Beyond the Vanitas – Jimmy C’s Skull Painting in AR!
ART REIMAGINED
Solarflare Studio collaborated with renowned artist Jimmy C to reimagine one of his iconic skull paintings in augmented reality (AR) for the British Art Fair, hosted at the Saatchi Gallery in partnership with Muse Frame and Sedition.
This was our second collaboration with Jimmy C, evolving from an early VR experiment built in TouchDesigner years ago, when the HTC Vive was the most advanced VR headset. Now, with the Meta Quest 3 and its Mixed Reality mode, we rebuilt the experience from the ground up using Unity, making it fully immersive, interactive, and untethered.
Want to explore the possibilities of new technologies? Get in touch to explore ideas.
CHALLENGE & APPROACH
The challenge was to faithfully translate Jimmy C’s pointillist spray-painted technique into an interactive 3D experience. Using his Vanitas-inspired skull painting as a foundation, we developed a Unity AR application where guests could move around the artwork, seeing it dissolve, reform, and evolve in real time.
To ensure a high-quality execution, we re-textured the original 3D skull model in Blender, enhancing the spray-painted drips with a bump map for added realism. The animation process involved using a cutout texture to create a dynamic dissolve effect, making the skull appear to break apart and reassemble fluidly.
In Mixed Reality mode, hand-tracking was introduced, allowing visitors to interact naturally—bringing their hands close to the skull would trigger a pulse of particles, adding an extra layer of engagement.
TECHNOLOGY & EXECUTION
- Unity Development – Rebuilt from TouchDesigner into Unity for Meta Quest 3.
- Mixed Reality Integration – The experience ran in both VR and MR, with MR proving the most immersive.
- Blender Re-Texturing – Enhanced spray-painted textures with bump mapping for depth and realism.
- Particle-Based Interactivity – Hand-tracking proximity triggered dynamic particle pulses.
- Muse Frame & Sedition Collaboration – Offered limited edition digital artworks alongside the AR experience.
RESULTS & IMPACT
The experience was a highlight of the British Art Fair, with visitors engaging in a way never seen before. Traditional artwork was reimagined as a multi-sensory digital interaction, allowing audiences to physically explore a painting like never before.
WHAT’S NEXT?
This project demonstrates the exciting potential of blending traditional fine art with emerging interactive technologies, pushing the boundaries of how audiences experience and connect with art.
It was a great pleasure to work with Jimmy again. Reinterpreting paint on canvas using the latest digital interactive technologies is fascinating and rewarding. Looking forward to our next collab!
– Stuart Cupit
Chief Technical Officer, Solarflare Studio
We’re always looking to expand our network of creative collaborators, from technical specialists to people that work in more traditional art forms. LAUNCH exists to blend the barriers between creative practices and new tech. Get in touch to explore ideas.
