cygnus@cis.udel.edu (Marc W. Cygnus) (05/18/91)
->How do readers think that virtual reality might be used as an
->artistic medium?
->
I want to create a multidimensional virtual fingerpainting experience.
`multidimensional', I mean that the results should be three (or more)
dimensional, time-varying, and attribute-varying. (I think you can figure
out the 'v' word :-) By `fingerpainting', I mean to indicate an activity
in which you can involve yourself in a manner similar to fingerpainting,
but on a more complex level. Of course, two or more people should be able
to interact simultaneously, not just in the context of their own creation,
but also to participate in another's.
All representational issues aside, I want something which can deal in
substance, texture, colour, and density. Electropaint is neat (ThankYouPaul!),
but there's too much of a separation between the user and the user's creation.
This particular experience on my wish list is a primarily visual one, to be
sure. I fear a lot of the subtleties I'm imagining will be too expensive
, computationally and/or graphically, to be practical for a little while.
The aspect of vr-as-an-artistic-medium which really turns me on is the
potential for observers or participants to experience an artistic expression
as the creative act is occurring, and with a depth perhaps unrealisable in
the physical world.
This fascination probably stems from a frustration I've experienced often
which has to do with wanting to share an emotion, thought, or feeling with
another person, but finding that words fall far short of doing the perception
justice. What I would *like* to do, of course, is open a mental channel to
the other person's perception centre and "think" them the thought, if you
will. Since that's not something likely to become possible anytime soon,
the next best thing would be to try to affect the person's senses in such
a way as to help them understand my thought. The more control you have over
a given sense, the more potential you have for affecting a person through
that sense.
Hmm, I'd better stop on that note. I've got in my mind a few too many ideas
competing for attention; too much to make complete sense out of any one of
them. If anyone has had similar thoughts on the above and would like to
chat, please drop me a line (I don't want to unnecessarily bog down s.v-w!).
-marc-
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