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Dreamspace Fragments
Dreamspace Fragments is an exploration into generating representations of the narrative content of dreams as virtual environments, or "dreamspaces." Using a derivative of the classification system for dream content analyses developed by Calvin Hall I encoded the narrative content of each of 12 dreams recorded from 1989 to 2000 into numeric values which were then used to define the parameters for generating 3-dimensional objects that are rendered as VRML worlds.
The title refers to these as both dream spaces and fragments as I consider each dream to be a part of the continuum of my dreaming life. Eventually, the aim is to construct an online virtual environment where myself and others can share dreams in this way. Contributing a dream narrative online would result in its translation into a 3-dimensional online space. This virtual world would be a landscape of collective dreamspace.
VRML dreamspace/world screen shots  
Each of the dimensions is detailed below:
   
Character Range - Intimacy (known to unknown): 18 values
Emotion Range - Positive to negative: 63 values
Activity Range - External to internal: 55 values
Setting Range - In/outdoors and familiar/unfamiliar: 8 values
Objects Range - Size: 26 values
Descriptor Range - 13 modifier values
   
  Values calculated for narrative elements for each dimension used to create the RGB color values, the number, shape, placement, and orientation in space of the 3-dimensional elements in the vrml space.
   
Below are a sample VRML dreamspaces and screenshots for dreams recorded on two different dates. In order to view the dreamspaces, your web browser must have a VRML browser installed.
 
 
Analysis VRML Dreamspace Screenshots
2/20/1998 vrml_2_20_98  
 
     
   
     
   
     
4/7/2000 vrml_4_00  
   
     
   
     
   
     
     
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Ruth West
An interdisciplinary artist-researcher working with digital media and interactive technologies.
     
     
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