The Muse

Oh, how do I summarize The Muse…?? There are many words that come to mind but two stand above the rest:

Creativity and Inspiration

Frame by Frame animation using paper cut out and inserting digitally.

Ground Zero

The Muse was a glitch that started in Spring 2023’s ARTD463 Communication Design Course when our professor was giving a lecture about “The Medium is the Message” wherein we discuss how important it is to choose the correct medium to tell a story or idea. Hence, the medium is the message. In the midst of the lecture, our professor was showing the video he normally shows in lower division courses when suddenly this glitch APPEARS in the middle of the screen.

All of us that had seen the video before were extremely confused and didn’t understand, and thought our professor was just pranking us into understanding the message of the medium. However, he quickly resolved that thought when he showed as much confusion as we did; expressing how it threw him off his lecture and that he couldn’t remember what he was talking about. Thankfully, we happened to be recording this zoom call because our professor was sick that day and wanted to make sure people had access to the lecture.

Infection, Obsession, and Possession…

Then, all of a sudden, all of our student work was being infected with the SAME glitch. Weird, right? (Cue the the scene where a certain character says “If I had a nickel for every time I was doomed by a puppet, I would have two nickels… which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice, right?”)

What was supposed to be a class to develop our individual portfolios soon became a class OBSESSED with this glitch and we started spreading information around campus to see if it was happening to anyone else.

Here’s a sketch I had been working on last term that started glitching out so I never finished it for the original project. This was based on a poem called “The Geese” by Jorie Graham.

The Muse > Portfolio Work

Normally, this course for Communication Design is all about creating a brand and making t-shirts. So, we took this idea and ran with it and created an entire art exhibition of evidence of the glitch (which we call The Muse) and work that was created from the inspiration this glitch gave us AS WELL as a pop-up merch shop!

This event took place in the University of Oregon’s Northsite Crit Space on June 10th, 2023.

Transitional Muse inspiration glitch. Features “Mercurial World” by Magdalena Bay.

HAVE YOU SEEN IT?!?

However, in order to even get to the point where we could hold an exhibition and pop-up shop, we had to spread the word.

As mentioned earlier, we spread information around campus by making and posting fliers everywhere… and a little bit of chalk; we would draw the glitch in the fliers and on the sidewalks with some inspirational messages to get people’s attentions.

Some of our fliers even had our email that people could utilize to tell us their experiences of the glitch and where they saw the glitch.

Additionally, all of us were constantly posting fliers and glitched works on our instagram accounts (personal, art, and class accounts) to share with friends. Somehow we even got onto Eugene’s subreddit!

Lost in the Void of Inspiration? Us too.

As we got closer to the day, we started posting more fliers with the coordinates of where we were holding our exhibition and specific dates. And, yes, more chalk drawings and messages because who doesn’t love chalk?

We may have bothered the school a little bit much by the excessiveness, but who hasn’t occasionally pissed off staff and faculty members?

If you haven’t… you aren’t an art student. Especially not an Art and Technology student at the University of Oregon.

If you know… you know.

Hands Muse Color Glitch Animation. Features “Sun Veins” by Hippo Campus.

Don’t Believe It?

If you’ve read this far, and are not convinced that The Muse is a real glitch that only our class experienced… then you would be on the right track.

We wanted to use the concept of an ARG (Alternate Reality Game) to create a transmedia narrative that at one point seemed like it wasn’t going to be cohesive but quickly became linked together.

All of us students wanted to create a narrative of sorts and collaborated in ideas and agreed upon this symbol of a glitch, and from then on, we were set.

And considering that we did this in less than 10 weeks… that’s really impressive.

Harold’s Leg Day! Creative rotoscope animation. Features “Never Gonna Give You Up” By Rick Astley.

The Muse Glitch Animation featuring Magdalena Bay’s song “The End.”

Still… B E I N S P I R E D

Please check out our videos of the space, animations, video work, prints, illustrations, and merch both on our class instagram as well as here. 20 artists (19 students plus our professor) collaborated on one of the wackiest ideas possible and created something so wonderful, inspiring, and, of course… creative.

Now… go get inspired by the Muse too! We know you want to!

These animations that have been shown are my works but you definitely don’t want to miss out on my classmates’ works!

Be sure to check out the class instagram page below!