Artists in VR
Some fine artists shy away from virtual reality(VR) art, but recent technologies allow for the customization of different art styles and mediums, creating a whole new kind of artist: VR artists. VR can allow for polished productions, as well as experimental drawing, sketching, and brainstorming sessions in social settings. It is a great tool for artist collaboration for a variety of projects, as demonstrated by Laurie Anderson and Hsin-Chien Huang’s popular VR installation at Mass Moca.
Being in an environment where only your controllers and your artwork are present allows you to experience the excitement of full embodiment in a virtual environment, or “disembodiment” from your physical surroundings. While this isn’t always desirable, it helps artists and creatives achieve a “flow state” much easier than in other media or places.
VR combines music, physics, visuals, and organic movements through controllers and even hand-tracking. Many VR platforms can simulate being a master craftsperson in any art, from pottery to drumming. So, for people who want to express themselves in different ways and collaborate across the world, VR offers an increasingly expansive tool to try new media and create and coproduce.
Use Cases
Designers and architects alike have been using VR to prototype, visualize, and present their ideas. Some other examples of VR art created collaboratively include spatially mixed music, and paintings made by cumulatively collecting VR art in one virtual environment. But it isn’t limited to 3D visualizations and music: you can also act in theatre, and even spray paint with others in VR. With more advanced equipment, you can even animate 2D and 3D characters by wearing a body suit and dictating their movements.
The end products of VR creations can be seen in galleries, art fairs, music festivals, and most excitingly, in social VR apps like Foretell Reality which support 360 media from external applications. Foretell also allows for 3D drawing and sculpting in sessions to brainstorm and collaborate on bigger projects. Not only can you collaborate, but you can see other users’ work and discuss them in educational or therapeutic settings.
References:
Contemporary Artists Embrace VR to Create Immersive Experiences – Robb Report
Solving the “Botox Problem” for VR Avatars (theglimpsegroup.com)
Artistic collaboration in designing VR visualizations | IEEE Journals & Magazine | IEEE Xplore
Artist Carrie Able Believes VR/AR Will Help Drive Collaboration – ClubHouseVR
