2019 Gumbo final - Book - Page 93
Art For A Cause
Keeping Life Colorful
constellation of an origami boat carries a tree
sapling as smaller constellations of animals follow
behind. The boat lands in a Louisiana bayou, and
the sapling sprouts into a healthy tree. Plants grow
around the tree, and wild animals scurry up and around it. The
scene fades to black, and the origami boat floats through the
sky once again.
that art therapy helped cancer patients reduce anxiety, depression and physical pain.
This is the animation playing in the Mary Bird Perkins Cancer
Center lobby. Digital Art professor Derick Ostrenko, the director
of the project, said it is a symbol of the support cancer patients
receive as they undergo their cancer journey.
“The world is so much about technology now,” Ostrenko said.
“It’s changing so much of our lives. I grew up with the birth of
the internet, and I have always thought that creating art is about
what’s happening in the world around us — both on a personal
and cultural level.
Ostrenko unveiled his new art installation, Journey to Wellness, at Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center on Feb. 19. Ostrenko
worked on the project for three years with assistance from art
graduate students Jake Hamill and Sarah Ferguson and the Ann
Connelly Fine Art gallery.
He also received help from a visiting Chinese scholar from Wuhan University of Technology, who primarily created the animations.
“[The project] made me think a little bit more about my role
within the Baton Rouge community more so than my role in a
global and national context,” Ostrenko said. “A lot of times as
professors, we’re focused on the global stage. It’s interesting to
refocus and think about the local community a little bit more.”
The installation comprises a transparent screen over an LED
panel, which plays the animation. It is part of Mary Bird Perkins
Cancer Center’s efforts to incorporate more art into the facility.
Ostrenko’s interest in digital art began during his childhood,
where he spent most of his time in science museums. He said
he was fascinated with interactive exhibits, and wanted to make
a career in incorporating technology and art.
Ostrenko came to the University seven years ago and now
holds joint positions as associate professor of digital art and a
member of the cultural computing research group at the Center
for Computation and Technology.
In the future, Ostrenko hopes to research quantum computing in
order to incorporate this new technology into art forms. He also
hopes to incorporate artificial intelligence and machine learning into interactive poetry readings, in which the audience may
interact with the poem and reader with their phones.
Journey to Wellness is now open to the public at the Mary Bird
Perkins Cancer Center.
Story // Lara Nicholson
Photo // Reveille Photographer
Design // Briley Slaton
Studies show that art and art therapy help cancer patients feel
better, including an analysis of over 1,500 participants performed by the National Institutes of Health. These studies found
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