Josette Seitz: Pushing the Boundaries of Immersive Art with Looking Glass and Chimera AI
Meet Josette Seitz, an XR developer and artist pushing the boundaries of what's possible with 3D art
Meet Josette Seitz, an XR developer and artist pushing the boundaries of what's possible with 3D art. In this post, Josette shares her journey of transforming 2D artwork into immersive 3D experiences using Looking Glass displays, in collaboration with renowned artist Android Jones and his AI platform, Chimera AI.
Learn how Josette's passion for blending technology and art has led to the creation of mesmerizing holographic pieces that captivate audiences and redefine the future of artistic expression.
Briefly describe your art and the primary themes you explore through your work.
My artwork primarily aims to transform 2D artwork into a captivating 3D experience for artists. Coming from an XR background where 3D spatialized environments enhance immersion and allow better visualization, I have felt for years that improving physical and digital 2D art has been missed. In addition to my full-time role in Unity Development, I've been engaging in collaborative projects with non-technical artists across the Bay Area, Miami, Florida, and Colorado communities. Since 2017, I've been following the work of artist Android Jones and his VR platform, Microdose VR. Microdose VR is what inspired me to pursue a career as an XR Developer. By immersing myself in the tech art community, I became enlightened by their next project, Chimera AI. Immediately, I knew converting their renders from 2D to 3D would be jaw-dropping. I completed R&D on this use case with Chimera AI, and it was indeed gorgeous within the Looking Glass Portrait displays.
How did you first learn about Looking Glass, and what made you decide to incorporate them into your art?
I first saw Looking Glass when I was doing part-time XR work at AWE (Augmented World Expo) in 2018. I visited their booth and instantly knew I wanted to develop for this platform and became very excited when hearing about Looking Glass Factory's Unity SDK. In 2022, I had the opportunity to do R&D for the XR Media Lab at Accenture where Looking Glass was a part of this research. I was able to meet the Looking Glass team in person where they shared the release of Looking Glass Blocks in San Francisco, California. Unfortunately, due to burnout of corporate culture, I made the decision to depart in pursuit of other XR opportunities. I started to feel this sense of freedom as now I was able to explore art with Looking Glass properly on my own.
Can you share your initial thoughts and feelings the first time you saw your art in holographic form?
My initial reaction was sheer awe:
"This is incredible, beautiful magic- I must show this to the 2D art community!"
Back in November 2023, Sam Altman and Android Jones did a talk on "AI and The Future of Art". Here is where I received positive reactions to my artwork in collaboration with Chimera AI using a Looking Glass Portrait: AI AND THE FUTURE OF ART.
In my opinion, the intersection of AI and art can be a bit daunting, given the tug-of-war between technology and artistic integrity. With Chimera AI, a rendering tool created by artists, and by utilizing Looking Glass displays, these renders can enhance the immersive quality of the 3D art experience. For me, this project captures the essence of showcasing 'The Future of Art' in the most authentic and magical ways possible. It's been a beautiful journey of collaboration and creation.
Josette Seitz
How has the Looking Glass display influenced or changed your creative process?
Since seeing the display at AWE in 2018, I knew I would eventually feel at home with this XR platform. The blending of technology and art has truly become full circle in my journey, touching me on a deeply personal level. I feel honored and grateful to continue to develop remarkable and challenging art projects.
Creating and analyzing depth maps has helped my creative process, especially within the Unity SDK. This blog post - Depth Maps Best Practices- by Looking Glass was very helpful in understanding and using depth maps.
Chimera's generations and Josette's depth conversions shown on Looking Glass Portraits (Credit: Jon)
While using Blocks has been extremely efficient in my creative process, I discovered that certain renders could achieve a more captivating appearance with extra depth to be added. This is where the Unity SDK comes in; it enables me to develop a custom shader that adds more depth to the render. After importing the RGB render and its corresponding depth map in Unity, the creative process can become more enjoyable by incorporating custom Particle Systems to enhance the 3D art aesthetic.
One challenge for this particular collaboration with Android Jones/Chimera AI was making 3D renders for the 32" display. This marked my debut in crafting art for this larger display, requiring creative approaches to generate renders that seamlessly transitioned from portrait to landscape orientations. With the assistance of the custom shader I developed, alongside the Looking Glass Unity SDK and the 32" Emulator, the artwork displayed on the 32" became truly mesmerizing. Next, I'm eagerly anticipating integrating hand tracking with the Leap Motion controller to elevate 2D to 3D art to new heights. Be sure to stay tuned!
What has been your favorite project or piece to create with the Looking Glass, and why?
Hundreds of attendees at the Texas Eclipse Festival had the opportunity to see Josette's holograms of Chimera generative art renders (Credits: Josette / Jon)
My collaboration with Android Jones/Chimera AI stands out as the most exhilarating experience I've had with Looking Glass displays thus far. After showcasing at the Texas Eclipse Festival, I've encountered a variety of new mediums that I personally hadn't experienced before. When discussing with the team where the Looking Glass Portraits should go, I noticed the DJ booth didn't have any visuals behind them besides a large physical art piece done by Android Jones. In that moment, it dawned on me; placing the Portraits in front of the DJ booth would create a captivating experience, drawing attendees in at eye level towards the musicians. Now, they would not only be engaged with the musical artist but also immersed in the 3D artwork. I was amazed to find that the 3D renders I created were not just stunning up close, but from a distance, you could still view the pieces in a remarkable way.
The Multiversal Dome (Credit: Josette)
Displaying artwork on the 32" display in the Multiversal Dome at the Texas Eclipse Festival took the experience to a whole new enchanting level. Throughout the week, the event featured a series of engaging panel discussions with various speakers, an exclusive dinner, and captivating projections of Microdose VR both inside and outside the expansive Dome. As attendees walked inside the Dome, the 32" display always caught their eye, making them smile and stop for a closer look.