Exhibitions
Line of Sight, interactive game, unity, 2021
Process and Intention
In Taylor McArthur’s Line of Sight, the terrain is the manifestation of the artist’s past experiences. The game is situated in the contemporary genre of walking simulators, which trade reward systems and fast-paced gameplay for contemplative immersion. The artist invites the player into her visual vernacular, a juxtaposition of digital naturalism with neon shapes and geometric patterns. Together these forms represent the artist’s own memories, while illustrating her particular perspective on reminiscence. Line of Sight is an immersive personal refection upon identity, memory, and their ties to the land.
Azimuth Nitehi, interactive experience, blender and unity, 2021
created by Taylor McArthur & Dallas Flett-Wapash
Process and Intention
We aimed to have a focus on exploring and experimenting the relationship between human connection and technology. During the global pandemic strict guidelines were put in place for physical distancing. Often many families and friends were unable to visit each other.
We wanted this experience to serve as an interactive way to build an emotional connection through the use of technology by feeding input from the human body to serve as a mechanism for creating a visual output. The intended visuals would be created by monitoring the users heart rate to spawn particles. The particles are formed based on the pace of each of the users heart rate; along with including visuals, there would also be another sensory output based on the heart rate by having all of the interactive elements pulse to the median heart rate of all users.
The visuals and technology create a space for tactile interaction to create a connection of a moment to share and experience with others. It allows us to interact with the physical outputs of the human body. It intends to evoke and take notice of something that we all share; a reminder of the relationship between ourselves and how human interaction changes our feelings. Although there might be more immersive ways to create a profound experience, the outcome of this project is to have the potential to enrich our experience with technology and nature.
wanáǧi wacíbi, video, blender, 00:26 seconds, 2020
Process and Intention
In many Indigenous cultures around the world the stars and sky hold a significant importance to their stories and legends. Listening to my Mushum (Grandfather) share stories that were passed down to him about the night sky left me wondering more about it. I wanted to envision what stories may come about in the future if interstellar travel develops. Would new stories be developed and the previous ones passed down be forgotten as the sky around them would vastly change? Believing that new stories would be created based upon the journey and to keep things familiar the passengers might be able to see aurora borealis on new planets with many different colours based on the atmosphere and magnetic fields.
kikná, video, blender, 00:50 seconds, 2020
Process and Intention
In this piece I wanted to envision how a “Rez” might look on a spaceship as we go on a journey through Interstellar travel to a new world. Modelling an environment of what the interior of this spacecraft might come to look like. Creating art using new media is a way of preserving cultural traditions and values art is constantly changing. It is an outward expression of my tribal identity, family values, Nakoda/Assiniboine geometric shapes and colours.
Nakóda hąwíyawa, digital artwork, illustrator & unity, 10" x 10", 2020
Process and Intention
A visual language exploration of the Nakóda hąwíyawa (Nakoda calendar). I wanted to bring awareness to the general population of Southwestern Manitoba about the Nakoda Oyadebi people and their language. In my hometown of Brandon, MB the Assiniboine River runs though the city. People are often aware of that the river's name is an Indigenous one but are unaware that it was named after the Nakoda (Assiniboine) people who inhabited the area.
Personal Explorations
naʾówada, 3D illustration, blender, 2022
Process and Intention
I created this piece because I wanted to learn more about particle systems within blender. This allowed me to explore composition, lighting and colours. I wanted to create a futuristic style tipi(s) using emissive lighting with abstract shapes floating as a focal point of interest interpreted however the viewer chooses.
tatą́ga, 3D illustration, blender, 2022
Process and Intention - work in progress
I am working to create a VR/360° art experience for a maximum of five minutes of content/video. Using Blender and Unity software's to create within Unity and or Blender I will be animating the VR camera to take the user through the experience adding basic functionality such as simple animations within the scene. The work being developed will focus on incorporating Indigenous Futurisms and incorporating the language of Nakoda people as part of a reclamation of my own heritage.
I plan to develop a personal website in order to host and show the interactive art experience where it will live. I will also be uploading a 360° video to YouTube. The reasoning for this is to accommodate those who are unable to access VR equipment or lack a computer able to run the experience (Unity WebGL) but still wish to experience it.
untitled artwork, digital animation, blender & after effects, 00:30 seconds, 2022
Process and Intention
Upon using Blender more frequently I wanted to focus on creating procedural shaders for the materials to apply to 3D objects. I wanted to find work arounds to cutting down render times in animations. Within Blender there are two render engines Eevee and Cycles. Most of the work I have created was in Eevee while this one was in Cycles. There are different steps to rendering out which I wanted to learn. I had to bake in the materials and render out an image composition in order to cut down render time. For higher resolution videos/images Cycles is often the preferred method in which was done here.
