Contextual and Cultural Referencing in Art and Design

Contextual and Cultural Referencing in Art and Design Luke Zahra HND in Interactive Media Year 1

Why Choosing These Topics? § Personal preference § Appealing to the eye § Historical relationships of interest § All involve the interactivity of a user

Method of Investigation § First, some in general research was done in order to find the five artworks needed. § Secondly, the range was restricted in order that the works have some relationships between each other. § Finally the five artworks were chosen. It was made sure that they are a mix of historical and contemporary works.

Information Retrieval § Researched specifically each artwork for an overview about it and then for technical and detailed information. § Used also the artist’s website (if available) for a more reliable source of information. § After writing about the artworks, some few information was also found on examples of how those artworks relate to today’s works.

Tunnel Under the Atlantic § Created by Maurice Benayoun in 1995. § Virtual tunnel that connect two cities (Montreal and Paris). § The viewer can choose his/her own way of digging through the tunnel. § It has a cultural aspect as one sees iconographic images from the culture of both places.

Tunnel Under the Atlantic § Almost the same thing is used nowadays with virtual reality. § Oculus Rift is a great example. § It lets the user navigate through a game by tilting his/her head to make it more immersive.

The Crevasse § Created by Edgar Mueller in 2008. § Uses a technique referred to as anamorphosis. § He used acrylic wall paint in order to create the artwork. § Focuses on the psychological aspect of how persons think.

The Crevasse § The first example of anamorphism was created by Leonardo da Vinci in 1485 (Leonardo’s Eye). § Nowadays, a common use of this technique is being made on adverts in stadiums which are flat on the ground but appear to be standing.

First Volvelle § Created by Matthew Paris in 1250. § This volvelle could calculate the dates of moveable feasts like Easter. § Volvelles are made up of one or more layers of circular discs which were fixed firmly to a leaf. § Later on other calculations could be done with different volvelles for example the motion of the Moon in relation to the Sun.

Volvelles § Today, volvelles are used mainly for educational purposes. § Make learning more fun and interactive as well.

From Here Right Now § Created by Panya Clark Espinal in 2002. § Set of artworks showing 24 images of everyday objects. § The images can be distorted at first but when viewed from the correct angle, the images appear as intended. § This effect is called anamorphosis which means that the artwork shifts with the viewer's movements.

From Here Right Now § The artist aimed to emphasize on the viewer's consciousness about movement and spaces. § This allowed playful interaction because of the transitions created by the artworks. § Early works such as 'The Ambassadors' of Hans Holbein the Younger show an excellent example of anamorphosis. The skull can be seen very distorted by when viewed from the side, it becomes a normal skull.

Interactive Brochure § My own personal work. § Contains information about one of the greatest Maltese football players of all time; Tony Nicholl. § The colour scheme was based on the colour grey to keep an old effect relating with the subject. § Careful linking was made between the buttons in order to display the right things when they are pressed.

Similarities & Differences § Both ‘The Crevasse’ and ‘From Here Right Now’ use the anamorphosis technique and have the same historical relationships. § The difference between the two was the type of calculations made because Mueller used careful mathematical calculations with the help of a camera while Espinal designed all the drawings on the computer and then project them onto the walls.

Similarities & Differences § Unlike the volvelle which is very structured and calculated in its smallest detail in order to give correct results, ‘The Tunnel of Atlantic’ lets the user decide which way to go and explore different images every time. This gives a random result every time making it more interesting.

Thank You !