Tag: art

MediaScape Musings # 4 : PointAt

dsuart Leave a comment

Greetings, everyone! Today, I’m thrilled to share a sneak peek into an exciting work-in-progress team project from my PAT 515 class: PointAt.

In the evolving landscape of interactive experiences, PointAt is set to redefine the boundaries. This project seamlessly integrates cutting-edge technologies, including visual motion capture, movable hand installations, a dynamic visual eyeball projection, and immersive sound design.

Picture this: a visual eyeball projection that never wavers, meticulously tracking your every move with precision. Simultaneously, a movable hand installation dynamically points at you, forging an immediate and responsive connection. This unique amalgamation creates an immersive ambiance, inducing a subtle yet palpable sense of “pressure” for the user.

PointAt is not just an intersection of visual and auditory elements; it’s a journey into the unexplored realms of multisensory engagement. As a work-in-progress, we are pushing the conventional boundaries of interactive installations, redefining the very relationship between users and their interactive environments. Stay tuned as we delve deeper into this exploration and the final concept video!!

Fiber Fridays #4: Freehand Crochet

rissaw 1 Comment

Difficulty: Hard

Hey everyone!
I have been so busy as of late working on a super big crochet project. The Stamps undergraduate exhibition deadline is coming up and I am binging a bunch of Gen Z podcasts and crocheting nonstop. The theme this year for the exhibition is “resistance”. I want to save getting super into the meaning of my project in February, after the exhibition.
This week, since I am doing so much freehand crochet, I figured that I could show you some of the process work, and try to give as many tips and tricks as I can. In order to under stand how to freehand crochet, one must know how to read and execute crochet patterns. Knowing how these patterns form and hope the stitches interact with one another is extremely important in developing your own design with no instruction. You must have a strong grasp on how increasing and decreasing stitches can affect your work. You also might need to know how to sew depending on your design, or learn how to mattress stitch panels together. I would recommend that you know how to crochet in the round.

On the most basic level, what I am trying to achieve physically with this piece is a stylized rendition of a geode. I am a geology minor and like to incorporate that interest into my work. You can start out your freehand crochet however you’d like, but since I know the general shape of the form that I want, I started with an outer border and worked my way in. I am using scrap/ reclaimed yarn/ donated yarn to create this piece. You can see in the picture below the general idea of where i’m going with this.
I’ll post the final piece after the exhibition.
If you have any additional questions, comment below!
See you next Friday,
Marissa

Mixed on Campus #12 – Abimelec Guerra

Alice Conner Leave a comment

Name: Abimelec Guerra
Mix: Puerto Rica (Black & Caucasian-Spanish)
Year: Sophomore

I am a musician( lemme know if yall wanna pull up to a concert!), and I also do a ton of marketing projects!

Q: How has being mixed affected your campus experience?

A: Sometimes being mixed means not being fully part of a community. I often feel that I’m in a constant state of limbo when I meet people and not being able to fully integrate.

Q: What do you wish more people knew about the mixed experience?

A: That mixed people sometimes go through many identity crisis where we have a hard time “picking a side” from our ancestry or being able to identify which side of our genetics to we lean the most.

Q: What is your proudest moment?

A: Learning english on 2018 and being able to speak it. Thanks to that, I’ve been able to meet so many cool people, and create many memories that I shall always cherish.

Q: What are you most anxious about right now?

A: Not disappointing my peers/ mentors.

Q: What kind of person do you aspire to be?

A: Someone that can make others feel welcome and at peace.

Q: Who is the most influential person in your life?

A: Personally, my family( especially my mother) which she taught me the resilience that made her so strong during the time that I was fortunate to have her by my side. Professionally, Bozo Paradzik/ my goat Messi

+1: I am so excited to get to know the rest of the people in this community and to immerse myself with other mixed people as well!!

Mixed on Campus was inspired by the Humans of New York project. The purpose of Mixed on Campus is to give a voice to this university’s mixed community and shed light on its members. Being mixed means to be multiracial, multiethnic, and/or a transnational adoptee. Through Mixed on Campus, mixed students have the opportunity to have their portrait drawn and share their experiences!

MediaScape Musings #3 : Rebirth

dsuart Leave a comment

In this week’s Collaborative Projects: Experiments in Interdisciplinary Installation and Performance course, our team embarked on a remarkable journey to create an impromptu installation performance at Duderstadt. Our creation, known as “Rebirth,” unfolded in a unique and unexpected setting.


Our creation, known as “Rebirth,” unfolded in a unique and unexpected setting. The elongated corridor of Duderstadt became our canvas, providing a space for contemplation and decision. As visitors approached our installation, they were met with a choice, symbolized by two distinct pathways. Our creation, known as “Rebirth,” unfolded in a unique and unexpected setting. The elongated corridor of Duderstadt became our canvas, providing a space for contemplation and decision. On one hand, participants could opt for a fresh start, a metaphorical rebirth. This path offered them a certificate of renewal, accompanied by the collective applause and praise of those around them. It was a moment of catharsis, a symbolic shedding of the old and embracing the new.

The essence of “Rebirth” lies in its whimsical and spontaneous nature. It’s about offering the Duderstadt community a lighthearted and bright interlude, a moment of joy and warmth. Just like the “Free Hug” campaigns that have traversed the globe, “Rebirth” was a reminder that happiness can be found in the most unexpected places and through the simplest choices.

As a team, we hope that “Rebirth” brought a smile to the faces of those who encountered it and encouraged them to consider the transformative power of the choices they make. In our world filled with deadlines, exams, and responsibilities, this installation performance was a brief but essential reminder that we hold the power to start anew at any moment, with just a simple decision.

Fiber Fridays #3: Tapestry Crochet

rissaw Leave a comment

Hello everyone!
This week I wanted to focus on tapestry crochet patterns and explain how to read them. These patterns can also be called alpha patterns. Alpha patterns are gridded images (such as pixel art) that can be directly translated into a 1:1 crochet pattern. These crochet patterns are straightforward once you know how to change your colors as you work. I personally choose to use a 5 mm hook for these in generic acrylic cheap scrap yarn that I find. With just a couple rows of single crochet, you can take your piece visually to the next level.

For my example, I crocheted a dinosaur. This was my first attempt at making an alpha pattern, so I believe it came out well! My color changes didn’t turn out exactly as I had hoped, but those will become cleaner over time and with more practice. I chose to use a single crochet for every square in the pattern. It is best to use tighter tension when crocheting this way. This creates a tighter crocheted image which will keep your lines cleaner. Tapestry patterns can come in any type of image you’d like to create. You can look up pre-made images that have already been turned into pixels, or you can pixelate your own images at home. These are super cute and can be applied to sweaters, bags, blankets, etc to give a little more detail. They can also be used as wall hanging decorations just as they are.

Here I have included more advanced samples if anyone would like a starting point for ideas! Pinterest is a great resource to find different patterns for every genre.
I would personally like to create more of these and use them in my “scrapbooking” sculptural work. I would like to create a bunch of images and sew them together to make a story. I am currently collecting small tapestries , granny squares, and amigurumi figures that I have created over time to hopefully be able to consolidate them all into one great piece. The incorporation of 3D forms could also be really cool to layer amongst the pieces. I also really like sculptural wearables and plan to work more on the human form. Applying these illustrative images to garments could also be really interesting.
I encourage you to try out this method and let me know how it goes for you in the comments!
See you next week,
Marissa

Fiber Fridays #2: Dying Fibers

rissaw Leave a comment

Hello everyone!
This post is coming to you a bit late due to wifi issues so I apologize for the delay! This week I want to discuss with you guys what it is like to dye your own fibers for your work. Spoiler alert! It’s hard, at least in my own experience. Getting the perfect shade that you are imagining in your head can prove to be difficult.

My original intention for this fabric was to weave a really long sheet on a loom and use it to sew little purses and bags. I imagined almost “forest-ish” colors, such as deep orange, dark green, and a pale yellow for my weft. I wanted to weave in brown and beige colors and have a soft look to it.

I had to start out by measuring yards upon yards of threads for my warp , and spending hours in the weaving studio spinning them into the perfect measurements. I then took them to the dye studio, where things quickly felt more complicated. I had to mix the appropriate amounts of each dye with other chemicals in order to get the colors I wanted, and I had never dyed anything besides my hair.

When I finally got the bundles of threads into their respective dye buckets, I felt confident. The colors looked dark and moody, exactly what I wanted! I let these colors sit longer than the yellow. The yellow seemed like if I just pulled it out quickly it would be the lighter yellow I wanted.

The above photo was the result. I was embarrassed. These look straight out of a lemon lime ad. They looked citrus themed, far from what I ever wanted to work with. Far from anything I even care about. I was stuck on how I could make this work. I turned to a color palette generator, and put in the colors I had created in the fibers. The computer gave me a variety of different colors that could work as the weft. I decided to turn the cloth into an experimental project. At random intervals, the fabric would have a new colored weft.

Shifting gears with this project is what I believe really saved it. I ended up loving the end cloth and was able to use ti for the small bags that I wanted to use it for, as well as reupholstering a vanity chair. Weaving is always a rough journey for me, and dying my own fibers made it even harder. I would do it again though, and recommend it to others who would like to try!
See you guys later this week for actual Fiber Fridays!
-Marissa
Below is some of the final products: