HOME | DD
Miles-Johnston β
Substitution
Published: 2012-07-04 17:48:27 +0000 UTC; Views: 118988; Favourites: 5401; Downloads: 2845
Redirect to original
Description
Hey! This was a shitload of fun to make
I was thinking about how creepy it would be if in the future, people start neglecting their real bodies to exclusively live in downloaded indistinguishably real simulations. There would be all kinds of interesting philosophical debates to have, and loads of conflicting opinions on the technology. It's an idea I might explore more, especially if people dig it.
Hope you like, please let me know what you think!
Prints here!
[link]
Related content
Comments: 457
they look like some certain actor/actress....can I say who they are?
π: 0 β©: 1
they look like Robert Downey and Scarlett Johansson
π: 0 β©: 0
Have you ever watched the movie "surrogates"? It has a lot to do with this topic, you might enjoy it.Β
π: 0 β©: 0
wow this is such a cool concept. and i love the difference in colours in each scene and how it totally works together
π: 0 β©: 0
Beautifully painted, but it looks really scary...
π: 0 β©: 0
Virtual reality vs. real life - A highly controverse and very interesting topic, definately worth further exploration and discussion.
One detail that caught my eye right away was the colour contrast: The dreamscape is engulved in rainbow colours, whereas the "ugly" reality appears monotone and depressing (which it is in regard to the topic).
Also, the fetal position of the real person tells something about his emotional state.
An interesting detail is that he pulls the blanket very close; it gives me the idea that he is fully aware about the circumstances of his situation; he knows about the illusion and the heavy toll it's taking on his real self,
but he chooses to ignore it, painful as this might be - undernourished, he lies in his filthy cradle and embraces the illusion like a drowning man would cling to a punctured liferaft.
One question that comes to my mindis how he became like this ? Why did he choose illusion over reality ?
The title "Substitution" implies for me that he couldn't find what he was looking for in real life, so he took on a substitute to supply the emotions he desires.
Maybe he just wanted to use it once, to help him through a tough episode of his life ? Maybe he was able to put it away after the first time, until reality struck him once again ?
Does he willingly clasp to an illusion because this world holds nothing more for him ? Or is it just easier this way ? It certainly doesn't seem to be more comfortable...
Is it easier to subject to a certain suffering you understand or might accept a major, yet uncertain one ?
Is it better to substitute fellings, instead of not feeling at all ?
Is it better to cradle a dreamΒ than risk it's demise ?
Would you rather want the story to end prematurely at the "happy" ending than knowing the whole tale ?
Many, many questions here; many theories about - What are yours ?
π: 0 β©: 2
Cudos on this excellent reply.Β
π: 0 β©: 1
Thank you 
π: 0 β©: 1
Us on /r/ForeverAlone would give anything to Escape our reality of loneliness constant pain and sadness for a fake world where we are loved and cared for. (Shoutout to my people in /r/ForeverAlone) Loneliness eats you alive....trust me
π: 0 β©: 0
This looks awesome! Reminds me of the Matrix sort of, like how they aren't use their real body
π: 0 β©: 0
Wow this is beautiful!! When I first saw it, I thought the man was terminally ill or something and having flash backs in his final momentsΒ
π: 0 β©: 0
Scary concept, but things like this are even happening right now. Video game addicts...
π: 0 β©: 0
The ones who choose to live inside the Matrix
π: 0 β©: 0
Ok, both the pic and the concept are incredibly creepy! 
π: 0 β©: 0
|
|
|
I don't know what makes you think you ever have...
Wonderful picture-
π: 0 β©: 0
i know for sure i would never come out of the simulated reality
π: 0 β©: 0
This is convicting for today's technology
π: 0 β©: 0
It's a good question you pose. It's great to see an image that has more to it than just eye candy.
π: 0 β©: 0
simply amazing 
π: 0 β©: 0
Very strong image! Great idea, astounding realization and semantic suggestion!
π: 0 β©: 0
Quite honestly my favorite thing I've seen on deviantart so far.
π: 0 β©: 0
Wow, this is impressive! At first I thought maybe the woman he loved had ran off with another man so he was doing drugs to escape the pain but your idea makes much more sense. It's actually pretty amazing how many sci-fis address a similar question and theme like this. It must be a rather large concern for people of what could happen in the future. Of course, humans have found ways to escape from the real world for about as long as humans have existed. We might not have this kind of technology but there's books, theatre, sports,art, religion, music and more recently television and movies, computers, and video games. It's almost like it's a part of human nature to want to escape from the world around us. We don't even need anything else but our minds to escape, all we've got to do is use our imagination to transport to different reality inside our minds, our brains were designed or have evolved to be able to do to this almost as if we need it.
π: 0 β©: 0
Great painting but the ear + 2 neural pads look like this, lol:
[link]
π: 0 β©: 0
amazing. interesting concept too. the coloring is amazing
π: 0 β©: 0
kind of like the dreamers in inception? who go 2 to 3 levels deep...
do you know when you're dreaming that you're dreaming?
what if this is a dream, try waking up...
waking up...
π: 0 β©: 0
Yes, it is a creepy concept but see it happening now, not quite in this way but people do believe the illusion is real and the truth is illusion. I love the colours you worked into this. Awesome.
π: 0 β©: 0
Oh hey! This is the only piece I have ever nominated for a DD and it got it too. I just didn't notice until now. He he!
π: 0 β©: 0
I feel I don't even need that.. I have a substitution in my head already. I only need to close my eyes to immerse myself in it and enter the world inside my head.
π: 0 β©: 0
this piece greatly saddens me, because to a certain extent such substitution already 'exists' in the present. (speaking from experience)
atm our technology may not be so immersive, as shown in your picture, but it is still here behind a screen where you meet millions of people....
π: 0 β©: 0
well, u should watch the movie surrogants, it's pretty much that idea
π: 0 β©: 1
thats what i was thinking
π: 0 β©: 0
this is wild
A friend sent me to look because it made him think of some of my work
You are a fantastic story teller
π: 0 β©: 0
The thing I think about is what if hackers invaded your mind? 
π: 0 β©: 0
| Next =>