DISCOURSE
This collaborative studio was developed with Raleigh’s newly formed Contemporary Art Museum, CAM+Raleigh, to produce a body of work based on the theme “ROUTINE”. CAM’s vision is to redefine the relationship of museums and communities by presenting art exhibitions and public programs that illustrate the relevance of contemporary art and design to our everyday lives.

Throughout the semester, the studio met with the staff of CAM+Raleigh towards the creation of a final exhibition of the studio’s work. In addition to completing technical training in a full array of multimedia technologies, (Flash, Actionscript, Maya, AfterEffects, Photoshop), students were asked to document and emphasize their creative process in their studio work towards the development of finished works of “installation art”.

Art+Design students also worked with Tony Brock’s GD400 Level Graphic Design studio as a semi-shared, collaborative initiative.  Creativity in concept and execution (the creative process) was a major focus of this studio. Extensive iterative storyboarding, analysis of the relationship of sound to kinetic image, innovative uses of interactivity and high personal standards for craftsmanship were core notions defining the essential qualities of this project. The idea of this cross-disciplinary approach reflects the increasingly blurred edges of multimedia art and design. The use of different creative approaches from each discipline to various CAM related projects were synergetic and educational.

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TECHNICAL ASPECTS
This was an experimental research project into alternative, interactive new media installations for education and entertainment.  It was not our intent with this project to turn designers into engineers. Our intention was based on the principle of having non-technologists work together with technology outside their expertise to produce artifacts that are informative, entertaining and promote an exchange of dialogue over design, technology and society. At the completion of this project typical design students in this research collaboration developed an understanding of technical design integration, a vocabulary of the field and a working knowledge on the application of technology in different disciplines. This initial Interactive Mirror Installation introduced designers to sensor data from external sources and utilized dynamic content creating a unique interactive experience that is both larger-than-life size and immersive in the experience.

The Interactive Mirror Installation consists of a 5' high by 6' wide pane of mirrored glass, displaying rear-projected content from a high-lumen projector. To take advantage of the exhibit space and user experience, content designed leveraged live video, 3D animation, special effects and vector motion.  Utilizing multiple, front-side mirrors and the additional surface sides of the mirror installation structure, we were able to develop an immersive video cube extending the user experience beyond the single sided medium of the traditional presentation format.

We developed a framework that allowed any designer to quickly adapt their presentation to interface with the installation. This allowed students to primarily focus on the presentation of the content and the message or intent behind the exhibition rather then the technical aspects of the interface. At its core, the installation took advantage of the modular format of the MakingThings Teleos device and combined with the dynamics of Flash Actionscript. Optical and motion sensors embedded in the structure above the mirror pane registers when a user reaches out to a spot, breaking the vertical plan, on the rendered screen and allows users to navigate the projected content without physical contact with the mirror pane. Two additional sensors recognizes when a user approaches and automatically redirects the user to the main Project Selection Screen.

Integrating full motion video, Maya animations, Flash motion graphics, still photography, dynamic type and responsive sound, the content enabled users to explore various dimensions of individual designer's representation of "Routine" within the reflection of Contemporary Art today.

COLLABORATIVE EFFORT
Creation of the CAM+Raleigh Interactive Mirror Installation and the content was a collaborative effort. Pat FitzGerald and Tony Brock developed the exhibit and the technology concept. Lee Cherry and Ryan DeWitt integrated the sensor system and were responsible for video integration and user-interface programming for the Flash platform.

Last Updated: 7/25/06
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