Project Update

I started gathering the materials I would need to assemble this piece. I ordered a 10×10″ acrylic mirror mirror from amazon and got a 10X10″ acrylic sheet from the BTU Lab on campus. This acrylic will sit on top of the mirror, and I will be painting characters from old early 2000s video games. My aesthetic for this project is the Early Virtual Aesthetic, the early virtual aesthetic is characterized by the deliberate use of low-polygon, pixelated designs and intentionally artificial visuals. It draws from the technological limitations of early 3D video games, where blocky models and simple textures were often the norm. Rather than seeing these characteristics as flaws, this aesthetic celebrates them, emphasizing their nostalgic and artistic value. I will also be trying to achieve a maximalist aesthetic by having organized chaos with the placement of the characters I paint, oriented around the acrylic in facing different ways,  almost like the characters are floating around in space. I will be painting on the acrylic and not directly on the mirror because the acrylic between the mirror and the paint adds a cool affect when looking at the mirror from different angles. I got some LED strip lights from amazon, that I will go within the the acrylic frame, and It will have an ultra sonic sensor that will sense when a viewer approaches and turn on the lights when they do. There are multiple parts I need to make the sensor work with the lights. I will need a power source which will either be an outlet or a 9V battery, this will connect to an Arduino which will control the sensor and the lights.

Here are my concept drawings that I traced on to the acrylic with a pen that I will be adding color and vibrance to with paint pens, and some other materials.

Initial sketches:

Sketches on Acrylic and mirror:

Paint Pens and Acrylic siding:

My sketches where inspired by an instagram post I saw from @welcome.jpeg, who also post blogs about innovative designs and alternative aesthetics. Their post on early virtual aesthetics is something I stumbled upon and inspired my initial Idea to base this projects aesthetic around. I also gained a lot of inspiration off of games that I used to play as a kid, to add that nostalgic feel that I want this piece to have as well. Games like Lego Star Wars, Mario Kart, and Grand Theft Auto III were all games I chose characters from. The side pieces are orange and will have the LED lights placed along them, I am trying to decide if I want the side pieces to be walls that separate the acrylic from the mirror, or if the side pieces act more as a frame, and the acrylic with the paint is placed directly on the mirror with the side pieces surrounding them. Something I’m also thinking about is whether I actually even add color to all of the characters, I really like the way the line work is reflected on the mirror and adds for a trippy perspective when looking at the mirror from different angles. I think this absence of color actually adds to the maximalist aesthetic because of the way its reflected, it makes the characters hard to focus on, and creates an interesting illusion.