As I further dive into the exploration of creating, I have realised I used to experience interactivity similarly to the way I would enjoy going to the cinema; sit back, relax, and experience. As this semester progressed I felt as if I had gained the access to the screening room at the top of the theatre, and was seeing more operations that develop that experience. As I approach the final project I am ready to take the role of the writer & director of the movie and be able to produce an experience for my audience.
With this analogy, I am representing the role of the ability to collect tools/ (or skills) to create something I was not able to fathom before. The deeper understanding into the way hardware interacts with the digital equipment has suddenly opened a whole new corridor of doors. By no means do I feel comfortable enough navigating through these halls, but the sheer inspirations of the ability is inspiring for the long-term approach to creation.
“Cubist Mirror” (https://vimeo.com/167910860), an interactive art project by Gene Kogan – whom I’ve mentioned in my initial exploration of interactivity, is a style-transfer mirror that provokes the users to interact with themselves. This to me represents a high-level of interactivity, and let me explain why I think so: from the initial viewing, the project is just a reflection of the user with a fancy filter on it, but from the way I see it it evokes existentialist questions with no answers to be told. As a human being, I have not been told or given a purpose for being, thus as an individual I am constantly having to make decisions, which at their core could not satisfy the definition of free-will, that ultimately create a unique path that only I have experienced. The idea of an art piece incorporating the image of oneself is not the most comfortable setting, if the self is not comfortable with itself. In the video some of the users express an emotion, and it is not for me to define it, but I have noticed it – which in my opinion is a successful project.
“That Was Is The First” (http://marcinignac.com/projects/that-what-is-the-first/) is a beautiful memorial project that contains a picture of a woman, the user distance to the frame will determine the are of the subject. Although, I think this is a wonderful project, in terms of interactivity I do feel as it is very though provoking. The predetermined subject in the photo swiftly takes the attention of the personal identity and immerses in a new world of foreign visual aid. Once again I reiterate, I acknowledge the inspiration for the incentive, I am currently on a different path of perspective relating to interactive art. What would be astonishing is the ability to unite these two projects together: The frame reflects the user’s image and as you approach it further it youth-enizes the facial features, while as you move further way it adds wrinkles. This type of project would be very very emotionally provoking if immersed in it fully (and definitely something I am going to keep exploring for the future)
The concept of a “perspective” is currently on my mind. I am exploring the way a “change of perspective alters scenarios. Some of my current drawing projects are based on quantifying the infinity, in a sense of it being unobtainable to fathom. For my project, I have been initialising the idea of taking my users on a journey. A sort of interactive, make- choose, pathway that would incorporate digital illustrations and their development through user input on hardware. As evident on the choices of others’ interactive projects, I really want to see if I would be able to have the addition of incorporating the reflection of my users. Something about the visual reflection of one-self that continuously produces the largest array of emotional responses, at least in my experience with previous creations. I am also interested in seeing how I could incorporate mirrors and lights into the overall design. My current stance is to finalise the concept of how the human and my creation will interact, which will depend on the question I raise that will in some way provoke emotion. I am very curious where this project is going as I am feeling a lot of inspiration from my current stance!