For a little while now I have been wanting to look into transmedia or cross-platform uses for art, but with everything else I have been looking at this got a little neglected. Somehow "read Marshall McLuhan book!!!" has been gradually shunted down the list of things to do, and I had almost forgotten about it. That is until I began to think about bringing QR codes into illustration, which I spoke about in my previous post "Illustrated = want?" Now, QR codes are not the one and only key to multimedia or cross-platform experiences, but recently in research and through social media I have seen some great examples of this which I think can be used as a springboard for my own ideas. I have also been considering how animated elements can be brought in to a static image with the help of smartphones or other devices. I'm not sure why I'm so keen on mixing up digital and physical elements or what that would achieve, maybe because the two combined have more possibilities than one and I have been posting a lot about projects which utilise both.
My initial idea I had was to have product packaging that was only illustrated, with a QR code that a customer could scan and get all the information from, presented to them in a way that was easier to read than the standard text, for example a nutritional graph or a touch screen with sections of information.
However my tutors are hesitant for me to do any kind of "usual route" brand identity work, aka for a product or service, so exploring other uses for QR "enhancement" of static imagery is a good idea. One of my very early ideas for my honours project was to have a hand-drawn or printed image overlaid with a motion graphic or animation. This could easily evolve into 3D enhancement (although I don't think that would work through a phone screen) or some part of the image being made to move, if the code was scanned and then the camera of the smartphone was held so that it picked up the image.
One good example I found of this was 2nd story, a project that is still in funding. The project invites people who lived in Gastown, Vancouver, to help map the hidden stories of the area. The Only Animals, the company behind 2nd story, are developing an app called Ghostlight, which will register a location through a smartphone camera and overlay a video or animation on screen. You can see the video on YouTube, and the website is here. "We want to put the tools for story mapping into the hands of as many people as possible, making it easier to start telling, documenting and sharing stories in the places that matter to you. (And) when we tell our story, we are re-shaping our lives and the minds of those around us." (Miller, 2014)
2nd story is very rooted in narrative compared to other things I am looking at, but perhaps that is something I should consider looking into more. I have toyed with the idea of leading viewers around a "trail" using their phones as part of my hours project, but as to what the narrative would be I have not got any idea yet. The main idea that influences me here however is the use of the smartphone to add to something that is already there. I have always been interested in clever art which makes you look twice, and Dave is very keen on me doing something subversive, so perhaps the use of a QR code in conjunction with a static image and an animation is an effective way to do that. I had wondered what a user could get out of having information presented on screen that they didn't get on a piece of packaging or a sign - what if using a smartphone to access the extra information was just another hassle that was kind of redundant? Revealing another layer of an image - a digital one - could add to the message or even some visual rhetoric.
This brings me to my next example, Repentir by Jonathan Hook. Repentir is an app that allows user to explore the layers of an oil panting through the screen of their smartphone, either standing in front of the painting or using a downloadable image. On the project's webpage, Jon Hook (20130 writes "The aim if the project is to explore notions of authenticity and originality, by exposing the skilful, complex and prolonged creative process of the contemporary realist painter Nathan Walsh to gallery visitors who would otherwise only see his finished paintings." The app itself shows the painting's progress through a touch screen slider, which users can scale up or down to see the artwork at various stages. The idea of inviting the viewer to look behind the finished product is a novel one when it comes to pieces of art, particularly fine art. Of course, many artists use social media to post progress of their work, but the format that Repentir presents brings an element of exploration to it.
In a similar vein, Canadian TV firm Rogers' collaboration with Montreal artist KASHINK saw her draw a huge mural on a building in the city, to promote the Rogers Cup tennis tournament. In an online article about the project by the host app Layar, Chris Cameron (2014) writes "Near the ground of the four story artwork is a call to action urging those walking by on the sidewalk to download the Layar App and scan the painting to see more. Scanning the artwork reveals a time-lapse video of KASHNIK working on the giant artwork from start to finish over the course of a few days." You can see the video here.
On the same page and in similar fashion, another article by Cameron is about the "singing stamp" from Vlaams Radio Koor - the Flemish Radio choir - who created scannable stamps which play videos of the choir singing on a smartphone when scanned over, again made possible with the layer app. While the video plays, it is possible to zoom in and out of a 3d stage that that video is presented on, by subtly tilting the phone. This clever and creative merging of something really traditional with a method of content delivery which is a lit newer brings me back to the idea of traditional drawings overlaid with a digital animation. It also makes me think about what other physical "start points" I could use for my project - after all, who would of though of using a stamp? It's great! Watch it on YouTube and see.
In 2013 Layar was also used to hold an entire festival in a digital setting. Participants at the "Zo Neit, Tan Dooch" festival ("If Not, Then Anyway") were encouraged to explore Amsterdam to find hidden content viewable on their phones. "The festival allows visitors a new way of experiencing visual arts, entertainment, film, architecture, theatre, dance and music…the virtual stage where nothing is impossible and everyone has access. The ticket is already in your pocket: your mobile phone." This is an interesting concept as well and I have seen a similar thing done where a project consisted of QR codes printed on lithographic paper and framed as the art themselves, then the scanned QR art led to another, related piece of art. These are all useful pointers to how I could conduct my honours project, but for now I can add one more thing to that to-do list…making a piece activated by a QR code. Even if it doesn't work out too well it will be a start. My next step will also be to look at further research into QR codes and art, particularly that of one of my lecturers Simone who has done a lot of practical and written research in this area.
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References
Cameron, Chris, 2014. Rogers and Kashnik Create Massive Interactive Tennis Mural [online article] Available at: https://www.layar.com/news/blog/categories/layers/art-layers/
[Accessed 21 October 2014]
Cameron, Chris, 2013. Virtual festival launches with Layar roots [online article] Available at:
https://www.layar.com/news/blog/categories/layers/art-layers/
[Accessed 21 October 2014]
Hook, Jonathan, 2014. Repentir [online article] Available at:
http://www.jonathanhook.co.uk/repentir.php
[Accessed 21 October 2014]
Miller, Eric, 2014. Mapping personal stories onto your places using mobile technology [online article] Available at: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/2nd-story
[Accessed 21 October 2014]
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