Solence, Self-Portrait, & Ethervescence: A Creative Work in Virtual Reality

The introduction of virtual and augmented reality (VR and AR) technologies into our daily lives presents a unique source of untapped potential for creative work. Using the VR-based painting software Tilt Brush, this three-piece art project explored the use of different tools, techniques, and artistic styles which are unique to this technology. I chose this topic for my sophomore Scholars Project as a way to combine my academic and artistic interests through a new medium. Each piece has its own distinct style and emphasizes different aspects of creating art in a fully digital space, such as defining the scale and boundaries of a piece, the use of dynamic effects, and expressing the intentions of the artist while allowing for independent viewer exploration. It also brought up critical questions on accessibility and ownership for a fully digital work. The three pieces created for this project are entitled Solence, Self-Portrait, and Ethervescence. Solence features a singular tree isolated in empty space, created using one brush in multiple colors to preserve the same style and painting-like texture throughout the piece in three dimensions. Self-Portrait focuses on a series of figures that I traced of myself, and uses many different dynamic effects along with the figures' body language to convey complex emotional and mental states. Ethervescence is an environment of rock and water suspended in the sky, with more subtle dynamic effects to reflect the movement of the air and water. All three pieces take full advantage of Tilt Brush's capabilities, and would not be possible to replicate in traditional mediums.