When going through the list of artists that were provided for us to choose from – these artists immediately stood out to me for many many reasons. @sianfan and @autonommy are instagram accounts which display and explore various forms of digital media but specifically deal with some version of augmented or virtual reality. One of the reasons I chose these two artists off the bat was due to the platform through which they present their work. Instagram/social media plays an increasingly vital role in our society – I’ve always said that I view a person’s social media as a sort of social resume. With that said it’s interesting to see artists turning this virtual space into successful online galleries that promote their work while also providing documentation.
Sian Fan is a mixed media artist who is interested in many forms of digital media. Her work is typically a commentary on the relationship between the physical body and technology. With references to feminism and the human experience, @sianfan produces intriguing art that is eloquently displayed in her visual resume. The first thing I noticed about this account is how well its themed – Looking at the picture above you can clearly see the attention payed to a green/pink color scheme. I think this theme supports the artists attempts to direct the commentary towards a more feminine audience. In addition to the virtual/augmented reality projects featured on her instagram, Sian Fan also utilizes digital tools such as 3D scanning and printing. Doing so also helps to achieve her iconic digital look.
This is DOWNTIME by Sian Fan. I wanted to talk about this piece in particular because it stood out to me more than anything else I saw. This piece of art is essentially a VR experience designed to critique the state of hyperactivity we all live in. Sian Fan created a virtual ASMR experience to combat hyperactivity with tranquility. The space is designed so that the viewer can explore, jump, listen, and experience this calm and relaxing world. Aside from those reasons, I was interested in this piece as it was created using Unity. It’s interesting being able to see/understand how the artist created the art that she did.
SOURCE: https://www.sianfan.com/bio
Ommy/@autonommy is another digital artist who’s main platform is instagram. This artist is a self-proclaimed “xr developer” and “real-time artist”. To clarify, Ommy uses social media platforms to distrbute art filters which she created. The effect is real-time works of augmented reality art that can be wildly distributed and used across the instagram platform. Here is an example of one of her filters being used on herself and posted to her own instagram account…
I honestly just think this concept is so smart. She’s essentially using this instagram account to create, promote, distribute, and interact with her art. Having the ability to achieve all of the aforementioned processes in a singular platform is invaluable. While a lot of this account’s popularity has come from these filters, Ommy is also able to promote the other types of art she produces. Here are a few examples…
SOURCE: https://www.instagram.com/autonommy/
In addition to these two social media based artists, I wanted to share a bit about a digital artist who I’ve actually been fortunate enough to work with over the past few months. Sophie Kahn is a Brooklyn based digital artist who works with various mediums that all stem from 3D Scanning. Sophie uses a 3D scanner as well as various digital programs to produce work that represents the human body through a digital lense. She seeks to produce a commentary on the relationship through technology and the body. For example, Sophie often talks about the imperfections produced by the 3D scanner. Because the tool is not intended for use on the human body, the result is an imperfect and glitchy image. My time spent with Sophie has been invaluable for many reasons but mostly in the ability to work closely with a professional artist. Here are a few examples of Sophie’s work!
SOURCE: https://www.sophiekahn.net/