Day Trip is a series of objects one might need on a day out. They are made from the dried and finished bacterial mat that is a byproduct of brewing kombucha, creating a tough yet pliable leather substitute.
Role: Artist.
Scope: Grew sheets of SCOBY in vats then dried them and rubbed them down with coconut oil. Created a digital pattern and then laser cut the bioleather, stitching them into a series of useful objects.
Subverse Industries started as an experiment melding high technology with traditional handcraft to create inventive luxury goods serving a perceived opening in the growing domestic and international festival scene. Sidestepping the traditional drawbacks of large-scale manufacturing outfits, Subverse leveraged technology like commercial laser cutters to apply the principles of maker culture to the creation of polished, professional-looking leather goods from a small studio.
Role: Co-Founder, Designer, and Retail Show Coordinator
Scope: Aggressively studied contemporary festival fashion trends, implementing designs quickly with an eye for commercial viability and ease of manufacturing. Plotted the businesses retail strategy, including expanding into new markets and making important industry connections.
A standalone narrative exhibit inside an immersive art festival, taking the form of a field archeology museum for a fictional lost civilization. Attendees browsed multimedia exhibits depicting important “historical” artifacts.
Role: Project Lead and Designer
Scope: Built out structure interior, including ten freestanding flats that acted as the walls for the museum space. Modified and fabricated art objects, designed exhibits and displays, and directed the creation of informational text.
Photo credit: Chayna Girling
A persistent immersive environment that served as the backdrop for a multi-day private event. Participants were invited to inhabit a banal pastel version of hell, but beneath its hedonistic exterior lay something sinister.
Role: World Deco Team lead
Scope: Created four floors of art, as well as the three staircases in between them and one satellite installation. The project featured horn and eyeball archways, macabre stuffed animal taxidermy, and dozens of laser cut rococo frames.
Photo credit: Chayna Girling and Trevor Tarin
A multi-day immersive hotel party featuring two stage shows and numerous interspersed vignettes.
Role: Properties Master
Scope: Collaborated with Theater Director and Narrative Producers to create many unique props for stage and walk-about interactions, including nine keys that played critical roles in the narrative and a 20x20ft canvas for live on stage body painting.
Photo credit: Trevor Tarin and Chayna Girling
This manned installation took the form of an emotional energy based “power station.” Collaborators played scientists who spouted technobabble woo and encouraged participants to “channel” their negative energy to feed the crystal batteries. The installation incorporated spacial mapping using HTC Vive technology and responsive light and soundscapes.
Role: Environment Designer and Fabrication Lead
Scope: Worked closely with Project Lead to create the interactive installation and room decor. 3D modeled, laser cut, and constructed acrylic crystals. Sculpted handles for HTC Vive trackers. CNC routed platform. Created a coherent “brand” image, including logo design.
Photo credit: Chayna Girling
An immersive environment installation featuring a ranger station for a fictional nature preserve and a stable-like structure. The room was divided by a moving hinged wall, that changed the shape of the space over the course of several days. The ranger station included an interactive diorama which six different artists collaborated on to provide a seamless experience for participants. Incorporating laser cut craft, hand done sculpture, raspberry pis, and custom soundscapes, this exhibit was viewed over 500 individual times, by nearly 1,000 participants over 48 hours.
Role: Build Lead, Primary Artist
Scope:
Photo credit: Evan Stiles, Chayna Girling, Arianna Feldman
