Case Study:
Blended Canvases – Digital and Traditional
Worcester | 2024
The blending of digital and traditional canvases in the fine art field is an emerging landscape. For centuries, artists have used traditional canvases to apply paint color on. But today, digital LED video walls provide an electronic canvas, with the sky as the limit for possibilities! Recently, Revelation has paired the two for “Beyond the Frames,” hosted by Mechanic’s Hall. The event was to commemorate the unveiling of three newly-painted portraits set to adorn their walls.
Worcester’s Mechanics Hall is a distinguished landmark in the Central Massachusetts region, and ranks among the country’s finest concert halls. The performing arts venue was originally built in 1857 as an example of the Renaissance Revival architectural style, and it was restored in 1977. Notably, Mechanics Hall is also home to the Hook Organ – a 3,504 pipe organ that has claims to the oldest unaltered, four-keyboard organ in the Western Hemisphere, built in 1864 and restored in 1982.
In addition to the grand pipe organ, there are more than 20 portraits housed on the walls of the building. These portraits are of people who exemplify the values of the Worcester County Mechanics Association founders: education, excellence, human welfare, and a wider vision of human endeavor. Of these, four portraits are of women, and as of March 2024, there were four Black and Indigenous Americans added to the collection. The portraits of Frederick Douglass (Created by: Imo Nse Imeh), Sojourner Truth (Created by:Manu Saluja), and William and Martha Brown (Created by:Brenda Zlamany) were commissioned to join the permanent installation of works.
The event, “Beyond the Frames,” commenced with an artist panel on the stage. A moderator was present to direct the conversation of topics such as: why the artist chose their particular subject, their process in painting the subjects, and the various symbols found within the paintings. In order to best showcase the visual nature of the discussion, Revelation installed a 20′ x 10′ (2.6mm) xVision LED video wall behind the panel as a stage backdrop.
Because this was an artist panel, various “painting” backgrounds moved on the screen, including animated brush strokes and paint splotches. The portrait faces were featured on the side of the screen as each respective artist spoke about their work. These portrait faces were a continuation of the event branding used on all of the promotion collateral.
As Imo Nse Imeh spoke of his painting and process of creating it, images taken from his studio slid across the screen. The same was true when Brenda Zlamany was speaking of her piece. A video was supplied and played over the background while Manu Saluja spoke. There was also a loop for event sponsors inserted onto the screen during the event. This execution of a video canvas allowed the audience to dive deeper into the discussion and really connect with the artists as they explained their traditional, fine-art creations! The LED video wall preview of the works captivated the excitement for the official reveal that would follow.
If you’d like more information on how to add an LED video wall to your event, contact Revelation!
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