(un)written
Rachel Donley
(un)written is an AR app that reads tarot cards to generate words on a blank page, bringing the traditional storytelling potential of tarot to a writer in need of inspiration. Narrative is inherent in the meanings and use of tarot cards, each card imbued with a range of possible interpretations meant to represent facets of a person's life. An AR app on a stationary device reads major arcana tarot cards placed by the user through the device’s camera. The cards sit atop a blank piece of paper, itself representing the iconic blank page that stymies many creators. The app abstracts the concept of a tarot reading, extracting words and phrases from the meaning of each card and overlaying them upon the live camera feed of the device so they appear, scattered, upon the blank page. It remains up to the user to make a physical mark on the page and, guided by the words from the cards, write what remains unwritten.
About the Artist
Rachel Donley is a recent graduate from the Digital Media MA program at University of Central Florida, now a PhD student in Digital Media at Georgia Tech. Prior to her return to academia, Rachel worked in the escape room industry for three years in a range of roles, including manager, project lead, designer, and pop star. She is one of three women comprising Weird Sisters Interactive, a game dev team whose latest game, The Clairvoyant AR, was featured at the Bose AR exhibit at PAX West in 2019.