Virtual Inspiration For Others

Imagine you’re in another country, maybe an underwater odyssey or a world alien to Earth. It isn’t difficult to achieve when you’re immersed in the technological application called Virtual Reality; used by gaming enthusiasts and education addicts to create mind-boggling 3-dimensional experiences for anyone to escape into. The world of ‘virtual reality‘ is not an overnight sensation, it is a result of progressive technological developments and discoveries by artists, scientists and organisations, whose combined contribution over time has evolved into software products that amaze, educate and entertain millions of people worldwide.

Enthusiasm for culture, art and philosophy flourished in Europe during the Renaissance period (14^th to 17^th Century). Classical antiquity and its scientific principles inspired a revolution of thoughts and ideas, generating a wealth of artworks, inventions and discoveries that continue to amaze and benefit the global community today (1). One of the advancements to emerge from the Renaissance was linear perspective, a method used to represent a 3-dimensional viewpoint on a 2-dimensional media like paper (2,3). The geometrical formulae empowered famous Renaissance artists like Michelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci to produce realistic optical representations in paintings and illustrations. Painters from the Renaissance developed ‘depth of field’ to highlight a subject or activity in their artworks, a technique reinvented by modern day photographers in photos and videos, where perspective continues to play a key role.

VR Developers combine creative and programming skills to produce realistic environments and situations for users to interact with. The inventor of VR is Ivan Sutherland (an American computer scientist) (4, 5) who, assisted by Bob Sproull, paved the way for later technical enhancements by Jaron Lanier and Palmer Luckey.

A display connected to a digital computer gives us a chance to gain familiarity with concepts not realizable in the physical world. It is a looking glass into a mathematical wonderland.” ~ Ivan Sutherland

Just like the Renaissance, exploring new worlds and experiences is a popular theme in VR, where programs can enlighten the senses and heal the body through rehabilitation and therapy; equip individuals with knowledge for training in military, aviation or medical industries; and play games with friends and family who might live next door or overseas. VR can be used not just as an entertainment option for concerts, movies and theatre, the technology can also be used for business meetings and presentations. Augmented Reality is sometimes confused with VR but in AR the difference is, users interact with elements attached to the actual environment they are situated in, for instance, a travel experience in a famous place or a guided walking trail in a National Park.

Modern technology is constantly being updated and redesigned, like a revolving door, and innovative ideas are the force behind advancements to the way humans live and work. VR is a product of inspiration and technological know-how, a steppingstone many people use to drive their ambitions, thoughts and ideas to live well and succeed, in the same way The Renaissance was driven by the Classical Era (8^thCentury BC to 5^th Century AD).

Where inspiration comes from combined with the motivation to create an artwork, curiosity to discover something new or develop an application continues to elude many people but this quote by Pericles (495–429 BC) (6) who ruled Athens in Greece during the Golden Age sums up the positive benefits of acting on your inspiration:

What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.

So, what inspires you and your creative path? Is it the people around you, the natural environment, space exploration, or a fascination with the ancient past? If you’d like to leave a comment or connect with me at Salty Wave® you’re welcome.

Written by Gabrielle Ahern, Visual Storyteller and Content Producer, Salty Wave®.

References

1. The Renaissance: Home https://westportlibrary.libguides.com/renaissance Updated: Oct 23, 2024 2:29 PM.

2. Perspective (Graphical) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perspective_(graphical).

3. Graphical Projection https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/33241 © 2025 Encyclopedia, MDPI.)

4. Ivan Sutherland, Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_Sutherland

5. AZ Quotes https://www.azquotes.com/

6. Pericles, Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pericles