabletop edition

Here is a handy sized version of the giant AR installation intended for Emerge Festival 2020 in Mesa, AZ. Unfortunately the festival has been postponed due to Coronavirus concerns, but Psyche will live on...

Manna From Psyche, 2020, augmented reality

This is marker-based AR -- the Meteor Studio sticker is the visual cue that activates the digital overlay. Thanks to Robert LiKamWa and Aashiq Shaikh from Meteor Studio with all their invaluable help and input on this.

Manna From Psyche short video

Here is a video we shot on an iPhone 7 the other day in Mesa, Arizona, outside the Mesa Arts Center where the forthcoming Emerge Festival will be held. The video is merely a demonstration of how the AR (augmented reality) piece will work & is not very polished. However, I think it gives a pretty good idea of what it will look like. More images coming soon.

New World City

This is a new drawing/study for a potential forthcoming AR (augmented reality) project. I have several of those in production, and they will be featured on this blog when they are ready, hopefully soon. More anon.

New World City, 2020, brush & ink on paper, 14" x 11".

Sneak peek AR project

Here is a teaser for my next intended AR (augmented reality) project. Early days yet & this may change in the process (it most likely will)...

New Babel AR Official Launch & Salon

Hot off the presses, the official New Babel AR launch flyer (both sides) including handy QR codes. You do have to be in Union Sq. New York to be able to see the installation (having previously downloaded the appropriate app to your phone). New Babel is the first in a series of large-scale, site-specific augmented reality installations, mostly dealing with social issues.

New Babel AR poster & flyer

Here are the promotional items produced by Maya Georgieva & the XReality Center at the New School in NYC to promote the New Babel AR installation/activation:

New Babel AR flyer

New Babel AR poster

App links
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.TheNewSchool.NewBabel
iOS: https://apps.apple.com/app/id1481288714