Brooklyn-based artist Austin Lee is known for creating surreal abstract paintings that appear as if Gumby were to roam through a hallucinatory N64 video game. He utilizes AR and VR like a drawing pad to envision these bizarre environments to comment on the continuous story of art history, as well as probe into the positive and adverse effects that have resulted through the hybridization of technology with daily life. If gazing at his work wasn’t enough immersion, Lee announced that fans will now be able to traverse his uncanny worlds through a new online video game called “Sculpture Park.”
The digital realm was a way for Lee to showcase all his work in one place, where prickly colored spires, lounging figures and sprouting tulips appear as users journey across the chromatic landscape. “I think when we look back to our current moment it will feel so awkward doing everything through a tiny phone,” Lee previously told Hypeart, regarding the way in which human interaction is dictated through our devices. “A phone seemed like a gateway to this world but it certainly isn’t the best and last interface for digital interaction. I guess what scares me is how much advertising and propaganda will be indistinguishable from our lived experiences.”
For now, “Sculpture Park” is only available to download for Windows users, but Lee confirmed that a Mac version is in development.
