CONTEXT

The Institute blog. A collection of information, essays and polemics relating to industry, culture and technology.

Business cannot exist in a vacuum. We examine the nature of ideas, communications and change within our contemporary cultural and technological landscape. We highlight potentially harmful actions and advocate for the freedom, meaning and agency required for human industry to thrive in a complicated and uncertain world.

Graffio Arts 4/25/22 Graffio Arts 4/25/22

Aliens, NFTs and the Art of Sharing

As the land grab for virtual assets continues, 18 ALIENS is a light hearted experiment in physical and virtual sharing.

18 ALIENS & ARtv

18 ALIENS was a light hearted experiment in physical and virtual sharing. We gave away 18 sets of aliens on a first come, first served basis at Beta X in Leicester in March 2022.

Concept, design + production: Graffio Arts. Pixels: Jonathan Feuillet. 3D objects + animation: Jack Ellis. The brains behind the Beta X project: Seed Creativity. Funding: LCB. Beta X project manager: Ady Alexander.

Make it stand out

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

WHAT IS ARtv?

ARtv is an augmented reality content delivery system. Show video or activate 3D objects whenever you point your mobile device at an ARtv symbol. Each symbol can be unique and each can deliver it’s own content. A symbol could be a picture, a graphic or a logo.

Symbols can be displayed anywhere that you can imagine - on a poster, a wall or even as a tattoo. If you’d like to find out how you could use ARtv for your project, then get in touch.

18 ALIENS AT BETA X

These aliens have no monetary value and are comprised of pixels. Each alien was presented as an augmented reality marker on a series of cards. These cards can be shared with friends, family or random strangers, as you see fit, sharing your ownership of the alien. Anyone that owns a card can download the Graffio AR app and point it at the card to summon their alien from a galaxy far away!

The concept of virtual ownership is becoming more and more a part of our daily lives. When viewing a movie, we used to purchase a physical product, like a DVD. Now, it is more common to pay a gatekeeper to allow us to stream content. In this interaction, we no longer own a physical object and our access to the content may only be for a limited time. Virtual properties in virtual worlds continue to develop in terms of status and real monetary value.

Crypto currencies are on the rise and NFT systems, designed to protect the intellectual property rights of creators are now a part of a frenzied land grab of virtual assets. Meta seeks to control our experience of the Metaverse. As these new frontiers continue to develop should we stand back and ask what we want from virtual worlds? How do we want to interact with each other? What do we value? Is it all about individual or corporate ownership? Remember when we used to share?

THE POSTERS

ALIEN PERSONALITIES

To establish the idea that each alien was an individual and worthy of collection, each alien had a backstory created. These were brief introductions with a name and a biography that was part hard sci-fi and part, a tongue-in-cheek riff on popular culture.

ALIEN BEHAVIOUR

The aliens had individual sounds, breathed and performed different actions when touched. Some would react if you got within a certain distance from them.

AUGMENTED REALITY AND YOU

A new world is opening up and if things play out in the ways that we are told that they will, it will have an enormous impact the ways that we do things. The increased use of augmented reality technology into our every day lives will likely be accelerated by brands like Apple that are investing huge sum of time and money into transforming our relationship with their current technology. We know this stuff is coming and its likely that we’re going to be using it as an addition or substitute for the technology that we current use. The day that augmented reality glasses become adopted as a mainstream device, is the day where mobile phones may start to look the quaint product of a previous generation.

The 3D aliens in this project use technology that is only currently, universally available on Apple devices although large parts of the project also worked on Android devices. We tend to create projects that have mixed functionality, so that they are as inclusive as possible.

If you’re interested in using some form of AR for a project, we can help you work through the kind of options available. Once you understand the basics and the limitations become clear, the fun starts as you consider all the things that you could do. There is incredible potential for new types of engagement, user journeys, brand associations and relationships to physical locations with augmented reality.

Want to do something incredible with AR? Tell us what you want to do!

Graffio Arts 3/10/22 Graffio Arts 3/10/22

Introducing Jack Ellis

A 3D design focused internship leading to Jack working on his first live project at Beta X.

Design + animation: Jack Ellis. Mentoring: Graffio Arts. Video interview recorded by Aidan Matthews. Editing by Jonathan Fuillet.

Jack is a recent Digital Media Graduate from University of Lincoln and spent six months at Institute Research Lab on a Kickstart Internship. This is what happened…

We were familiar with the kind of folio that Jack turned up with. It’s often the case that young 3D modellers tend to gather in online communities that are linked to the game industry and other markets but don’t get the opportunity to develop a broader understanding of their practice.

We brought a specific premise to the table with Jack- creating 3D models is an alternative way of drawing or a virtual way to build. So what should you be drawing or building? To answer that a good starting point is to look at what creatives are dealing with in other areas of the arts. We bombarded Jack with concepts from across the arts and his understanding of why other creatives do the things they do, started to develop. Jack started to see how his work could be valuable in a host of different situations.

Jack really wanted to develop his 3D modelling abilities so he stuck with the 3D modelling program, Blender and explored it’s limits as we threw progressively more involved work at him.

When we can, we like to get interns to work on live projects. In this situation we ensure that there’s plenty of time available to develop the project, we create a back-up plan in case things get tricky for them and we make sure that their contribution to the project develops their practice and provides work for their folios.

Before we could get started we had to finish getting the lab ready to open it’s doors. We asked if he’d like to start after all the renovations were finished or if he’d like to help us with this. Jack chose the later and spent a month working with us pulling up flooring, painting and cleaning. By the time that was done, we were very grateful and he was itching to get on with some ‘real’ work.

Jack created an accurate scale model of the physical space.

The first project was the model and animate a virtual version of the lab. We set some parameters- it all had to be black and white and it had to fit a visual language we’d been developing for lab promotion.

The TV avatars float through the space as they engage with their mysterious research.

Jack completed a site survey of the physical space and then set to work modelling it. Jack explored the idea of avatars using analogue TVs that are in use in the physical space and used icons that represent the senses on the screens of these TVs as if the virtual members of the lab are conducting media research. Modelling in black and white with no grey that would help to show the form of objects was quite a challenge. Adding white lines to this of varying thicknesses just added to the complications.

Studio 2 is a flexible workspace. Jack showed the different ways that the space could be arranged with animation.

With each new challenge, we outlined the problem and asked Jack to find a way to tackle it. We were blown way by Jack’s ability to solve problems and his open mindedness and flexibility towards his work.

A fly through of the 18 alien models.

The alien models as part of 18 ALIENS at Beta X. Editing by Jonathan Fuilllet.

Each of the aliens had it own style of movement to represent it’s personality.

The second project was 18 ALIENS. This project had a tighter time limit. Jack worked quickly to create and animate 3D models based on sprites created by Jonathan Fuillet. Each alien was rigged to ‘breathe’ as well as having its own movement system.

Both of these projects were in some degree, experimental in nature but as Jack’s confidence developed he began to take this kind of work in his stride.

We wish Jack the very best of luck for the future. If you have potential work opportunities for Jack, you can contact him here. We have internship, collaboration and co-working opportunities for other outstanding creatives. If you are a young creative with an impressive folio then get in touch.

Graffio Arts 7/4/20 Graffio Arts 7/4/20

AGATA TOMASZEK'S DESIGN INTERNSHIP

DMU Graphics Student Agata Tomaszek joined us for an internship. Poetry of Form was the end destination for her- a range of work that deals with Modernism in architecture & typographic form.

DMU Graphics Student Agata Tomaszek joined us for a six week internship at the the Graffio Arts studio. We were really impressed with Agata's creative abilities and work ethic.

POETRY OF FORM

At the start of Agata’s internship we discussed her creative interests and worked with her to develop a project that would further her academic study. Poetry of Form was very much the cumulation of a lot of hard work combined with Agata's creative flair and vision.

Poetry of Form is a range of graphic art prints that deal with Modernism in architecture and typographic form. The functionalism of Modernism is contrasted with playful, humanising motifs that link the different sides of Agata's design practice.

It was a pleasure to have Agata in at the studio's for that six week period. We were really impressed with Agata's creative abilities and work ethic and Poetry of Form was very much the cumulation of a lot of hard work combined with Agata's creative flair and vision. The range was very well received, especially in the Trade, where we exhibited her work at the Spring Fair & Autumn Fair at Birmingham's NEC as well as Top Drawer, London.

INTERVIEW

What do you do and why do you do it?

There are many ways to answer this question but basically, I wish to capture what I’m amazed by. I absorb what surrounds me, process it in my head and put down on paper.

When did you first realise you had a creative ability?

I can’t recall that moment. Creating things was always an integrated part of my life. It obviously evolved throughout the years and was less or more important but it was always there.

Any other jobs that you've had other than Designer?

Since I’ve gone to college, I’ve been always working with children. I really love it! They never cease to amaze me with their creativity and they are a huge inspiration for me.

Anything in your childhood that inspired you to do what you do now?

I used to be involved in scouting for a very long time and it strongly influenced who I became and what I do now. When I was younger, I remember our leaders creating a kind of an alternative reality we could dive into after school. Everything was so magical! A few years later, I wish to continue sharing this impression with other people and introduce them to my perception of the world through my work.

What do you like most about your work?

I truly enjoy the process. I like to apply a solid research to every brief or project I undertake. It strongly stimulates my mind both creatively and intellectually. I also like the combination of knowledge and observation with the creative freedom given by experimentation.

What inspires you?

It’s tricky to define certain inspirations. I think I could say it’s the impressions, the feelings I get from the environment. Especially from cities. There is a concept of it being undiscovered, just like a maze. You can get lost and come back with a head full of new ideas. I think this is the most influential for me – just wandering around and observing.

What's essential to the work of any creative?

"Courage to share their true selves through art"

How do you decide when to stop, when your work's finished?

I usually start big and then try to simplify my final result. I finish when the outcome feels right and I can’t take away anything anymore. Although, I believe there’s a very thin line when it comes to final touches as it’s always possible to keep developing your work. Its potential is infinite.

Has your practice evolved over time?

Yes, of course! I have become more eager to experiment and express myself more through what I create.

Tell us about your internship project…

It was a great experience! So far, my design practice was very academic. Therefore, in the Graffio studio, I had an opportunity to make a step beyond this university border. I could keep counting its benefits but I think the most important thing is that I made sure I truly enjoy the career I chose. I should also mention the opportunity of my work being exhibited at NEC, Birmingham which was unforgettable!

If you could collaborate again what would you do ?

My collaboration project with Graffio Arts linked architecture with typography through digital collage. I would like to explore this technique more along with photography and attempt to capture places and architectural elements inspired by my travels and culture of places I’ve visited. That would be great!