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A screen shot of the opening
stanza of the Virtual Crystal Cabinet
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Blake and the Virtual Cabinet
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The Virtual Crystal Cabinet could be described as a series
of three-dimensional digital installations, as a work of virtual sculpture
that blends and binds poetry with architecture, or as a series of
immersively illustrated pages. Regardless of the description, its
simple goal is to tell a story and to share wisdom. Like traditional
stories it, on the surface, follows a single narrative thread and
no amount of mouse clicking changes the outcome. Users typically do
find new relationships, new philosophic insights when they revisit
the Virtual Crystal Cabinet. This ability comes from the conceptual
density of the work. Credit for the deeply textural undertones and
for the effective merger of multiple modalities goes to the Crystal
Cabinet's author, Romantic poet William Blake. This paper addresses
the process of adapting Blake's poem "The Crystal Cabinet" into in
a virtual environment and the emergent relationship between his work
and the multimediated space within the computer screen.
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More than anyone before him, William Blake merged the written word,
the illuminated image and the profound thought into a unified vision
of the cosmos. His books, each written, illustrated and published
by Blake himself, are harbingers of the dynamic multimedia expressions
we, two hundred years later, are just beginning to explore. To view,
read and attempt to comprehend one of his works, one must accept Blake's
invitation to see the pages as an immersive environment and be able
to process it on many levels simultaneously. Like Stéphane Mallarmé's
construct of "The Book: Spiritual Instrument," Blake saw the page
as a musical score, poetic vision, artistic image and typographical
code (McGann 210). Furthermore, for Blake the separation between these
levels was an illusion caused by the rational and reasoned mindset
championed by men like Isaac Newton.
Upon reading, the multileveled text becomes a machine for executing
simultaneous orders upon the senses. Aroused and engaged, the viewer's
senses bring life to the page. In re-envisioning virtual space, we would
benefit by looking beyond the simplistic recreation of the physical
world and grow to understand it in a Mallarméan-Blakean fashion,
as a program that executes orders upon the senses. Within the virtual,
Blakean multileveled programming becomes multidimensional. From this
vantage point, the works of William Blake are a uniquely powerful departure
point for the exploration of virtual space. Compared with the conventional
works that seek to mirror reality or employ the virtual in support of
video game narratives, his works form a beachhead of compelling insight
for a new and undiscovered medium.
Blake is not a Game: Illustrated Page & Immersive Space
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Video games are the starting point for the general public's understanding
of virtual space (Grove & Williams 79). Unfortunately, video games
are a less than optimal staring point for examining William Blake.
Blake had an overwhelming desire to open the doors of perception,
"For man has clos'd himself up till he sees all things through the
narrow chinks of his cavern" (Blake 391).[1]
Blake's writings and images are a continuous battle against what he
saw as the grave shortcomings of the Industrial Revolution (mass production)
and the Age of Enlightenment (the dominance of scientific method).
Video game narratives and the manner in which they program the senses
are the product of mass production and scientific method. The video
game player interacts within a "narrow chink" of the possibilities
of virtual space. In practice, game narratives, those with theatrical
storylines, seek to emulate the physical world and only through pop
culture constructs of the superhero and/or the supernatural do they
offer any minor variant schema for viewer participation. Beneath the
surface of superhero and/or supernatural the functional imperatives
of typical narrative video games produce a medium mired in the "same
dull round" (Blake 3). Narrative video games are a mechanical reproduction
of reality whose underlying story is not meant to be deeply questioned.
Open interpretation of the narrative which drives a game leads the
user to confront the boundaries of the program. This confrontation
breaks the immersion of the virtual space and places the user outside
the world. The story is no longer believeable. The game programmers,
to borrow a phrase from McGann, code "reflexive works of analysis"(109).
They assess the beliefs of the user and suspend their disbelief in
a faux coded reality. Game programmers seek to create and maintain
this immersion, this illusion of the world. In contrast, William Blake
sought to break it. Yet within both the game space and the world itself,
after the illusion of reality is broken, a reality remains.
Beyond the reach of Newtonian time and space, the works of William
Blake can be seen as "an imaginative argument—an argument mounted
in works of imagination—against all non-performative styles of
interpretation. Interpretation of works of imagination called for responsive
works of imagination, not reflexive works of analysis." (McGann 109).
The new media adaptations of works by William Blake demand that affordances
of virtual space be brought to the forefront. The Virtual Crystal
Cabinet is a celebration of transgressed boundaries, an embrace
of poetic truth and vision over texture-mapped surfaces of an assumed
reality.
Navigation Without A Path
Blake pushes us further, beyond realistic looking space and into a
visionary landscape of his four-folded space. Creating this effect requires
more than a single expansive environment of realistic space can deliver.
To break space and guide time we turn to literary tradition. The narrative
of Blake's "Crystal Cabinet" is arranged by stanza. Extruding this into
the Virtual Crystal Cabinet, its seven stanzas operate in parallel
as individual conceptually focused environments as well as building
blocks within the larger philosophic structure. The navigation structure
is two-fold. For ease of reading, a simple set of forward and back buttons
appear after the manual navigation mode is selected. The use of forward
and back buttons within a three dimensional space opens the door to
a unique comparison to modes of navigation in written texts. In the
original "Crystal Cabinet", Blake likely acknowledged that the reader
might return to re-read parts of the text that were of specific interest
to the reader. Thumbing through pages and skimming paragraphs is a simple
task for books made of paper. In virtual environments and video games
there is no truly corresponding interaction. At best, some games allow
you to replay a level which perhaps compares to re-reading a chapter
in a book. As for page skimming, the game player/virtual viewer typically
has little choice but to move very fast.
The default navigation setting operates more like that of a first
time reader. They are immersed in the page and read every word one after
the other. After they have seen what is needed they can move on. The
default navigation is also rooted in Blake's own philosophy that a person's
actions shape their environment in ways beyond their own comprehension.
The default navigation schema forces the viewer on a crooked, unseen
path. The value of this over the secondary navigation schema's much
simpler straight-forward use of forward and back buttons also echoes
Blake: "Improvement makes straight roads, but the crooked roads without
Improvement, are roads of Genius" (Blake 38). The question of paths
arises in many other works by Blake, a fact noted by Dan Miller in the
introduction to Critical Paths: Blake and the Argument of Method.
Miller states that "the right way is all too easily taken over and altered,
so that the just man must pursue a pathless route." Extending a path
to follow into a metaphor of a method to follow, Miller ponders "if
there is a truly Blakean methodology . . . it may be best to approach
it tangentially. Some paths require detours."
To accomplish the "crooked roads," the Virtual Crystal Cabinet
default navigation schema uses a series of sensors and closed spaces
which offers navigational freedom, yet ensures the Blakean narration
be told. No hidden buttons need to be clicked. No amount of points must
be scored. No puzzles need to be solved. The user must simply engage
and explore worlds that are beyond their immediate control. The underlying
structure is relatively simple. The spaces are surrounded by a circular,
artistically image-textured outer wall. Second, the navigation incorporates
the viewers "distance from" and "visibility of" the centerpoint positioned
narrative elements or installations within the circular walled space.
The next stanza/virtual space emerges based upon the viewer's engagement
or disengagement with the narrative element(s) of the current stanza/virtual
space. This allows the viewer infinite paths which lead to a narrow
goal of seeing and contemplating a single multivalent element which
includes the text stanza of the poem. The Virtual Crystal Cabinet
employs a series of sensors that track the viewer's motion and direction
of viewpoint. The primary narrative content is located in the center
of the virtual space. Typically after the viewer has entered the center,
explored the narrative installation or element(s), gained a knowledge
of the installation and exited does the next virtual environment emerge
and replaces the earlier one. Subtle changes in sensor combinations
keep this effect from being obvious.
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With the philosophy of a "pathless route" as the default setting,
the act of realizing it within a virtual space, a space with potentially
infinite paths to follow is a difficult task. How does the viewer
travel through a series of virtual spaces in complete freedom and
still reach the end of the poem? The difficulty of this task demanded
the secondary forward and back button schema be implemented. The different
methods of navigating the stanzas create different user experiences
and relate to different reasons a viewer would be visiting the space.
The default, pathless route, setting subjugates the viewer. They must
travel the space and unwittingly see what the narrative dictates they
must see. They do not control their environment; in fact the opposite
is true. The environment through lures and walls controls them. Surprisingly,
this lack of control seems to further the realistic immersive feeling
of the space. Perhaps this is because much of the real world and certainly
the Blakean world, is equally beyond the control of the viewer. On
the other end of the spectrum, the forward and back button navigation
schema demotes the space from environment to interface. The world
is now much more at the command of the viewer. Traveling through the
stanzas can be immediately realized for no reason other than the viewers'
individual whims.
Seven Stanzas: Seven Worlds
The Crystal Cabinet's seven stanzas form a superstructure through
which the story elements can be interwoven, imagery can be overlaid
and deeper themes of Blakean thought can be embedded. Here we can look
to McGann's view that "strictly in terms of bibliographical codes, then,
poetical works epitomize a crucial expressive feature of textuality
in general: that it can be seen to organize itself in terms of various
relational segmentations and metasegmentations" (McGann 183). Within
the virtual, modalities mix and merge. Virtual text, imagery and animation
blend according to classic graphic design techniques as well as cognitive
theories behind human computer interaction. Metaphoric images and religious
symbols, hidden and obvious, run throughout each stanza producing effects
both subtle and dramatic. Combined, these elements become a shocking
unified whole in the service of William Blake.
| The Maiden caught me in the Wild
Where I was dancing merrily
She put me into her Cabinet
And Lockd me up with a golden Key |
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| This Cabinet is formd of Gold
And Pearl & Crystal shining bright
And within it opens into a World
And a little lovely Moony Night |
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| Another England there I saw
Another London with its Tower
Another Thames & other Hills
And another pleasant Surrey Bower |
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| Another Maiden like herself
Translucent lovely shining clear
Threefold each in the other closd
O what a pleasant trembling fear |
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| O what a smile a threefold Smile
Filld me that like a flame I burnd
I bent to Kiss the lovely Maid
And found a Threefold Kiss returnd |
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| I strove to seize the inmost Form
With ardor fierce & hands of flame
But burst the Crystal Cabinet
And like a Weeping Babe became |
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| A weeping Babe upon the wild
And Weeping Woman pale reclind
And in the outward Air again
I filld with woes the passing Wind |
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Independent, yet linked through the narrative, color scheme, re-use
of objects and the centerpoint positioning of the narrative elements,
these spaces produce a uniquely harmonic resonance with the viewer.
Shown above through a series of screen captures, the narrative progression
into the reality-breaking philosophy of William Blake becomes apparent.
The user is thrust out of the "cavern" through a "narrow chink" by the
words and images of this Blakean space and into a three-fold vision.
When the four-fold vision is sought, the Crystal Cabinet and the space
breaks. In the seventh and final stanza, the viewer is returned to the
original space in which they entered, the town square in London. This
London is exactly the same as the one the viewer first enters, yet with
a visionary difference. The viewer's experience has triggered a new
philosophically driven perception of London. The city is seen through
Blakean eyes.
Structuring, Transitioning and Metaphorical Entrenchment
The architecture of the seven environments which demark the seven
stanzas of Blake's Crystal Cabinet follows a progression from realistic
environment to abstract space. For the viewer, this creates a comfortable
introduction to the poem through an easily interpreted space. As the
poem continues, the environments steadily grow more abstract, more visionary
in nature. The gradual process serves to educate the viewer in stages
and enables them to make the cognitive connections needed to interpret
the poem despite the growing detachment from the superficial surface
qualities of realistic space.
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The transitions from one space to the next also follow a gradual
educational process. The initial realistic space, the town square
of London, appears on screen in a dynamic, almost filmic, manner.
The town square and the central image of woman with key expands on
the x and z axes and then rises up along the y axis. The user is then
asked to navigate a realistic appearing space, but, via the filmic
introduction, the user understands it to be more than real.
The second stanza brings a simple change to the environment: the
woman and the key are replaced by the Crystal Cabinet model. Stanza
three features the opening of the cabinet. It swallows the user, and
there, inside the Crystal Cabinet model, the viewer is placed above
and outside of another London. Throughout the remaining stanzas, the
transitions grow more abrupt. This is especially true of the transition
through the tumultuous fourth, fifth and sixth stanzas. The only element
used to ease the viewer's transition from stanza three to four and from
stanza six to seven is a grey-toned, stylized image of the horizon that
forms the panoramic background graphic in these stanzas.
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Conceptually, the progressively changing and flexible nature of
virtual space matches up well with the text of the Crystal Cabinet
and with the thought of William Blake. The viewer enters the space
and interprets it through a "narrow chink" of reality. Casting aside
reality and exposing the visionary nature of virtual space, the passionate
laws that govern human nature are exposed. Floating images, metaphorical
objects and dynamic texts are woven within vine-like structures in
direct reference to Blake's use of the illustrated page. In the final
stanza the viewer returns to realistic space. Yet reality is no longer
what it was. The viewer's experience now allows him/her to see a world
which naïve eyes had believed to be stable, entrenched and unyielding,
is actually in a state of constant flux. The city moves; the structures
of man turn. This motion is powered not by some outside Newtonian
force, but by the human spirit and human desire. Beyond the reach
of an industrial age, a four-fold vision stands against the science
and the notion of progress. This is not to say that science or progress
lack value; it is only that which is most important, that which is
central to understanding humanity, remains constant. The visual representation
of constancy is found in the slowly animating photographic image of
our male "stand in" for Blake, which in the first two stanzas is semi-transparently
mapped onto the walls of London. His position in the seventh stanza
is exactly the same as in the first two stanzas.
The objects, images and animations within Virtual Crystal Cabinet
are an open-ended invitation for the viewer to make his/her own metaphorical
connections to the philosophy of William Blake. While the virtual designer's
intended metaphoric meanings may not match with the interpreted meanings
produced by the viewer, the overall richness of the Virtual Crystal
Cabinet supports a Blakean perspective on the work. The levels of
meaning vary from relatively straight-forward constructs such as the
image of the woman as representative of the maiden within Blake's text
to more abstract comparisons such as the golden key being the equivalent
of the poem's male character's genitalia. The Crystal Cabinet itself
can be interpreted as metaphor for a woman's vagina. Given Blake's own
admission in Milton that the "sexual is threefold," the vagina
metaphor seems appropriate. In the Virtual Crystal Cabinet the
cabinet is utilized as sexual object and is subtly texture mapped with
elements from a naked woman. In the seventh, final stanza the cabinet
is laid on its back and metaphorically becomes a womb from which the
"babe" is born. Pushing the boundaries of sexual innuendo is the "Surrey
bower" in stanza three. Technically, a bower is a depression in the
earth similar to, but smaller than a valley. With the sexual nature
of the Crystal Cabinet accepted, the "Surrey bower" may also carry a
vaginal interpretation. The Virtual Crystal Cabinet responds
to the duality by overlaying an image of a valley landscape from Surrey,
England and compositing it with a lap of a naked woman.
The relationships between the religious and the sexual metaphors
are strikingly obvious. For example, the images of the maiden often
feature a strategically placed apple. Clearly this becomes a reference
to Eve, the first woman, the first mother. As Blake's text of the "Crystal
Cabinet" doesn't mention Eve or religion specifically, the use of the
apple and its potentially implied meaning, that the Crystal Cabinet
poem mirrors Adam's fall, is left in the hands, or mouse of the viewer.
In the middle stanzas, a rotating Leaf/Flame/Wave object/element
is introduced. This object was taken from Blake's America where
it is colored as a leaf. Seeing the need to represent the three-fold
vision and noting that the shape of the leaf also resembled the shape
of Blake's flames, a strategy was concocted. The one object can be seen
as three elements: Leaf, Fire, Water. To produce this effect the object
is rotated and its colors change Leaf (Green), Fire (Red), Water (Blue).
Correspondingly seen as Blake's three-fold philosophy that coincides
with the three-fold kiss in the poem. Viewers, when asked about this
Leaf/Flame/Wave object typically respond that it is a "dinosaur" or
an "aardvark." This misinterpretation may seem to be a serious problem
as dinosaurs were not a popular subject for Blake, but it is not for
the simplest of reasons. Abstract shapes are not typically interpreted
until called into question. The viewer had been pulled from the immersive
experience and asked – what is this shape? Confronted by a need to answer
they reach outward for the nearest compatible form, in this case a "dinosaur"
or an "aardvark." Had they not been asked, the object would have remained
abstract and through the general rules of visual design still been elementally
supportive of the virtual installation. Perhaps after viewing some Blakean
imagery within a help window, the three-folded meaning may become clear.
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The potential to embed meanings that even the most experienced Blake
scholar would miss becomes apparent in the first stanza. The vine-like
elements in the black fence are taken directly from Blake's "Holy
Thursday" in Songs of Experience. The vine-like element in
the gold rings that flow through the maiden are taken from Blake's
"Holy Thursday" in Songs of Innocence. This sets the stage
for a Blakean cyclical construction of a person's innocent birth,
the gaining of experience through action and for Blake the end goal
of regaining innocence. In the first stanza the viewer enters the
world innocent, through action gains experience (traveling past the
gates of experience) and perceives a goal of a regained and also maintained
innocence. In the seventh stanza the male character presented as Blake
is, by virtue of love and lost, reborn a "Weeping Babe" and is ringed
by the elements of innocence.
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Loosely speaking, a generic sender-message-receiver model of communication
has been utilized in the creation of this space. The primary break
from this model stems from the fact that the receiver via the navigation
process through the virtual space becomes self-sending. Furthermore
any consistent preferences or styles in movement, such as taking short
choppy steps, making long flowing arcs, being stuck on walls or even
in how narrative elements are approached, creates a singular, viewer-dependent
style of texturalizing the messages being sent. This often causes
the act of self-sending to be self-reinforcing in terms of the narrative
message. The viewer's actions create a visual narrative, similar to
that of watching a film, yet in a virtual space, it is individually
tuned by movement and action.
Film Connections and Conventions
This movement into the unknown of Blakean space pushes the viewer
and also virtual developer into new territory. The shock of the new
tends to create gaps in interpretation, gaps that damage the narrative
power of the work. Second, philosophies, elements and styles of some
other medium must be employed to bridge the interpretive gap between
the Blakean page and the virtual space. Third, this common medium also
serves as a philosophical and creative ground to structure the elements
of the narrative. Because of this, part of the process of adapting Blake's
poetry into three dimensions begins with film and film theory. Cinema
is a multileveled experience, an experience that sets a world of Blakean
principles in motion.
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Film makers accept the mediated nature of their medium. Through
shooting, editing and filmic narrative techniques, laws of time/space
and the rules of nature bend to the will of the director. The story
takes precedence over preserving the reality. Technology allows the
filmmaker considerable power to deliver a narrative story. The filmmaker
is, within the boundaries of the screen, in complete control of time
and space. In contrast, the designer of virtual space is in complete
control of space, but not time. Time is in the hands of the viewer.
The viewer, through movement, controls the order and pace of the narrative.
In this context, a designer of virtual environments uses space to
negotiate time with the user. Because of this, every element within
the virtual space has a direct or indirect association with time.
In realistic looking spaces, pathways and walls directly imprint the
designer's concept of time upon a space. The use of boundaries effectively
pushes the viewer, while color, sound and animation can be employed
to pull the viewer through space. This use of space to push and pull
the viewer is, as previously stated, the process through which narrative
time is negotiated. On this level, narrative video games and narrative
virtual spaces are quite similar.
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The break from game theory stems from the fact that underlying game
narrative is more often than not a narrow goal of salvation achievable
by the correct series of mouse clicks. The generic plot line of three
dimensional video games allows for simple, almost filmic, conventions—classical
narration schema employ strategies for manipulating the viewer's perspective
to fit a limited linear story timeline and story duration featuring
unrealistic expanses and compressions of time. Unlike a video game's
tightly programmed use of space in support of an excessively obvious
plot, Blake's work demands a more open way of thinking about spatializing
narrative. Blake deftly jumps through time and space, motivated by
the desire to have the viewer discover "the universe in a grain of
sand." It is this simple goal, the act of discovery that all the diverse
elements of Virtual Crystal Cabinet seek to support. Like Blake's
own illustrated pages, the complexity of this act is, in some respects,
hidden by the unity of the design.
Unifying and Concluding
The metaphorical, design and theoretical complexity of the Virtual
Crystal Cabinet is extensive, yet harmonious. The underlying key
is simply visual balance and the application of color in accordance
with Japanese Color Theory. Impure, unsaturated colors become moderating
tones that serve to segment, balance and harmonize the more brilliant
colors that run through-out this project. The primary moderating tones
used are a simple combination of warm and cool grays. These harmonousily
colored structures are then organized within a circular boundary and
through the consistently centerpointed location of narrative elements.
In effect, the x,y,z location of the main elements of the story remain
the same. They emerge or vanish from the same general location. The
manner of their entrance/exit varies, but these variations are in line
with the narrative of each stanza. On the other side of the design spectrum,
Blake's three-folded vision harmonizes the virtual adaptation. Like
Blake's original work, the overarching theme of innocence, experience
and regaining one's innocence lies as a conceptual foundation for the
work. Multiple levels of the Virtual Crystal Cabinet touch upon
this point. The ability to envision virtual space through youthful yet
experienced eyes is a requirement for its continued advancement.
The Virtual Crystal Cabinet demonstrates the power of virtual
space and the ability to fold meaning and metaphor inside an explorable
environment. Finding a philosophical kinship within Blakean perspectives
we are able look at the virtual world anew. Finding the future within
the past we set a foundation upon an earlier artist, poet, and visionary
and set the stage for a greater understanding of the medium. The Virtual
Crystal Cabinet is not a game; it is poetry that surrounds, a painting
become journey, a realization of the philosophy of William Blake.
Technology, Project Team and Contributors
The work shown is created in VRML, Virtual Reality Modeling Language.
A VRML plugin is required, also the RealPlayer plugin. Two VRML plugins
are listed. (Experience with VRML is recommended). Choose the Contact
plugin if you have a Pentium 3 PC or slower & you do NOT wish to view
other works by Mr. Guynup. The Cortona plugin requires a faster PC (Mr.
Guynup's work is developed for it). Cortona has a Mac version, but it
works very poorly for this very complex project. It is greatly suggested
that if you are unfamiliar with VRML that you explore smaller works first.
These can be found on Mr. Guynup's website or on the VRML plugin website.
Also note that a web3d help menu is accessible on the lower HTML portion
of the Virtual Crystal Cabinet interface
Audio: RealPlayer - <http://www.real.com/>
VRML: Contact – <http://developer.blaxxun.com/download/index.html>
VRML: Cortona – <http://www.parallelgraphics.com/products/>
Virtual Crystal Cabinet (Contact Version) <http://www.pd.org/~thatguy/crystal_blaxxun/index.html>
Virtual Crystal Cabinet (Cortona Version)
<http://www.pd.org/~thatguy/crystal/index.html>
Other works by Mr. Guynup <http://www.pd.org/~thatguy>
Authors
William Blake — Original Author
The majority of credit must be directed towards the continuing power
and visionary legacy of William Blake. We are grateful for the ability
to use his work and project it forward into the new virtual media.
Steve Guynup — Artist / Programmer <steve_guynup@hotmail.com>
One of the most controversial developers of virtual spaces in the world,
Steve's works confront ideas and issues that represent the bleeding edge
of three dimensional design. An eight year veteran in Web3D, he has presented
at SIGGRAPH in 1998,1999 and 2000, won awards from Blaxxun and the Contact
Consortium, and recently worked with 1996 Ars Electronica winner Andy
Best on his Iceborg Project. Currently he is pursing a PhD in Communication
at Georgia State University.
Ron Broglio — Project Advisor <rbroglio@earthlink.net>
An assistant professor in 18th century literature in Georgia Tech's
School of Literature, Communication and Culture, Ron is a boundary breaking
scholar who uses new media not to reinvent or reinterpret the past, but
to reestablish it. He holds a PhD in Romanticism and Literary Theory from
the University of Florida and a Masters in British Literature from Boston
College.
Kyle Carlson — Blakean Consultant
Teacher, multimedia artist & poet, Kyle holds degrees in both Physics
and English Literature. He has an abiding interest in any aspect of technology
that can be used to build community.
Thomas Tulis — Photographer
Painter and photographer, has been living in Atlanta for the past six
years. His photographs have been shown and sold from the street corners
of New York City to its Museums such as the Museum of Modern Art to the
Brooklyn Museum and all places in between, at least on the East coast.
His paintings, which are the mainstay of his creative-ness, have garnered
him no public, critical, or financial support.
Deidre Lynn Curry — Model
Deidre is a long-time player in Atlanta's art scene. A published poet
and respected (and occasionally feared) performance artist she takes her
art with her where ever she goes. (Usually to the surprise and delight
those around her.)
Jah Wobble — Audio <http://www.30hertzrecords.com/jahwobbl.htm>
Cast on to the desolate streets of Stepney at 18 and into the nascent
Public Image Ltd. (PIL), Jah Wobble was fundamental in shaping the virulent
nihilism of punk into sonic and melodic extremes that evoked everything
from dub reggae to Stockhausen.
The selections of audio in this project are taken from Wobble's 1996
The Inspiration of William Blake CD. It is best described by Paul
Johnson's review of the re-released album in March 2001 for Uncut
One cockney mystic honours another as Jah Wobble's imaginative
setting of William Blake's mystical verses to atmospheric dub soundscapes
from 1996 receives a timely re-release to coincide with The Tate Gallery's
Blake season. Reggae's trance-like spatial qualities, mixed with elements
of Western electronica, counterpoint Blake's eccentric spiritualism perfectly
(the apocalyptic world views of Rastafarianism having much in common with
Blake's own mystical anarchism), while Wobble's East End drawl roots the
verse's 19th century language firmly in the present.
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