Virtual reality puts you in the picture
Artworks are a blend of traditional and digital media
A colourful new exhibition of paintings that uses virtual reality to draw viewers in has opened at Paisley’s uni.
The University of the West of Scotland is hosting the show by award-winning Polish artist D. O. M., whose real name is Dominika Zurawska.
Dubbed My Queendom, it is described by the artist as being “an act of finding your true identity and becoming a confident, self-aware woman”.
Dominika’s paintings use both traditional art media with virtual reality, where visitors to the exhibition can don a special visor and interact with the works.
The artist worked with UWS Lecturer Theo Tzanidis to create a “proof of concept” which aims to “change art and its possibilities as we know it”.
They created a framework which uses vitual reality and social network theories to trial a new approach to sharing artistic experiences.
The aim, they say, is to change the way the art market and community experience, value and buy art, and will allow the viewer to enter the artist’s world, and become part of the artistic process and even venture inside the painting.
Dominika said: “I once said that paintings should say ‘Stop! Look at me!’, they should attract, seduce and make people lose sense of time, at least for a short moment.
“I think with the #IntimateArt VR project we are ticking all of these boxes.”
Dominka’s work has been exhibited in a number of countries across the world, including Poland, Italy, France, Spain and the United States.
A career highlight saw a painting by her of pop star Madonna winning the singer’s approval.
Professor Craig Mahoney, principal and vice-chancellor of UWS, said: “We are so pleased to be hosting our second exhibition with artist D.O.M.
“She is incredibly talented and well- known across the world and so it is a real honour to be exhibiting her work once again here at our Paisley Campus.
“At UWS we are committed to empowering women – as seen through our Inspiring Women lecture series – and this is another example of how the university celebrates and champions women alongside the creative arts.
“We are encouraging as many people as possible to come along and see her artwork while it’s on display.”
Paintings should attract, seduce and make people lose sense of time