Flat Curves
In the spring of 2024, I had the opportunity to work on creating an augmented reality (AR) experience for New Hope Arts Center in PA as part of my Interactive Exhibit Design class. Our goal was to add to and/or enhance the sculptures by creating an engaging experience using Hoverlay, the app we used to develop the AR experience.
My team chose the sculpture Flat Curves (2021) by Jennifer Rubin Garey, a corset made from fabricated steel that was an exploration of the female figure and how external standards of the body and appearance are self-imposed by societal expectations.
The Work
Our team, consisting of Casey Mackin, Steven Yachimske, Anthony Barge, and I, wanted to align with the artist’s vision by depicting animals wearing the corset, struggling uncomfortably to fit into it, symbolizing societal pressures.
For the goals of New Hope, it offered a unique take on the sculpture and the artist’s vision while making it engaging for kids by having colorful animals, and for older users, a deeper message about society’s view on the body.
Our project featured 3D models and 2D animations. My role involved animating several animals within the 3D corset models. I digitized our team’s character designs using Illustrator and animated them in After Effects. These assets were then arranged in Hoverlay, allowing visitors to view the experience by scanning the sculpture’s designated QR code.
Challenges
Working with AR for the first time presented challenges. There were things my team needed to take into account like learning how to make our assets better optimized for users’ phones and ensure the experience worked the way it was intended, as it was common for things to break easily.
However, I now confidently say I helped create an AR experience and gained a good understanding of the process. Through my animation work, I got to experiment with different animations for the several characters we had and further developed my skills of animating stationary assets to create a charming illusion of movement.
