Hello, and welcome to another episode of Coffey and code. I'm excited to have two really awesome people on the show with me today. And they're actually locals here in Oklahoma where I'm based out of, we've got Cody Giles and Jaiye, and they've been collaborating on some really cool technology slash art projects together. And I'm so excited for them to talk about it today. So without further ado, welcome to the show Cody and Jaiye
How's it going?
Well, um, thank you for for taking the time to come on. It just feels like yesterday, we were sitting in a coffee shop and December talking about this cool collaboration that we'll be diving into. But both of you can meet Cody and Jake, can you tell us a little bit more about yourselves?
Yeah, go for it, Cody. Okay.
First off, I thought this podcast was about coffee. So I'm here to talk about coffee and code.
Now, so I mean, how far back you're gonna go. I moved here to Norman, Oklahoma, in 2016. I came out from Texas. I did work to the newspaper here in town, and then eventually took over the the electric community magazine. That's for Norman. And then now I work on the marketing team at OEC fiber, which is a fiber Internet provider here in Central Oklahoma. I've been a photographer for since 2005. So Oh, God 17 years. It sounds a lot longer when you say that. But I've Yeah, photographer, graphic designer, just collaborator. I really like I won't get into this more like in deeper in the conversation but just like really like meeting people and working with them and like getting to know them and like being a part of what they're doing and vice versa.
You
know, Cody, I feel like you're the ultimate connector. Right. And that's, you know, much appreciated, especially in this new renaissance of technology and our and religious community. I know you've been in
a lot of interviews that I love talking to people and I'm not on my my granddad, Fred Giles was like my best friend. And that dude, never met a stranger. And I remember like, as a kid, like, just watching how he interacted with people and how he made everyone feel so like, at ease and like, welcome. And he just made friends with everyone. And, um, and it was just so cool to watch. And so now like, every time I do it, it's kind of a reminder of like me, and like, this is what I watched as as a kid. And now that I get to do it.
It's a really cool experience. Yeah, yeah. And for our international listeners that don't know where Norman is. It is located in Oklahoma, which is in the United States. We're smack dab in the middle. And it's currently July and a Christmas 112. Yesterday, it's It's brutal. But joy. Yeah. Tell us a little bit more about yourself.
Yeah, so I am a local artist here in Oklahoma City. Mostly raised in Oklahoma. And always gravitated towards creative things ever since I was young, whether it was like drawing and things like that. I got into skateboarding when I was probably like 10 or 11. And I think that had it like subconsciously influenced my creative path I ended up taking just from being around like such diverse people, music influences, you know, even skateboard culture and style. Also, around that time, like MySpace was coming out, you know, the internet's like kicking off and I was the only one out of all my friends who were to like edit skate videos. So that kind of was a small entryway into like digital art and video editing at a young age. And later on, I kind of cycled back the cycle back up like I was getting into creativity and finding ways to apply art to like anything around me. Basically, I went to video production school for two and a half years and That's kind of what really on Saturday me. And so I think a multimedia kind of artists career.
Wow, that's incredible. And I really think that's a good segue into my next question for both of you is I want to dig a little bit deeper into how you got involved in this world of art and technology ever since, you know, we've been encountering this world of emerging tech that really kind of set off and ignited. And I would say 2017. But now we've got things like, VR and AR, virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality, commonly known to known as XR. But I really want to hear more about you know, the intersection of how you both got started there. So Jaya, do you want to kind of let us know?
Wait, so are you thinking like how, like me and Cody came together? Or like any, like experiences individually? Like we were like, oh, augmented reality? Or is that?
I am just curious about what was the catalyst that you were like, you know, I really see this opportunity to blend technology and art together. And for example, the application that you're using it and the art show that you'll be talking about a little bit later on. But that's a pretty unique and innovative way to bring an immersive experience together. And that always starts with some kind of exploration, some kind of tinkering or creativity, more beyond, you know, starting how to edit videos, which is a good entry point. But what was that? What was that catalyst moment that really got you into the interest of wanting to push the boundaries of what's possible there?
Yeah. Okay. Well, I mean, so most people kind of know me for this abstract pattern that I use a lot. And this pattern is basically always been an exploration for me, I stumbled across this pattern, through exploration, and it has constantly pushed me to, you know, bend to mediums, I like to say, or transcend a medium or what, what else can I can I do with this, the simple pattern and Ida further. And so I've always kind of been into taking this pattern and seeing how I could, you know, push it through another medium another space. And, yeah, I, what I mean, augmented reality hit has been kind of like surfacing probably in my peripheral since like, 2018 2019, because, you know, I'm, I'm painting murals and things of that nature, and I might see a, I might have seen a friend do something and I was icon that, you know, that's creative, you know, and it wasn't, it wasn't until the pandemic, I you know, I was kind of already exploring some, some new like, subject matter and ideas. And the augmented reality came, became, I realized the, almost like the proof of concept that I can pull out in front of people to show them like bigger ideas that I can't physically manifest. And so then that's when I started, I started tinkering with augmented reality, in just taking this 3d orb that I was that I was carving on my own on my iPad, and just putting out and putting it out into physical space and showing people because also, like I said, especially here in Oklahoma, there isn't like a lot of artists may be tinkering with augmented reality, there might have been like one or two, like I said, that I might have might have heard of, but no one really was like, Oh, how do I take this further? And I was tinkering with it. And you know, Cody, Cody thought it was pretty interesting. And it sparked up a conversation.
That is amazing. Thank you so much for sharing that backstory. I love when you shared that when I first met you, and I thought it was so powerful. So definitely wanted the audience to hear that. Cody can can you tell us a little bit more about that?
Yeah, so basically, it was day is just immensely cooler than I am. So I thought man, how cool would it be to like mix, what he's doing and what I'm doing and like, you know, I've been a fan for a good while I met him at a JV show here in Norman at Legacy Park. And he was doing like a portrait in that kind of in the motif style of that he has that pattern. And I just kind of walked up just introduce myself and was like, I want to I want to buy that. And so Like I really want to, it's just a blog, I've never had never really seen anything like it. And so, you know, I got it from him. And we just kind of, say friends that kind of ran the same circles every now and then we can cross paths. And then just something I'm really not just like, something I really do a lot is just kind of reach out on Instagram to different people in just say, hey, like, you want to grab coffee or something, like get together. And so we did last September. And we sat and talked, I think for like, four hours. And the concept of the show really came out of it. And we talked about everything from like art to how it, you know, how it impacts, you know, stuff, culturally, you know, whether you're talking about, you know, you know, getting people involved in it from from a diverse groups of people, and so, and how it and how there's so much more opportunities to involve different people in it. You know, and we, I think we've been like a guide around like Alan Turing, somehow we're talking about patterns and dislikes, finding these things. Yeah, it was technology, it was, it was a wild conversation. And but it was cool, because like, the concept of the show came out of it. And like, I think we left and neither one of us really knew what the show was gonna look like. But, you know, over time, we just kept shaping it and kept making me map. And, you know, I knew that I thought it would be cool to take portraiture of my work, and you know, his pattern, and like, how do we merge that together? And then, you know, I'm on the northern Music Festival board as well. And so we I had talked to this, this friend of mine Chase, who wants to eventually do like, like, augmented reality mapping on the sides of buildings for the festival, and, like, through a phone camera, and so I got to talk to him. I was like, hey, like, you know, how you been talking about that? It was like, what if we still dance on the smaller? This is what I want to do. And I just explained to him exactly what I wanted. And he was like, Yeah, I think we can make that work. And so brought him in. And you know, dry a kind of put the stuff together, I got it over Chase and Chase, put it together. And then like, all that through the archive app has just blocked us to life. And again, like, yeah, it's a collaborative show with me and Jaya, A, but there's been so many other people who like, who have been willing to like come alongside and like, help make it happen. And that's what I always envisioned this show to be is like, a really like community supported like thing. And so like, with the Australian really has gotten into these orbs that I'm sure it'll talk more about. But I thought, Man, how cool would it be to like, get them 3d printed. And so I knew, you know, a friend of mine works for the Pioneer library system. And at the central library here in Norman, they do 3d printing. And so I, you know, talk to her talk to her, and she offered up to let us do just about as much 3d printing of these orbs as we want it for the show. And so got that and then. Yeah, and then so this is a kind of mixing technology and like giving a different way to experience it. Yeah, I feel like I'm rambling at this point. Um, ya know,
that's a really good segue into let's talk about the show. So let's rewind a little bit for our audience. So kind of laid the groundwork for how you two met and kind of blending this melting pot of creativity and technology and to artists, creating this this awesome concept. But for everyone listening that the local show is called between to between the spaces, excuse me, between the spaces, and it will be live August 12. through September, can you correct me,
Cody? Yeah, September 9, or camp? I can't remember. Awesome, whatever. The second Friday in September is,
yeah. And I'll be sure to link that in the show notes. But for the listeners that want to learn more, what's the website to that?
Yeah, it's between dash the dash spaces.com. Because between the spaces that Colin was taking one with dashes, which honestly is kind of cool, because if stuff is kind of dashes, and so and it gives something in between the words, I don't know. How many of you want to really get with it. But yeah, between dash the dash spaces.com Is the webpage for the show.
Awesome. Awesome. So let's, let's dive into that. Let's talk about the experience. So as you were designing this experience, you were talking through the journey that the audience would go through as they're exploring this new immersive, medium, and it's very intentional in the way that it's designed. It's very human first approach, I would say. So, Julia, can you kind of talk us through that conceptual idea have, what it what it will look like for someone who will be going through the exhibit.
Yeah, it'll be pretty mixed media, I would say it's a, we were definitely trying to go for something immersive, immersive and experiential. And there's going it's like almost like a handful of interactive stations, surrounded by art, you know, we we essentially have photos that will be hanging on the walls, that some are physically adorned with paint, and some, you can digitally adorn them with the art of vive app, we're going to have a place for people to actually contribute their mark their own choice of paint on a canvas that will be I'll be actually turning into a piece later. It's actually like a giant collaboration. One of my favorite things that we're that we're doing, that Cody got me excited about was some digital projections that we're gonna have a room where some, some images, some visualizers that I've made are going to be digitally projected. And we're also going to have the interactive photo corner that Cody's putting together. So yeah, a lot of a lot of interaction, our I would say, you know, like, definitely elements of art show where you know, things hanging on a wall, but you know, some, some extended things to interact with as well.
And didn't you mention there also be audio with us as well?
I don't, I don't think I could be missed by playlists.
Yeah, I could be misremembering, but um, Cody, do you want to talk us through the the photography aspect here?
Yeah, so like I said, I've been shooting for a long time. And I moved to Norman I in 2016, about four months of living here, I actually had my laptop and hard drive that had about 10 years worth of work on it stolen. Yeah, and so it was all gone. All of it, every bit of it. There's no nothing ever, anywhere else ever. And so it really felt like, you know, and I cried like a child, man, I was so upset because it felt like someone had died. I mean, you know, and, you know, I've talked to a friend of mine, and she just said, Okay, you can be upset, but you left it in your car. And if I had taken out on my car, then it wouldn't have gotten stolen, you know. And so she said, Just learn from it and start in Go. And so I did. And so I just started a new kind of collection, a new thing of work. And from now it's been just meeting people here, I didn't, I knew two people when I moved to Norman. And now I joke all the time that I'm going to have to like, I'm gonna have to like auction off my phone, because it's got so many contexts definite if I were to leave or die, but, um, but so a lot of these portraits are people that I've just gotten to know that I wanted to work with. And it's really diverse group, be it from race, or sexual orientation, gender, things like that. And that was really intentional. And so half of the portraits are the subject looking at the camera, and the other half aren't. And so just to give this kind of like juxtaposition of like connection and disconnection, because one of the big things that, you know, Jay and I talked about, initially, when we first started talking was, you know, where are you more connected? Are you more connected online? Are you more connected in person? And so like, I think a lot of people have this misconception that like, because of digital spaces, and because of digital world, we're less connected than ever beat be because we're not together. But I think the argument can be made the other way around. And I think what other part of the conversation that we should talk to is like, with the, with the ability for like digital spaces, and digital arena and world you open up accessibility for people who maybe can't leave their homes or can't travel or can't do those things, for for whatever reason. And so with the show It really kind of plays on that connection disconnection you're having to look between the spaces to see stuff and you're having to move between spaces. You know, the the photography corner we talked about is going to be, Polaroids Polaroids have played a huge role in my world as a creative. It goes back to my granddaddy, Fred, who shot Polaroids like crazy. And he and I would just play around with it. And I didn't know what anything costs back then. So we're just blowing through it. And it stuck with me. And now I've got 1000s of Polaroids in boxes. And like, you know, and so I really wanted that to play a role in this because it's so tactile, and you can feel it, you can walk away with it. And so I'll have someone there taking Polaroids of people in that corner, that giants paint, and we'll put them up on the wall to become part of the installation. And then there also be a space where Diane has got his own kind of area for his canvas pieces. So that there's a real mix. And like having people walk around with their phones out, looking at these portraits, painting them digitally. Like they get to participate. And it's not just showing up to a pretty art gallery or museum and looking at stuff and reading descriptions, but there they get to participate. And that's the point. And with the choices of the portraits. No matter who you are, when you come to the show, you're going to hopefully, I mean, obviously, you know, there's limits to everything, but like see someone who may be who may represent you. And so that was a big part of the intentionality choosing the portrait for the show. And,
and really like, like I remember, we also kept bringing up it's like we, we're bridging that space for physical and digital. Right, and just bringing those into closer contexts for people to understand and just just knowing, you know, how they do interplay and work with each other and not make them seem so distant or one or the other and half awake. Yeah. How they can work together essentially.
Exactly.
Yes, yes. And yes, I'm loving all this. I'm so excited to see it in person when it goes live on August 12. And I feel like I could talk to you both for hours. And I think we did back in December, which was fabulous. We should do that again. But um, as we start to kind of wrap up here, can you briefly kind of tell us what's next for the both of you
see, what's next. Um, so, um, so Merson with what we got going on, I think things that I I'm thinking about working on definitely. Cody has me bent on fleshing out this orb idea a little more, I mean, he was even him helped me take the step to get it 3d printed, you know, just brought me one step closer into, you know, making this, this idea into like a physical sculpture. And so I'm thinking about ways of you know, doing that, whether it's British with web three or not, you know, I'm pretty into building a sculpture, you know, hopefully have my own Sculpture Garden one day, and taking the small steps to get there. And also, like, possibly, like some kind of basic web three education, explaining some artists, you know, maybe why digital authentication is useful. There's some that's been popping up a lot lately and I've had a few conversations with some people who are like, I'd be totally down to like, you know, host this workshop type thing. So I'm definitely in the background trying to figure out how to maybe come up with something like that, but that's basically in my mind that this show and you know, building out more more physical and digital things.
That's so cool. I love that I definitely feel like that's needed because this is a new Wild West everyone's trying to understand right and having someone there to kind of translate and guide what this new frontier is is really important. Yeah, yeah. And Joey for for those listening that want to follow your work. How can they find you and um, what social media platforms are you on?
Yeah, I'm on most social media platforms it Don ja da wN JAIYE You know, Twitter, Instagram. Those are my most active places. I have recently been trying to upload more video content to my donja YouTube as well. But yeah, I mean, So Jaya, the artists.com. You know, that's where I'm hoping to make it more experiential in the future. So yeah, that's where you can find me.
Awesome. I'll be sure to link all of that in the show notes. And I got a couple of minutes left. But Cody, can you just tell us briefly what's next for you and where audience members can find you.
So you can find me pretty much anywhere at at Creative Giles, gi Le s. I don't know, I tend not to post much some I don't know, every now and then on my Instagram is a mix of photography and food. I'm a game which are plant based foodie. But just that I mean, what's next, I don't know, continue to just connect with people. And try and learn from people as much as I can and work with as many people as I can. And, you know, get to traveling again, now that, you know, it's, I'm not going to use the word safer, but you know what you can. And so just continue that and work in the, you know, the moment on Arts Board. I'm on a public arts board, here in Norman on newer Noren Music Festival, and so using my kind of access and my, you know, placement on these things to push our forward and make it more accessible and make it more equitable in Norman, specifically, and so and bringing people along and, and, you know, trying to get people seats at the table that haven't historically been able to do that. And so, yeah,
thank you so much. I'm, I'm so appreciative of you both, for the hard work that you do. It's so important to not only recognize inequities, but do something about it. So I applaud you both for collaborating and putting this experience together. I'm personally really excited to see it. I'm definitely going to invite my friends. But I think as we kind of wrap up the show, I want to leave everyone with a really good quote that I think resonates well with the show, and with what's going on with between the spaces and it's from Bhutan. And it's the present moment is the only time over which we have dominion. So Kirti Jaya, thank you both for being on the show today.