In “Brush the Sky,” a mother-daughter duo bring the ancient art of calligraphy into the 21st century.

In the Wing Luke Museum, transparent wall hangings by Midori Kono Thiel emphasized the abstract nature of calligraphic art by deconstructing the strokes of Japanese characters across multiple parallel layers in non-traditional ways. The transparent layers and their shadows, stirred into motion by a slight breeze, invited visitors to regard each stroke in its own right (see video).

Her daughter Tamiko Thiel enhanced the installation with augmented reality (AR)* overlays. These virtual artworks, visible through an iPad mounted on a rotatable pedestal, enclosed visitors between veils of "real" and "virtual" calligraphy to incorporate them into a total installation.

"CONSTRUCT\S" exhibition
Wing Luke Museum

May 15, 2015 - April 17, 2016

The gallery component of "Brush the Sky" was part of
CONSTRUCT\S, curated by Stacey Uradomo-Barre.
www.wingluke.org/constructs

Wing Luke Museum of the Asian American Experience (Smithsonian Institution Affiliate)
719 South King Street, Seattle, WA 98104

"Brush the Sky" on-site AR artworks

Permanent city-wide public art installations.

The public art component of "Brush the Sky" consists of
18 site-specific AR calligraphy installations in Seattle. The sites and their augments were chosen for their significance to the Kono Thiel's family history and experiences as Japanese American artists in Seattle.

For images and viewing instructions on how to see the AR artworks on site, please see On-site Artworks page.

Or contact tours@wingluke.org to arrange a tour of sites near the Wing Luke Museum. Guides have iPads for visitors without mobiles.