Immersive Sky

In my own research, I have seen how art can be an intimidating experience for people who have no prior knowledge of art. Art is such a broad topic that includes several different facets. Without fully being immersed in the world of art, studying, creating, critiquing, and viewing art, one has no idea of the art world - even if it's simply as a viewer. This leads to the misunderstanding that the art world is only for those who "grew up in the art world," which creates a sense of exclusion.

Given this, the purpose of this project is to explore the question, "Is there a way to create a work that explains an art concept/term in an accessible, educational, and interactive way to the general public?" This final product is not meant to be a definitive answer, but an exploration.

Because art holds many facets, this project is designed to hone in on one concept that is easily misunderstood to create a more accessible viewing of this concept. As graphic design work is often accessible to the general public, this project uses the design lens to create an accessible work about the misunderstood concept: color field.

The concept of color field was popularized by Mark Rothko. His color field paintings explored the depth of emotion, which many people don't quite understand at first glance. This misunderstanding doesn't allow for the full exposure of the significance and beauty of his paintings. He elevated color beyond just aesthetics in a philosophical concept. His pieces like, "Orange and Yellow," from 1956, allows for the viewer to be immersed in the color, drawing up deep emotion.

Through "Immersive Sky," I take something that is universally beautiful, to make the connection of how color fields can be beautiful on their own. This further explains the beauty and popularization of Rothko's color field paintings.

This static print is to be viewed with a projection of rotating color fields. This is to show the viewers how color fields can be abstracted from universally beautiful images such as the sky. Colors can hold different meanings to different individuals as well as bring about different emotions.

Some inspirations and artists that I researched for this work include Mark Rothko, Pipilotti Rist, Olafur Eliasson, and Sheila Levrant de Bretteville. Rothko's color field paintings are highly popular and idolized, which was the springboard to my initial question of how to make art concepts more accessible and educational. In Rist's work, she uses video as an immersive medium for viewers to understand her subject. Within the gallery space there are lounging pillows and beanbags for viewers to relax, while watching her work. Eliasson's use of color, color theory, and the perception of color, has inspired how I use color to inform viewers. Finally, the American Institute of Graphic Arts invited de Bretteville (amongst 30 other artists) to create a work about color. De Bretteville chose the color pink, as it is the signifier of gender. In her work, "Pink," she asked participants to explain what the color meant to them.

Some questions that I asked the viewer to consider with this piece are as follows:
- What makes art intimidating?
- What do you find most beautiful?
- Do you feel like you have to be good at art to partake in it? Why or why not?
- Would you say you have a good understanding of art? Why or why not?
- Do you think art is accessible? Why or why not?
- Should art ever have to be explained?
- Does explanation reduce or increase the quality and/or concept of the work?