Portopia

I was one of 12 artists who contributed work for Portopia, an immersive art installation experience in the historic Torchlight Pass building in downtown Middletown, Ohio, sponsored by the Middletown Visitors Bureau. My room installation consisted of a projected animation and illustrative wall decals.

The theme of Portopia was to "transport visitors to another dimension, one of wonder and delight, through art and creativity." In my animation, entitled "Escape", the character enters a portal through his video game into a fantastical story exploring the existential quest for utopia. But does it exist? Stylistically, I wanted the animation to look like an old school video game, which was achieved through pixel animation and hand-drawn illustrations. Illustrations of the characters were printed large-scale on adhesive vinyl and installed on the walls of the room to create an immersive experience.