Some artists find one medium and stick to it, perfecting their craft in the style that they feel most comfortable with. Cory Tyler, on the other hand, is unafraid to showcase his interests in a variety of ways. Most recently, he has taken to the virtual reality (VR) room at ArTech at the Howie Stone Day Services, where he receives services.
“I like to try out whatever comes to mind or what I have seen before,” Cory said while donning the VR headset which is used to provide immersive experiences for people receiving services through the center.
Merging Timeless Art and the Latest Technology
Cory is currently using Google’s Tilt Brush application to create his work. “I actually prefer [the VR to traditional painting] because paint takes a long time to dry. You don’t have to put a whole bunch of stuff back.”
Tilt Brush allows artists to experiment with a variety of virtual brushes, colors, and environments. Creators have a three-dimensional drawing experience while their work is projected in real-time on a TV screen connected to a computer.
“We’re looking to smoothly bring art and technology together in a user-friendly way, so that anybody can be trained on it,” Carol Ryklin, Technology Deployment Specialist/Trainer, Individualized Technology Strategies (ITS), said. ITS helped research and install the VR equipment and has trained staff and people receiving services on how to use it.
“VR is a starting point for other ideas and other mediums,” Carol said. “It allows the artist to expand their horizons because you’re able to do things you can’t do with paint and paper and a canvas. We’re seeing a smooth integration of VR, real-life, art, and conceptual ideas.”
Cory’s Art
Cory has been an artist for as long as he can remember. “I started painting when I was young, as a kid,” he recalled. “I just had a painting class and took it.”
In addition to painting, Cory has created comic book panels, chalk-based drawings, figurines, and, of course, virtual art. Regardless of the medium, Cory explained that his work often features “turtles, nature, and the city, anything that seems to be alive and moving.”
Another common motif used in Cory’s art is dinosaurs. In his comic book, a group of mighty beasts trudges through inclement weather. “I have a dinosaur dictionary, and in one of them it shows the ankylosaurus walking through the desert and there’s a sandstorm coming,” Cory said of his inspiration. “Dinosaurs lived long before we did. It’s history.”
“Creating Your Own World”
Beshara Hammad, Community Support Professional, Dorothy and Michael Styler Day Services, has trained many people to use the VR equipment, including Cory. “[The artists] get to experience different dimensions, different games,” Beshara said. “They enjoy being somewhere else for a brief time.”
Beshara has been impressed with Cory’s quick adaptation to virtual reality and enjoys watching him bring prehistoric things to life with modern technology. “Cory knew how to do everything from the jump. He enjoys having somebody to talk to when he’s drawing but he’s very independent. I like the majority of his work, he’s so talented.”
Cory is looking forward to continuing his VR adventures and encourages other artists to take up the opportunity as well. “You create your own world within a world,” he said. “You can pretty much do whatever you want by what you see or imagine, and then just start creating.”
