Master’s of fine arts student Amy Traylor’s art exhibit, “Making House,” imagines new futures where women are able to create their own realities through computer coding. The exhibit showcases textiles, prints, 3D projections and a virtual reality experience.
At the exhibit’s opening reception on Feb. 1 at the University of New Mexico’s Center for Fine Arts (CFA) Downtown Studio, gallery attendees were able to experience Traylor’s reality in many forms.
“Everything in the room is made with code,” Traylor said.
Upon walking in, the viewer is greeted with vaguely psychedelic, geometric textiles including t-shirts, pillows and beautifully stitched baby-quilts. Also showcased are metal wall hangings, which from far away, looked like soft, warm designs, but up-close revealed intricate detail and geometric shapes and lines.
As one of her inspirations, Traylor took from advertisements directed at women in the 1960-70s that marketed a perfect domestic life to women.
“What would've happened instead of marketing stoves to women, (they) would’ve marketed computers?” Traylor said of the advertisements.
The metal wall hanging showcased on the exhibit flyer is a testament to the intricacies of Traylor’s artwork, while the softer, circular patterns showcased on some of the textiles reveal a much more soft, yet equally captivating version of her digital art.
“I’m gonna remake world, remake everything through the computer,” Traylor said.
Once it is realized that everything in the room is computer generated, the intricacies of the prints, softness the textile design and the idea of a computer-generated, yet delicate baby quilt feel much more interconnected.
A focal point in the exhibit is the virtual reality experience, which Traylor said showcases the “engine” or “appliance” of her world, including a box from which many other forms of digital art emerge.
Traylor said that the medium of virtual reality helps her to create a more integrated, virtual and digital environment to showcase her artwork.
Of the virtual reality experience, attendee Rev Tsolwizar noted the surreal feeling of depth in Traylor’s work.
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“Everything is very spatial,” Tsolwizar said. “You can feel the space in a totally three dimensional way.”Traylor said that everything in the exhibit is connected and interwoven, and it is all generated from her creation of a custom software.
Traylor’s ultimate goal in her artwork is to facilitate “moving in an out of space that is more interwoven.” Virtual reality is a tool that helps Traylor achieve that.
In showcasing her world, Traylor hopes to inspire others to create through coding.
“More people need to code,” Traylor said. As a teacher, she encourages all, but especially UNM students who already have access to an excellent program, to try coding.
Traylor’s exhibit will be displayed at UNM’s CFA Downtown Studio until Feb. 9.
Sophia Sambrano is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted by email at culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @sambsoph.
