Past Projects
You can see past projects on my art portfolio page - including a cityscape with buildings shaped like my initials, an organic to mechanical series of transformative pictures, a pattern piece based on value and intensity, and an optical illusion piece.
Peer into the Art Portfolio
I've also included selections from an art class of mine below:
Art Studio 444: Web Interactivity
My latest set of projects have come from my Art Studio Web Interactivity course, instructed by the knowledgeable Ryan Griffis in Art and Design. Based solidly in STS and artistic theory the class explores new ways of composing artistic interfaces with which the viewer can interact - adding an entirely new dimension to art as we know it today. Beyond this it's been a phenomenal opportunity to learn Macromedia Flash 8 and ActionScript.
Project 2 in my art course was assigned to be a creative re-interpretation of a space. We were challenged as a class to explore spaces found around the University from a new perspective, such as in a narrative fashion or through an alteration of access to that space. As usual I didn't have time to perfect my project as I wanted it (which went beyond the scope of class requirements) so I continued it on my own time.
Exploring the University of Illinois Alumni Center: Portals
The UI Alumni Center was kind enough to let me utilize the new Alice Campbell Alumni center as a space for project 2, which also coincided with a photo shoot with the Girls Next Door A Cappella group. As a thank you I decided to create a professional version of the project so that it might be included on the Alumni web site to showcase the aspects of the building.
The composition consists of a interactive flash site that one must creatively explore to navigate. Scenes are pictures of various rooms in the Alumni Center themed with a given song which changes when users come close to an access portal (several of which are hidden throughout the scene). When visitors mouse over a portal it pops up and gives them a preview of both the sound and look of the next potential scene. They can click on the portal pop-up to traverse to the next scene or remain where they are to investigate other options. The way users flow throughout the building is not immediately apparent and any number of paths might be taken to see all around the building. Connections between scenes are relatively loose, for instance, clicking on a painting might move you to a view of the paintings of Alumni contributors on the third floor. I added a map for easier navigation that drops down in the upper right corner.
So without further ado, I invite you to explore the Alice Campbell Alumni center!
What lurks in the basement of Lincoln Hall...
An extraordinarily talented artist, web designer, and friend, Ashley Bradarich designed a scary reinterpretation of a space that was already pretty creepy to begin with. Ashley ventured fourth into the depths of the basement of Lincoln Hall, a rather tragic and historic structure that's been on the University of Illinois campus since 1906. The basement is filled with all manner of strange objects varying from jagged pieces of metal and giant rocks to old rickety doors, low hanging pipes and other shards of once useful objects. Ashley photoshopped a beautiful and complex collage of pictures from the basement and added some rather gripping movies.
With Ashley's permission I took the project to another level of creepy interactivity, adding dynamic demonic-looking symbols for navigation and a jarring title movie clip. I also replaced out her music for something a little more, well, freaky. The finalized presentation stands as a dark approach to an already daunting space - perhaps it can serve as inspiration to fast-forward the renovation. Someday.
In the meantime, crawl through the basement of Lincoln Hall.
