about me, my studies, and my research
I grew up in the 1970's and 1980's, born alongside personal computers and video games. My father, a vocational school teacher of everything from building trades to computer-aided design(CAD), had always been interested in computers, and I was lucky to have one in my house early in my life. As a result, I learned basic computer programming, worked with early graphics and animation software, and played numerous computer games in my youth. As computer graphics improved in games, and movies began featuring CG characters, my interest grew. I wanted to be able to create the things I saw in movies and games, but at that time the hardware, software, and technical skills required were beyond me, so as I grew up I was creative in other ways -- through music, drawing, sculpture, photography, and writing -- and I played a lot of video games.
Eventually I decided to pursue a degree in art, and I began working toward my Bachelor of Fine Arts exploring many different artistic disciplines and media. My first years of undergraduate work provided a solid foundation in two-dimensional design, drawing, color theory, art history and photography. As I progressed, I focused more on painting, but I maintained an interest in photography and enrolled in advanced classes accordingly. I enjoyed working with cameras and taking photographs, but I felt extremely frustrated and limited in the darkroom -- that all changed when I took a class in "digital imaging" and was introduced to Photoshop.
Learning Photoshop was a life-changing experience for me. Finally I could accomplish what I was trying to do in the darkroom, and I could treat my photographs more like paintings. Photoshop made me realize I could truly use a computer to create art, and it opened a floodgate to other ways of working with digital media. My interest in photography led me to work with video, and I fell in love with the moving image. I took a 2d computer animation class (using Director) and started combining 2d animation with photographic images, then with the advent of consumer video digitizing equipment and personal computers fast enough to edit video, I began to work with scanned images, photographs, video, sound, and text simultaneously. It was at that point I knew I wanted to be a multimedia artist.
I started thinking about multimedia and researching new technologies, including CD-ROM and the Web, which had just begun to be explored by artists. I started looking at what other people had done, especially in the genre of artist-created CD-ROMs (e.g. Laurie Anderson's Puppet Motel) and, in particular, the interactive entertainment title MYST. I learned how to develop websites and began playing with interaction, at first using traditional methods (e.g. keyboard and mouse), but then learning how to employ other means of interaction via custom-built electronics (e.g. motion detectors). In my final years of undergraduate work, I focused on sound design, performance with real-time multimedia systems, and multimedia installations.
After receiving my BFA, my interest in interactive multimedia art and my love of video games merged into a single, driving passion. The concept of interaction became vital to my work, and I began to research game engine technology and it's application in creating multimedia art. I started attending International Game Developers Association meetings, and applying for jobs at game development studios. I joined a group of individuals working on a game set for commercial release, taking on the role of Sound Designer and User Interface Designer, and learned how to build "mods" using the Unreal engine. I started reading up on game design and game theory. I began thinking more critically about games, and at some point I realized that video games represented a fascinating genre of multimedia art, with a unique set of challenges I found especially intriguing, from the mechanics of gameplay to the design of audiovisual elements.
Working collaboratively, game artists, designers, and developers surmount the challenges of video game creation in innovative and creative ways, collectively sharing their vision to create alternate realities and immersive experiences. It is my desire to contribute my own skills, ideas, and artistic vision to the creation of these unique works of art.