Project #3: Final

Project Statement

For my final project, I created an immersive projection-mapping installation titled Altar to Death and Devotion. The installation takes the form of a precariously balanced “house of cards,” constructed from objects and materials sourced from my painting studio. The structure consists of painted panels, three large stretched canvases and two smaller ones made from linen and burlap, all primed with clear gesso. This unique priming technique allows light from a central lamp to shine through the canvases, creating a warm, diffused glow that seeps through the gaps and illuminates the work from within. The canvases rest upon on personal ephemera, such as wooden boxes, plastic containers, and glass bottles. These peripheral materials reinforce the fragile and transient themes of the piece.

The paintings themselves feature abstract oil compositions, with rectilinear forms reminiscent of backstage surveillance monitors. These frames became focal points for synchronized projections, displaying a rich tapestry of images and graphics. The projections include sound-activated visuals that respond to ambient noise, animated references to cartoons like SpongeBob SquarePants and Betty Boop, and depictions of found and collected objects from my studio—sacred figurines, toys, and other muses. Together, these layered elements transform the installation into a dynamic and colorful shrine, celebrating the intersection of my physical creative processes and virtual inspirations.

This project explores the interplay between my analog and digital personal life, with the structure’s fragility contrasting against the precision of the projection mapping. The three-dimensional form and layered imagery challenge viewers’ perceptions of space, creating a magical, almost bewildering environment. Altar to Death and Devotion elevates the ordinary into the extraordinary, reflecting my ongoing exploration of devotion, nostalgia, and the ephemeral nature of creation.