In any rock concert, visuals are an important element in shaping the overall experience for viewers, amplifying the crescendos of the songs and bringing the narrative behind the lyrics alive.

In what is their last tour, British rock band Deep Purple had a set list of approximately 17 songs that they would play in their Long Goodbye Tour 2017 shows.

And based on her experience working with set visual projections and engaging with well-known clients to achieve their visions, the project was entrusted to an upcoming Malaysian artist Jamie Tan who is from Kuala Lumpur.

“It was a honour to not only create engaging art that would be shown in arenas around the world, but also to be able to represent one of my father's favourite bands,” the 25-year-old told the Star Online.

To conceptualise the visual story conveyed through the animations, Tan, who is based in Los Angeles, listened intently to each of the songs.

She crafted over 15 animated loops for six of Deep Purple’s hits including Strange Kind of Woman, Hush, Highway Star, Lazy, Space Truckin' and their classic Smoke on the Water.

Besides Deep Purple, Tan has done creative designs for names like Jennifer Lopez, John Legend, Miss America and even Google.

She's also had her work displayed at the Museum of Contemporary Art in LA.

To her, these "narrative" experiences often tell of her struggles with displacement in a new culture and a sense of identity that is straddled between Malaysia and America.

Tan had to move away from her family to fulfil her career; learning to be independent and fearless, whether it was starting a company or obtaining a visa to stay in the country.

“There was no one to lay out my path for me so I had to take the initiative to seek the answers myself.

“I made a lot of mistakes, took many steps back, but I have always held strong clarity in the direction I'm going, even if the destination remains uncertain,” she said adding that she attributed her successes to her family.

After graduating from the California Institute of the Arts with a degree in Experimental Animation two years ago, Tan started her own design studio called Motion Arsenal.

This meant utilising multi-media approaches to create artistic experiences, be it illustrative, sculptural or even performance arts.

“My main body of work involves conceptualizing immersive installations that combine skills of photography, film and sound,” said Tan.

She has also worked on innovative projects involving virtual reality and even the latest projection technology.

These worlds she said, exist in a physical space and sometimes, in a virtual or digital reality.

When not creating conceptual pieces, Tan works as a designer/animator on broadcast commercials and also live projection performances, like concerts and awards shows.

“With digital entertainment becoming more interdisciplinary, it's an opportunity to apply my knowledge of a variety of practices to the work I do,” she said.

She said the studio has given her the opportunity to represent herself as a multi-faceted artist (hence the term 'arsenal'), with an agnostic view on a spectrum of creative practices.

Her work doesn't come without its challenges though, as she says Los Angeles is a highly competitive arena.

“It's incredibly important to have a strong network to not only ground you, but also to challenge yourself to take risks. I fought hard to work on these projects with such high-end clients and am grateful they were inspired by my work,” she said.

She adds that she is excited by the introduction of innovative digital technology to traditional media forms like film (for example, augmented reality and sensory projections.)

"It is energising to see more art evolve beyond the museum setting. While my career is just beginning, I'm looking forward to using my company as a platform for Southeast Asian artists to gain recognition and opportunities that are otherwise not as available in their countries," she said.

Source:
courtesy of THE STAR

by Rashvinjeet S. Bedi

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