Beyond the Frame: Inside the Garden at Takao

The Boise State Stein Luminary is an interactive, immersive museum focusing on cultural exhibitions and the visual and performing arts. One of the projects we made for the Luminary was "Beyond the Frame," an AR art viewing exhibit where a guest could look at artwork and see an artist's interpretation of what might be happening beyond the frame. I was given Hasegawa Sadanobu's "Inside the Garden at Takao" to expand. The most difficult part of this assignment was matching the art style. The artwork is an ink-on-paper woodblock print, so there were many textures and overlapping colors to keep in mind. I studied Sadanobu's other work and the work of his contemporaries to make sure I understood the style. That way, even if I happened to misread his own work, my additions would still fit within the ukiyo-e style of the time. Adding my own interpretation to an influential, historical artist's work was a wonderful experience. I loved looking into the art of Edo-Period Japan and hopefully made others curious about it as well.