Date of Award

2018

Document Type

MA Project - Restricted Access (SIA Only)

Project Type

MA Project - Business Plan

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Art Business

First Advisor

Melanie Marino

Abstract

Through virtual reality (VR), “The Painter’s Eye” will provide a window into the Dutch Golden Age in 17th century, Netherlands. The experience will follow the lives of renowned portraitist Rembrandt van Rijn and esteemed painter and storyteller, Jan Steen. The player will be able to interact and learn through a role-play game (RPG) experience. Participants are able to select a character role such as the artist’s apprentice, the muse, or a commissioner. This experience will transport users back in time to understand the craftsmanship, skill and education it takes to create a painting. In addition, it will teach participants what exactly to look for when examining a portrait or genre scene, and what it was like to live in the Dutch Golden Age.

Information and dialogue will be conveyed through the side of the screen with every interaction, whether with another human or with an object. These descriptions will explain their significance and purpose. For example, the interaction with another person such as the apprentice, would be to make sure the making of the colors is correct.

This VR experience intends partner with The Long Museum to add to their education initiative and create a portal for Western art in to the East. After debuting at the Long Museum as part of their permanent collection, “The Painter’s Eye” will take place as a pop-up experience in Shanghai and Hong Kong in upscale shopping malls to target young and affluent collectors. Furthermore, it hopes to be an opportunity to allow shoppers to learn and explore art at their own leisure. By partnering with the Long Museum, this will allow funding, connections and access to all the top technology, art institutions and companies in the China. The partnership between the Long Museum would allow them to be in the coming movement of art and technology.

Western Art History is a subject that is widely incorporated in American and European education, but is absent in China. Nowadays, many Chinese collectors and young adults have their primary and secondary education in China, and go abroad for their university degree, missing out the opportunity to become exposed to Western art. “The Painter’s Eye” hopes to be used as platform to educate how the Old Masters genre has set the foundation of a lot of contemproary art.

Futhermore, this interactive VR experience intends to be a tool to allow local Chinese visitors to experience what it was like to live in the 17th century Netherlands, and the intricacy of the artwork that set has influenced many contemporary artworks today that they are buying. Not only does this want to target the local Chinese population, but this project hopes to reach the staggering amount of foreigners in Shanghai and Hong Kong. Therefore, “The Painter’s Eye” must be in both English and Mandarin, and could benefit to also be in Japanese and Korean. Old Masters about how this genre has set the foundation for modern and contemporary art.

Download

Share

COinS