An analysis of experiential space at the close of the twentieth century

Aims of the Project The aim of the project has been to: (a) investigate the influence that systems of spatial representation exert upon the communication of aesthetic qualities arising specifically from direct experience of our physical environment; (b) to study the qualitative differences in perception of landscape space experienced through systems of visual representation used in contemporary visual art; and (c) to investigate the capacity of digitally augmented stereoscopy to visualise new models of landscape suitable to an art gallery setting. This research project examines the representation of space in stereoscopic imaging. It places the visual thesis in the context of the history and theory of the stereoscopic representation of space and the impact of changing notions of space on our perception of the landscape. Images of Mt Lyell form the central subject matter of the visual thesis and provide the foundation for observations regarding the success of the anaglyphic and mirror stereoscopic methodologies employed. The project concludes that the veracity of stereoscopy as a medium of simulation still challenges current Virtual Reality technologies in terms of the degree and quality of immersion achieved and congruity of visual and kinaesthetic stimuli. It also demonstrates that the stereoscopic image conveys aesthetic information about the quality of the space it presents. It concludes that the application of d igital processes to stereoscopic photography can result in new aesthetic modes for presenting and representing landscape as a comprehensive experience and that such presentations can be used to enquire into the manner in which the aura of a landscape space is established and maintained.