May 15 – July 31, 2023
“I began my Regeneration series in the spring of 2020 as a way to bring myself and others color and joy during intense and stressful times. Photographing the native wildflowers in my backyard has provided respite, grounding, and peace. I am inspired by the resilience of the iconic California poppies, which can survive in the harshest conditions and are some of the first flowers to return after wildfires.
I use procedural manipulations through the use of the Perlin noise algorithm to alter and distort my photographs, evoking the movements of fire and air. I collaborate with creative technology artist Phil Spitler, who adds a layer of interactivity and sound to the imagery which further brings the artwork to life. The augmented reality experience invites you, the viewer, to walk through the artwork as the flowers flow and move around you. The fluid forms conjure the instability of our current reality, while communicating the power of nature to heal and inspire.” -Liz Hickok
About the Artists –
San Francisco-based artist, Liz Hickok, works in an innovative creative style, mixing low and high tech to create immersive artworks that bring viewers into a whimsical and wondrous space. Using playful materials and intersecting photography, sculpture, video, and installation, Hickok makes art that intermingles science and nature. Her most recent projects use augmented reality and other interactive technologies, inviting her spectators to take a more personal approach to her art, and closing the gap between artist and viewer.
Hickok exhibits nationally and internationally; her work is included in such collections as the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Blue Shield of California, and Mills College Art Museum. Hickok’s series, Fugitive Topography: Cityscapes in Jell-O, attracted widespread media attention, receiving coverage in The New York Times, a feature on CBS’s The Early Show, and NPR.
Hickok has developed photomurals for Facebook and Google’s San Francisco offices, as well as for UCSF and Sutter Hospitals. In 2019, she created a site-specific installation for the Surreal Sublime exhibition at the San Jose ICA, and had a large solo exhibition at the Longview Museum of Fine Arts in Longview, TX. In 2020, she was part of the Center of Photographic Art in Carmel’s 8×10 Fundraising Exhibition. She currently has an outdoor photomural on display in Palo Alto, CA which integrates three-dimensional layers of augmented reality video and sound. Liz’s most recent project was an interactive large-scale video projection for Palo Alto’s Code:ART2 festival in October 2021. In 2022, she will have a solo show at Chung Namont Gallery in Noe Valley, San Francisco.
Phil Spitler is a creative technology artist based in San Francisco. He has gained a reputation for his ability to create innovative and unique light-based art, as well as augmented reality and other creative technology installations. Originally from the UK, Phil has always been fascinated by the interplay between art and technology, and has spent much of his career exploring this intersection. He has a keen eye for using light and color to create immersive environments, often incorporating cutting-edge technology to create truly transformative installations.