…And We’re Back!

Semester 2 Project & Research

Weekly Blog Entry Research & Project Updates (1)

After a longer than usual break as a result of the everchanging and ever-evolving COVID-19 pandemic, the Spring 2021 semester has begun. I’ll be getting straight to the point this time as a result to the last time I wrote first blog entries because this semester I am trying something new, something revolutionary, something… different. I will be attempting to NOT, I repeat, NOT, burn myself out with the workload this semester.

Last semester ended in a rollercoaster of emotions inside me that ranged from elation at what I was able to accomplish to frustration at what it took to complete and see all that through… it took a full 3 weeks of our winter break to finally let go of the stress that I had built up from the non-stop work and jumping from radically different project to radically different project and truly begin to relax again. I don’t want that to happen again, ever. Therefore, this semester will be an exercise in getting results I deem just as satisfying as last semesters, while making sure I work within the confines of a smaller scope.

Speaking of last semester (link to completed project here), I have decided I will fully commit to expanding on what I’ve done then for our current semester. The method in which I will do this while still honoring the agreement I’ve made with myself about smaller scope… is by taking my Memorial Tomb symbolically tracking the COVID-19 pandemic from its start to present day and adding a vaccination wing to explore that tracks the efforts to vaccinate the world against COVID.

Taking inspiration this time from the Los Angeles Natural History Museum (among others), the vaccination wing will be one big open room to explore - in the past, the Memorial Tomb ranged from somewhat big and open to claustrophobic to drive home the point of the pandemic encroaching on all aspects of life. The design will be at least two floors (the ground level and upper catwalks) with one entrance (coming in from the Memorial Tomb) and one exit (presumably leading out the building as you’ve reached the end of the experience). Compared to rooms from last semesters Tomb, this room will not only be big, but open (you’ll want to check out all the little crevices to find pieces big and small depicting the current efforts to vaccinate the world against an evolving and dangerous virus that still continues to alter how people perceive and walk-through life on a day-to-day basis.

Below are some images I am looking at for reference as I start conceptualizing the room and the things that will be in the room in the coming weeks.

The first 3 images have links above. The Natural History Museum, British Museum, and The Met all capture what I want to do in terms of 1 large space telling a story you can explore at your leisure (as compared to the linear paths of the Tomb), with multiple floors, and a few key pieces/displays to capture interest.

The Registry Room/Great Hall on Ellis Island, very large, open, what I want o go for this semester!

Sheldon Museum of Art in Nebraska. Open, multi floor design to look into!

Natural History Museum, London. A big display piece on the ground floor!

From the Vatican Museums website. What kind of detail should I go for in the ceiling is a good question to ask for the conceptualization stages.

From the unfinished Grand Egyptian Museum (would windows be called for. To have additional juxtaposition between the tomb and this wing?)

Natural History Museum again. A big display piece hanging from the ceiling would be interesting.

Image below taken from the game "The Stanley Parable". When I was first hit with the idea of a vaccination wing, this was the first thing I thought of and wanted to make sure was here.

Speaking of things that will be in the room, the birds will make a return! Unlike in the Tomb itself however, they will not be the only thing filling the space (but their placement continues to be just as important as it was last semester). Compared to the tomb, the vaccination wing will be a little less symbolic… or, no, that’s not right, it will be symbolic in different ways as it will hold more to the feelings invoked visiting a traditional museum. In the larger context, stepping into this room after the Tomb will be a breath of fresh air, the space around you is opening up again, information presented will be more direct and working towards solutions. It’s like stepping into a new world, a reborn world, a more enlightened world.

While ultimately smaller in scope than last semester, I find this concept a worthy expansion and equally as important in serving the larger goal of my thesis – learning more about “Art Games” as a whole, specifically their purpose, methods of conveying said purpose (messaging) to players, with the end goal of making my own Art Game (possibly VR) serving as a time capsule to the feelings we were all having during and (likely) after the pandemic. This project will allow me to dive deeper and gain greater understanding of the “Art Game” genre as a whole to wrap up my 1st year and ready myself for the task of building a whole game (again, possibly VR) from these lessons and ideas in my 2nd.

There's still plenty to iron out in the coming weeks, but overall, I think this would be a worthy follow-up to last semesters project. I will be able to follow up on themes and ideas from before, I can continue to refine and exercise my modeling and texturing skills, and be able to properly exhibit healthy self-care techniques that started falling by the wayside previously.

Tentative Project Schedule

PHASE I

• Week 2 (This Week) – Week 3: Concept Designs of Vaccination Wing and pieces within the wing (at least 2 unique pieces). Include sketches and low-poly models. Prepare outline for Semester Paper.

PHASE II

• Week 4 – Week 5: Model Vaccination Wing

• Week 6 – Week 8: Model Pieces on Display Within Wing & Write Rough Draft of Semester Paper

PHASE III

• Week 9 – Week 10: Texturing Vaccination Wing & Display Pieces

PHASE IV

• Week 11 – Week 14: Putting Everything Together – Place assets in game engine (Unity); appropriate scaling, duplicating, lighting work, sound work. I give myself 4 weeks – but can easily be pushed to less time if I am behind in the previous steps outlined in the schedule above. Turn in Semester Paper Final Copy. Write updated Artist Statement. Prepare Final Presentation!