Lots of Volume

Week 14 -15

What Happens Next (2017) was an attempt to challenge my thinking and explore my own interests as a new media artist. It definitely stood up to the task and challenged every aspect of my workflow because I approached it as if it were an installation piece; where I would usually reflect on the material qualities and explore their possibilities. However, this medium made it harder for me to do so because it was difficult to isolate traits of the work that could be progressed due to the ideas I was trying to explore. During this process I explored variations in time, lighting, sound and the process between subject and artist. This in particular came down to the rules that I used to frame the possible outcomes of their behaviour on screen and gaining their trust as a videographer. 

Respectively, I did many variations of the work over the past few weeks and felt that it didn’t progress as much as I had hoped. The final work that I have displayed seems to be one variation of the work and has potential to have more impact with its engagement. In saying that, I do love the qualities this iteration has because I continued the positive aspects from my past attempts; while also introducing variation with multiple subjects per screen and  allowing them to leave when they desired.

Ultimately, I think sound was a very important aspect of my work because it added another layer of depth to the experience that I didn’t expect; especially because I have received many different responses to the concept and aesthetic of the sound. Along with this, it also becomes a representation of my research into body comportment and the cameras affect on human behaviour. However, I made the decision to compromise the sound quality for the reason that I really liked the intimacy created by the sound coming out of the portraits rather from a speaker above, below or behind. However, Mat pointed out that the television sound quality draws attention to the televisions as objects because it is quite recognisable. I actually hadn’t considered this aspect of the material and wish I had which I will continue to troubleshoot before the Grad Show next week.

Along with this, I also forgot to cover the green lights on the televisions which I hadn’t even noticed; even though I had covered the branding on the right of the television already. These are minor details but do have an impact on the result of the work, considering I had devised a way to cover the cords below for that same reason.

Other details that I need to consider:

Increasing the height of the television by 10 cm

Making sure they’re all level - this is something that I couldn’t change after installing because the holes must have been millimeters out.

Week 13

After to speaking to Jo last week I had the thoughts of incorporating more people into the working instead of having the continuous 4. I thought this would add another element that wouldn’t distract from the piece but enhance it’s concept because you would see the person enter and leave the frame. This is an exaggeration of the conventions of photography because what is important is what is in the frame and the reality can be cropped out. I decided to test this theory today and filmed a couple of people that I could later loop. This time I also gave them an opportunity to leave when they couldn’t do it anymore. This would create variation in how long people would be on screen for and reveal something about their personality. 

The empty chair

What was working and why:

The moments where one screen was black was effective and created tension

The variation in how long people were on screen for because then you would also see a variation of people on the screens at one-time

 Meg said she was intrigued because she was waiting for someone to leave and wondering who would be in next

What needs improving:

Realised that I had the back of the chair in the shot when they left the screen and that ruined the effect so I need to use a stool for the next iteration 

The mic would rub and create sounds when they would enter and leave which also looked horrible because I had to use the large wireless microphone

Lighting - Jo said that I should look into portrait lighting which I have considered but haven't looked into direct references.

I have had difficulty trying to expand on the work because I have also been trying to play with the materiality of the screens and their reflection. I think this was because that’s how I explored a lot with my last installations. In this work I love how there is a reflection on the wooden floor and wanted to incorporate that into my final work by having a shelf under them when I install. However, Mat said I was trying to throw too much at it which I did agree with but I think its because I haven’t been progressing as much as I would have liked and trying to find more. It has been difficult critically reflect on the work when I can’t figure out what can be pushed and a lot of the changes so far have been technical details.

Research: Portrait lighting

My focus of research for lighting was aimed at oil painting studio lighting because it is the important in contemporary photographic portrait as it is still used today and draws reference to the historical origins of portraits. Portrait was originally a representation of one’s power and status in society. Julia Margaret Cameron (1815-1879) being one of the first to challenge the conventions of portrait photography, even though she still lit her subject accordingly. 

Sir John Herschel, carbon print ca. 1875 by Julia Margaret Cameron (1815–1879) (Santa Barbara Museum of Art, purchased with funds provided by Photo Futures)

Major influence on portrait lighting was  Rembrandt’s van Rijn’s (1606-1669) paintings, also known as “Rembrandt lighting”.

Four major factors:

Produces a small triangular highlight on the shadow side of the face

It also allows for more texture in the image because it strikes the subject at a shallow angle 

Didn’t directly use backlighting but used background lighting effects to give his portraits depth and colour. 

He also used a vignette to centre the subject. Used a soft fill light 

Next week:  Because I only had one available day to film in the next weeks I decided to try film as many people as I could in that time. I organised the best times for people on that day and created a schedule. I also thought a day would work best because I could keep the composition consistent for each.  FILMING SCHEDULE

References: 

Week 12 

This week turned out to be extremely frustrating and disappointing because I was feeling hopeful about working with multichannel sound. However, even though I got it up and working (with the help from Jane) the result wasn’t what I expected and there were more negatives than positives. I wish I got to experiment more today in class but I had to take a few more photos for grad show and wasn’t allowed to stay back as the second years needed the space. What didn’t work and why:

The first impression of the surround sound experience was that it was a distraction from the visuals and felt completely separate because it was out of sync and distant from the screens. I tried moving them closer to the wall and next to the screens but they were distracting the visuals in a more physical sense this time. If I was able to maybe hang them I think it could work but this would still create distance between the sound and the screens. The sound coming from the portraits is a part of the experience that I think was really working.  If I were to use speakers I would need to have them plugged into the TV’s because the sound being out of sync doesn’t correlate with my purpose.

How I could fix the problem:

Thinking of making a contraption that can hide the speakers but thinking it may reduce the sound quality still. Imagining something like above but there would be holes for the sound to travel. It can also be a way of hiding the cords because the TV power cords aren’t super long and will need to go straight down so they look somewhat organised. It’s the only way I think that could make the speakers less distracting without having them on the roof. The experience from week one’s sound was underwhelming because it was spread out and distant because I put the speakers up so high. However, I want the sound to be closer to the images. 

Research:

“Throwing like a girl: A Phenomenology of Feminine Body Comportment Motility and Spatiality.” by Iris Young (1980)

Because I felt like I’m not progressing I decided I needed to expand my knowledge on the themes I’m exploring.

Two things that stood out for me while reading Iris Young’s essay was her statement on how the world around us influences our relationship to our body and environment in terms of becoming more spatially conscious. I think this is also known as body comportment and is something that I originally started exploring. She also explains that she analyses woman doing an everyday task rather than performative tasks such as dancing because  “accomplishing tasks is basic to the structure of human existence” (1980, p.140). This research definitely emphasised the characteristics that I “felt” were effective in communicating my idea such as the mundane task of chewing. However, it also emphasised the importance of the sound of the chewing because it reveals the relationship the subjects have with their body; them being in control and some exaggerating their own sounds.

Reference:

WEEK 11

This week I didn’t get the chance to install a work because I was reshooting the Grad Show profile images but did take the opportunity to ask a performer in our class to be a part of a test. Because I was limited on time and stuck for ideas this week I thought I would try the emotive performance idea. Stephanie Garner has been doing drama since high school and I knew she would take the task seriously so I took the opportunity to work with her. 

Before recording I spoke to Jo and she suggested bringing an element of storytelling into the work. She had the idea of having people think about different things that reveal different emotions and have text in between that suggested what they were thinking about. However, because the text is in between you wouldn’t know if it was about the person before or after. I thought this was an interesting idea but wasn’t sure it was the direction I wanted to go. The text in between seemed too obvious to me and I hadn’t yet recorded Steph doing her piece to see if the idea was going to work.

Like the others, I spoke to her about the idea I’m trying to convey and set up some rules so she had guidance for her performance. The main focus was influenced by a book I have recently been reading called, “The Little Book of Anxiety: Confessions from a Worried Life”. On part of this book got me thinking about existential crisis and how those thoughts can emotionally surface. The basic idea I explained to Steph was this:

“Think about death. Think about dying. Think about YOU dying. Realise that you are going to die one day, that there is no way you can halt this inevitable march to your own doom. You could die any minute. You could die now. Immerse yourself in the thought. Feel death hovering over you, ready to snatch you up at any second.” - Kerri Sackville

Reflection:

Positive: Steph did such an amazing job and watching her performance was really quite emotive because she’s looking right into your eyes.

What isn’t working: However, it feels like it could be apart of a separate work and isn’t meeting my original intentions. I’m glad I tried it because I would have continued to be curious. This iteration feels like it is connected to the idea of having someone sit there and it didn’t have the same effect as the chewing.

Next steps:

Next week I think I need to focus on sound because that is working and needs to be improved. As of late, I have been working with multichannel sound installations and thought maybe I could try a variation of this to enhance the experience. However, there may be issues with the output because I can’t sync them with the video and trying to connect all the speakers to the one computer because the cords are quite short. With the multichannel I could maybe explore movement and direction but not sure if this could be too overwhelming like first week. Research: 

WEEK 9

Is it possible “to capture the particular moment when that person is ultimately themselves.” - Rhetoric of the Pose

This week I filmed 4 people chewing gum for 5 minutes each. I think I have finally found something that is effective and engaging. Taking on last week's critical reflection, I decided chewing was the strongest element of last weeks experiment and it’s an everyday task that people don’t give much thought. However, after today’s experiment, the subjects said they forgot how to chew and started to become self-conscious of how they were chewing. This time I gave them similar rules:

Look at the camera

I will come get you when 5 minutes is up

The interesting part was that everyone had a different perception of time while completing the task. They either found it easy or felt like time was moving slowly and thought I had forgotten about them. Consequently, their body language and facial expressions communicate this effectively. 

How does it make you feel?

Compared to last week I had a lot more feelings when watching the events unraveling on screen. I felt curious and included while watching the four screens. By ‘included’ I mean I felt a connection to the work, like I was apart of it because they were looking at me and I was looking straight back at them.

How do you feel about particular aspects of the work? What do you like/dislike?

My favourite aspects of the work is the portrait orientation and how it sits against the white wall like a framed photo. I think the lighting was really effective but would like to improve on having a full black backdrop. That can down to technicalities. The chewing was engaging and I liked how you could see all four people at the one time unlike last week. This allowed you to compare them and the chewing motion created a rhythmic movement that linked them together. Sam said that he was intrigued by the work and continued to watch it because he was waiting to find out what was in their mouth as if they were to continue “snacking”. I think this is what made it effective also.

What possible paths could it develop along?

The elements from this week that are working and can be developed in the duration, so playing with time and the portrait orientation. However, I feel like sound can enhance the experience and clarify the focus of the work. Next week I think I will use a lavalier microphone so the sound of their chewing is recorded effectively can be isolated so I can increase its volume. In terms of duration I want to get them to chew for 20 min which I predict will exaggerate the effects on the subjects performance and also emphasise my questioning of human behaviour in front of the lens. Some of this idea has been influenced by Jan Fabre’s “Physiological performing exercises. “put them on stage in real time and real repetition and by time and repetition the content changes” - Jan Fabre

Jan Fabre is a visual and performing artist that and has been influential in the theatre establishment since the 1970’s because of his controversial performances. In the 1980’s Fabre one of the minds behind the “Flemish wave” which challenged the boundaries of theatre, opera, dance and performance art. His main  interest in performing arts was the ‘harsh reality of his body’ and mind which he called, physiological performing.  His 24 hour performance Mount Olympus (2015) is a performance that demonstrates performative endurance and the ideas of repetition over time. Even though, in my work I am not asking them to perform, the act of being on show while completing a task is going to initiate performance qualities at the beginning and there ‘performance’ will change over time. In association with that, the audience also participates by watching the performance unravel. References: 

http://www.troubleyn.be/eng/about-jan-fabre

Shusterman, R 2012, The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, Vol. 70, No. 1, SPECIAL ISSUE: THE MEDIA OF PHOTOGRAPHY (WINTER 2012), pp. 67-77.

WEEK 8

Today we did our first install of our project and used the “Six Thinking Hats” to reflect on the idea. We did this because when critiquing your own work, you can overlook important aspects that need attention or get stuck in  spot where you don’t know how to progress.Today I knew I wasn’t going to find a revolutionary work but knew I would be able to understand more of what drives the ideas behind the notion of ‘people-watching’. Using this method of critical thinking did help with this process. However, I didn’t get as much feedback as hoped and I don’t know if that is because I was the first to go and people weren’t completely sure of how to use the hats or because they didn’t understand my work or it just didn’t have anything interesting to engage with.

TYPES OF HATS

Blue: Management of the Hats and when to wear them and how long they should be worn. The equivalent of the meeting chairperson.

White: Information, research, facts, no opinions/neutral.

Context - Andy Warhol

Jeurgon scene in 66 scenes from America

Photography being a performative process - awareness of camera and actions

Red: Feels. This is the hat from which to voice intuition, feelings, emotions, ‘I (dis)like that’ – and without justification. Be careful not to slip from emotion to criticism.

Majority of the feedback was about the aesthetic of the video. This was mainly the lighting which made the subjects stand out and look like they were in a painting. This could also because they were the only moving element in the scene.

Uncomfortable because of scale and the eating. This may have also been emphasised by the sound.

Reminds me of Bill Viola’s moving image artworks - could be a good step in my progress of research

Yellow: Positive thinking, what is working, what is good about a project and why.

The painting aesthetic is effective 

Green: Creative thinking. How could we develop/change, identify and mine opportunities Lateral thought and extension of project.

What else can I do?

Experiment with lighting

Someone suggested zooming in on the mouth because they are eating and it made people feel quite uncomfortable.

Refinement of the details such as having a clean background, focus and lighting.

Could try filming more everyday tasks like brushing teeth and brushing hair, etc. 

Black: Criticism, Evaluation, Logic, Caution

Where am I going to take it?

Mat said that the sound became a distraction from the video and lost focus of my intention which was to watch the characteristics of the subjects. This is a criticism that I agreed with because I wasn’t very happy with how the work engaged with the audience and made me feel. It wasn’t as interesting to engage with like I expected and I think this is partly to do with the scale and the setup of the sound. The sounds were mainly the bag scrunches, rather than chewing which is what I originally wanted. I think there is potential for the sound to be an interesting quality of the work and the ideas that revolve around chewing and bodily fluid which people usually find more intimate and vulnerable. Vulnerability is something that definitely lies within the work as a experience of the subject performing and how the audience engages them. 

Further research: Bill Viola

Decided to look into Bill Viola because I felt like his ideas and execution resonates with my intentions. My work seemed to hold a similar portrait aesthetic because of the lighting I created, unlike the flat lighting that Juegon used in his scene. I think this is an aspect that I would like to explore as my ideas link directly with photography and it was the most effective aspect this week. 

Bill Viola is recognised for his unique and revolutionary use of video and pioneer of new media arts. I am drawn to his works because they explore the sensory qualities of human experience and investigates the importance of human connection. He also executes the work poetically as a way to “search for a deeper understanding of the world around us.”

Video/Sound installation. Seven channels of colour High-Definition video on seven 65" plasma displays mounted vertically on wall in darkened room; four channels stereo sound

His work, The Dreamers 2013, stands out to me because it plays with the perception of time which in turn has produced a work that reflective of renaissance portraiture. It also works in relation to what Viola calls “music” which is a sound piece that imitates the illusion of being under water. I think this sound exaggerates the sensory experience that Viola was initially set out to achieve and really love its influence on the imagery. If the sound next week has the same impact I think it would be beneficial to pursue it further.

Interesting aspects of Bill Viola’s work:

Relies on the language of the face and body - whether this is body language or the familiarity with human interaction and reading facial expressions. This encourages self-reflection “as well as expressing the universality of our experiences and articulating metaphysical issues about our place in the world.”

Elegant way to presenting an idea

His work evokes us to "Reimagine what we know about portraiture” - not just a representation of what it is or who it is. Something can be further explored because a portrait can become a instance to reflect on ourselves.

Other references: 

http://npg.si.edu/exhibition/bill-viola-moving-portrait

https://www.artsy.net/artwork/bill-viola-the-dreamers

Next week: 

Make the size smaller and make them portrait size - maybe use tv’s as they have a frame. 

Black backdrop 

WEEK 3 

Guest Lecture: Warren Leung / Leung Chi Wo 

This week we had the opportunity to learn about Warren Leung’s practice and his creative process as an artist which ranges from photography, video to text, performance and installation. The main aspects that his process depended on was research and the relationship he has with the concept. To find a connection with works that are quite distant from his history and values, he uses research to explore every possibility of the context which he later cuts back to refine his final product. Warren is an international Hong Kong based artist, his work being featured in the first Hong Kong pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 2001 and many other major international museums such as Tate Modern and Manchester. The notes I took this week about Leung’s artworks and advise are ones that I thought were more relevant to me and also what made his practice unique, demanding and emotionally driven.

Growing up in Hong Kong his identity has never been certain and has explored this in his practice, stating that;

 “identity isn’t natural but can be acquired” - Warren Leung

He also spoke about his work usually doesn’t speak about anything personal and thinks rationally about how his is presenting an idea. This is why research plays a major role in his practice because there is purpose for everything that he executes.

“Not to make a statement but to present facts that people can relate to and make their own judgement and perspective” 

Shenzhen Mine 1973 (1973 first time the artist visited Shenzhen)

4 clinical records in frames (enlarged and covered by Maps)

Information was about himself but couldn’t really connect with it - information hard to understand

Map - based on memory of his Mum - clinics along the river

Magazine - Cultural Revolution 1973 and tried to project through it but after experimentation he wasn't able to do it. To make it more interesting he including a children's text book

Even though he was unable to project through it, he used a fan so the projection could be revealed (sound for movie produced by students).

Used a coin as a button to initiate interaction and a path of story telling (Free Trade Hall  - coin button 1996 | Democracy)

Listening to Warren describe the steps he took to execute the final product of this work was really interesting because many of his decisions were well-defined before he started constructing materials. His research defined what he would use and how they were speak to each other. This worked for him because it is a cultural piece that uses contextual materials to tell a story. They came together to construct a particular perspective but there is also the opportunity to the viewer to ask more questions. 

Bright light has much the same effect as ice*

Installation of text, light boxes, original artifacts and refrigerating system, dimensions variable, 2012

Title is from a direct quote

Started with weather in Hong Kong - lowest was 0 C in 1893

No snow/ frost from 1976 to 2000

Needed to do an archival search

Newspaper writing - the article in the paper about how beautiful the day was - needed to find evidence which would be photographs (rare)

Pun Lun - Studio (could have taken picture at the time)

Could only find portraits by Studio

1893 Hong Kong 5 cents coin - how to represent cold weather with only one image that isn’t evidence of the weather

He froze the coin and had to press the button (have to hold it down to reveal the writing - feel the cold - feel the weather)

Portraits - need to find someone looking at camera - person looking at camera is looking at photographer who has seen the snowy mountain

Light boxes  - found old photograph from 1860 - vintage  - mirror - juxtaposed to photograph as the photographer didn’t touch that card

4 boxes - technical limitation (wanted a big light box)

unavoidable - now one person is missing - really open (who is the person?)

Engraved text on glass - button switches of light to read text

Week 7 

This week I filmed Shaun, Josh and Meg eating a hamburger so it is ready for installation next week. I’m starting by replicating Juergen’s scene with Andy Warhol, from his film “66 scenes from America”. I’ve decided it’s my first step to understanding what fascinates me about the scene and the performative aspects of different characters. I’m hoping to find aspects of the first iteration that will be worth pursuing further and elaborating on.

Like Juergen’s set I used very plain composition which was just a table and coloured wall. However, I imagined the lighting to be more dramatic than his flat scene so I used one light on a angle and bounced a fill on the other side. I put the lights a the widest angle I could so I didn’t light the back drop because I wanted the subject to stand out.  I gave them 3 rules to give them guidance but the rest was up to them to decide.

RULES:

Look into the camera while eating

Eat the hamburger and when you finish say “My name is… and I just ate a hamburger”

Leave once you have finished.

At the moment I am really not quite sure what I think of the result. The first impression is the obvious differences in how the three approach the situation and compose themselves in front of the camera. However, because I do know them personally I can also see how they have become more performative in their actions or more aware of their actions.

Further reading: Because my work was originally inspired by the concepts of photography I looked further into photography and the impact of a camera on its subject.

“It is to affirm imposture as the condition of portraiture.” - pretending to be someone else to deceive other

"The portrait is not just a picture of a person, but a picture of a person on view, poised to be looked at. The element of arranged appearance is built into the genre." p. 16

Coming back to Roland Barthes:

“In front of the lens, I am at the same time: the one I think I am, the one I want other to think I am, the one the photographer thinks I am, the one he makes use of to exhibit his art.” - Roland Barthes

Eg. This Photography is My Proof

The hand - written text is positioned below the photograph, transform the photograph into a statement on photography and its role as a medium ie. “their integrity as documents”.

This photograph is an example of theatricalisation of one’s self which is understood as factual and “real” because it is documented. The irony however, the writing below transforms the meaning of the work, becoming more of an interpretation and the writers need to “prove” his love within the relationship.

Sayre states that “the writer insist too much on the onetime viability of his love life, making us wonder if his relationship with the woman in the picture was ever as “good” as he imagined it to be, the photographic image is itself revealed to be an agent of dissimulation, an accomplice in his apparent self-deception.”

Meaning, what I’m trying to gain from my first documentation of the 3 subjects eating is to create a position of the subjects to “perform” which becomes documentation of what they proposed they are and want people to see. When I install next week I am interested to see how people interpret each subject, even though are all completing the same task. Because we all know each other I wonder if people will notice the differences in their performances and the characteristics that make them stand other to the others. 

Photography as a Performative Process

NOTES: 

Somaesthetics - related to bodily perception, performance and presentation - coined by Richard Shusterman - and its potential for enhanced artistic use and aesthetic experience.

Shusterman speaks directly about a human subject aware of being photographed and “willing to be”.

Eg. Diane Arbus - Freaks + Pariahs

She is skilled in getting subjects to want to be photographed

“subjects… one would not expect to surrender themselves to amiably and generously to the camera... To get these people to pose, the photographer has had to gain their confidence.” - Susan Sontag 

Apart of my process in the next coming shoots is creating a relationship between my subjects and myself. This can impact the result of their performance on camera and because it’s not just a photograph it can be a bit daunting for some. Already I have realised that they ask a lot of questions about my rules and purpose before starting and there is a bit of conversation before hand to get them comfortable.

References: 

Photography as a performative process by Richard Shusterman

Sayre, M 1975, ‘The Rhetoric of the Pose Photography and the Portrait as Performance’, in The Object of Performance: The American Avant-Garde Since 1970 University of Chicago Press pp35-65

How will I display  them next week? Why?

This week I started with a practical experiment that was inspired by David Hockney's Polaroid Composition. The main focus was trying to replicate the segmented images using different photos taken over a period of time and creating a full composition. I wanted to combine this with my curiousity of musician practice and the act of performing.

“In front of the lens, I am at the same time: the one I think I am, the one I want other to think I am, the one the photographer thinks I am, the one he makes use of to exhibit his art.” - Roland Barthes I spoke to Jane about my ideas and we had the thought of photographing her PRACTICING, PLAYING and PERFORMING.

Result:

REFLECTION:

The step into photography based work started when I looked further into Chuck Close’s practice and his use of daguerrotype portraits and large format polaroid formats. Chuck Close (1940) being an artist known for reinvigorating the art of portraiture, uses rules or process as the foundation of all his work. In his most recent work, Hollywood Portfolio (2014), Close used his polaroid camera to capture celebrities using 5 main rules. 1. Arrive alone or with one close friend or associate

2. Be available for three hours

3. Be responsible for your own look - no professional styling or hair or makeup

4. Be content with coffee and deli sandwiches or salads - nothing fancy will be served

5. Get to the studio under your own steam

Due to this, his subjects would sometimes be defensive because his direction could come off “unflattering”. These images were controversial because they didn’t glamorise the celebrities, portraying them as ordinary people. Ultimately, Close emphasised the role of photography in today’s society by forcing us to “approach them differently”(Sayre 1975, p.38).

In many ways, my research somehow brings me back to Andy Warhol. His Screen Tests in particular grabbed my attention this time. His Screen Tests are a series of 500 short 5 minute portrait films that documented the persona of celebrity characters. They were created between 1964-1966 when he was discovering his “revolutionary vision of celebrity” (MOMA, 2017). Similarly to Close, Warhol proposed rules, instructing them not to move and look into the camera. This implementation of rules constructed an opportunity for the subject to react; Edie Sedgwick in particular doing the complete opposite, spinning on his chair for the duration. Ultimately he revealed the personalities of his subjects and the camera’s presence as a performative tool. Along with this, Warhol experimented with lighting and shadow to alter the appearance, style and mood of his subjects.

Following this, Jorgen Leth constructed a similar scene in his film, “66 scenes from America” 1981. This scene was a continuous shot of Warhol eating a hamburger for 4 min and at the end he says “I am Andy Warhol and I just ate a hamburger”. Surprisingly, by giving Warhol a task to complete on screen a character is presented to the viewer more than ever before. There is this vulnerable aspect of eating or drinking that is associated with etiquette and judgement when doing so, let alone on camera.

Jane brought  to my attention an article, “Throwing like a Girl” which brings up these topics of self-awareness while completing tasks and the association we have with particular actions. This is an idea that I think has potential and want to take it further.

PROPOSAL:

I  will start by filming a couple of people eating a burger and recreating Andy Warhol’s scene. By doing so, I hope to find more questions to explore about the presentation of the work and if it can become more interactive. I also want to see if this will be different when using people who don’t feel comfortable camera and how their performance is altered. This may also reveal the performative characteristics of other persona’s. 

Other rules:

Experiment 1: Eating a banana

Experiment 2: Eating a burger/drinking

WEEK 5

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Art - you can’t have the end thought”

For the past few weeks I have been trying to gather artworks that I believe tell a story of my practice but also use them to define my intention as an artist. Because I have not been completely certain of what I do, writing the artist statement has been quite a challenge. I seem to have phases of interest where I transition from project to project and finding what motivates those projects has been my main goal for the week. I started by locating works that will define what I do in this moment in time and have challenged me over the past years. The Little Sail Boat 2016

The Little Sail Boat (2016) is a short animation that was my attempt to introduce traditional drawings to the digital form. Many of my animations reflect a personal experience, being formed as a type of poem constructed from emotions and my interpretation of social encounters. I leave this work up to your interpretation but in general the sound design and aesthetic were aimed to construct an empty world, relying on the chain reaction of other influences.

Sunnyside 2017 

I want this work to be my main work that drives the story because it’s something that I’m the proudest of at this moment in time and would love to make more documentaries in this style.

A short music documentary I directed, filmed, animated and edited. A music video I created to capture the connection between two best friends and their moments in their shred shed. They've been playing together for about a year but have been friends for much longer. My main motivation behind the animation was to visualise the chemistry between Jarrod and Kevin during their performance.

A Study of Choreography for Dance 2016

This screen work was inspired by Maya Deren's,  A Study in Choreography for Dance (1945).  Performed by Tash Korman, this piece was designed to reveal the materiality of the film medium by replicating Deren's illusion of time and space manipulation. Set across three screens, the dancer seems to effortlessly leap through each space in a single moment in time. Directing was key factor in this work, having to control the timing of the dancer's in and out movements and where she was in the space as she leaves the screen.

This is my Proof 2016

This is my Proof (2016) is an interactive installation that explores the vulnerability of materialism. Objects I had collected over my lifetime became specimens in jars and displayed in a mysterious set of drawers; each labelled by name and why I kept it. In each drawer a singular jar would flicker and become brighter as the distance between the viewer and object moved closer. This is made possible by the use of infrared sensors and an arduino.

Going through my artworks helped me narrow down what story I wanted to tell through my online portfolio. I’m not the strongest writer and looking at other artists I knew that I needed my statement to be third personal but also somewhat humorous in its character because I want to “seem” approachable. I started by writing down what has always gained my interest and what has driven the artworks above. I also wrote down practitioners I admire and why. What interests me?

Started drawing - fascinated with details - eyes mainly - they tell every story 

I believe there is no one way of telling a story

I love a challenge

Interested in other people creative process - music videos

Faces - people’s stories, connection between people, chain of reaction

Practitioners: Chuck Close, Andy Warhol (why?)

Interested in other people creative process

I like collaboration

Portraiture - reflecting the truth

I then started to write my introduction for my statement but I would get stuck every time I would try to define what I did exactly because I also didn’t want to say I did everything. 

Jasmine Ryan believes there is no one way of telling a story...

using video, photography, installation and animation to... She enjoys a project that challenges her creative thinking which drives her creative practice as a new media experimentalist.

Jasmine Ryan is a cinematographer and a photographer who is interested in capturing the clockwork of how people think and act in society.  

Influenced by Chuck Close through his process of constructing a persona that reflects an authentic self.

Jane was quite helpful with solidifying my practice. We discussed my passions, projects and intentions which allowed me to ground what I needed to express through my statement.

By the end of the day, I had a draft I was quite fond of.

DRAFT:

Jasmine Lee Ryan is a new media artist, who frequently indulges in videography, animation and interactive installation. Growing up as a left-hander she has always been unique, finding opportunities to challenge her mind and explore the minds of others. Many of her works have blossomed from her desire to push the potential of an idea which are usually linked to the concept of creative passion and human interaction. Her most recent work, The Island, is a collaborative installation that was an exploration of human sustainability. Using a sequence of light and sound interaction, the work was able to exist without an audience and perform in relation to its surroundings. This work, like many others, was influenced by Olafur Eliasson’s idea of the “experience machine”.

She uses elements of her relationship with many of her projects to formulate a unique aesthetic that aims to ...  

Today, Tomorrow, Yesterday 

WEEK 4

This week we went to an exhibition at MCA Gallery called Today, Tomorrow, Yesterday which “considers the impact of the past and the influence of history on artistic practice today.” It was interesting to not just look at the works but also explore the curatorial decisions that went into the structure of the exhibition. Each room had underlying themes, with different perspectives on the history of the present. The title being inspired by the book, The Prophet:

“…yesterday is but to-day’s memory, and to-morrow is to-day’s dream”

The works that stood out were in the first room because of how they were paired and complimented each other. It was a valuable exhibition to be able to physically encounter these works in relation to other works and made me start thinking about the ways I should approach my project. It gave me a chance to see how the artists executed their concepts through physical forms and materials. 

Passing Time 2011

sculpture, single-channel digital video, sound, colour, loop

This work sat in the entrance corner, lower than knee level and many people missed it. It was a video sculpture created by Hossein Valamanesh and his son Nasseim Valamanesh. The work is a single screen work that features Hossein’s thumbs and forefingers repetiviely looping and touching to form an infinity sign. His hands seemed to be floating in a space of black as the you look down into the black box to see the screen. Valamanesh explains this perspective to create intimacy and provide an opportunity for the viewer to view the screen from different angles. 

What techniques did Valamanesh use and why? 

Aged hands: Passing of time which is reflected in the physical deterioration of the body

Lighting of the hands: Focus on the hands as the object of reference. The blackness around the hands drops away and the empty space is observed as irrelevant to the movement of the object. However, it has been suggested that its may also represent “the universe and the sweep of space and time that is beyond human comprehension”. 

Repetition (never ending): The endless loop alludes to the infinity symbol and its relationship with ‘passing time’ as to make a statement on mortality and the existence of life after death. Asking the philosophical questions of purpose and what are we doing with our time? Are we wasting time? Filling in time? Making the most of it? 

After looking further into this work I also found it interesting that it was also referenced in relation to Andy Warhol’s film Sleep (1964) which also explores passing time and movement. The 40 minute film documents Warhol’s friend, John Giorno as he sleeps. This film cuts from different angles of Giorno and slowly zooms in closer as he breathes softly, his chest moving up and down and his little movements become mesmerising. 

Untitled (Clock) 2014 

clockwork, tubular bells, world globe, steel, glass, electronics

This installation work was installed right in the centre of the same room as ‘Passing Time 2011’ and was made by Stuart Ringholt. Ringholt not only resized a traditional living room clock but also compressed the time it tells. 

“An hour on this clock passes in 45 minutes, a day in 18 hours.”

“WHAT WOULD BE THE BIOLOGICAL REALITY OF PLANET EARTH ROTATING ONCE EVERY EIGHTEEN HOURS INSTEAD OF TWENTY-FOUR? THAT’S THE FICTIONAL PROPOSITION OF THE CLOCK. YOU HAVE LESS TIME, BUT YOU HAVE MORE DAYS IN THE YEAR. SO THERE’S A SENSE OF LOSING SOMETHING, AND ALSO GAINING SOMETHING. WITH AN 18-HOUR CLOCK THERE’S A LOT MORE YESTERDAYS.” - Stuart Ringholt, 2013

In the back of the clock there is a globe and large gears which were designed to rotate and keep time to a different reality where there are more days in the year but less hours in the day. He speaks about the notion of running out of time and its relationship with ageing. 

I felt that these two works in the same space really worked together, not only because of their themes but because their movement and sound synchronises with the others movement. 

On another note: 

A work I had seen before was installed differently at this exhibition which was One Hour Laugh 2009. It was a video work that documents 4 artists laughing for an hour which moves through different stages as its starts as genuine laughter to strain, embarrassment and boredom and even becoming fake. When I first witnessed this work it was on a small iPad in an open space with some headphones attached. This time it was installed in a blackbox cinema space, the screen filling the whole wall and the laughter echoing out into the room. This was a very different experience because the performers were now life sized and their movements and sounds were more clearly defined than when I was watching it on a small screen. I found myself looking around the screen and focusing on different characters as they laughed and was able to follow the activity. When compared to the iPad screen, it was less isolating and allowed me to relax in the space because I wasn’t feeling like someone else was waiting to watch it. 

Other images from the exhibition

WEEK 2

To begin the class this week we started with defining what theory is and its relationship with research. We also asked the questions of how research can support theory and theories purpose to our practice.

WHAT IS THEORY?

In reference to Terry Eagleton’s textbook, “Literary Theory: An Introduction” a definition of theory was defined as a system for thinking that shapes a practice. A process of thinking about something and how we interact with it (practice).  Chloe also brought up a interesting way of defining theory stating, “a system of discourses surrounding a practice”. Theory allows us to contemplate and speculate through the creative process. Meaning we are able to make well-formed reflections but then also explore possibilities and other ways of doing things. This may mean disassembling an object or an idea to reconstruct it, to therefore establish another way of thinking about it. However, theory is empty without research because it contextualises and influences a theory. While talking about this topic I linked this to Einstein’s thought experiments which were conceptual experiments rather than actual experiments to explore the characteristic of light which later developed his theory of Special Relativity. I thought this related because these experiments were the way Einstein was able to explore different possibilities of thinking about light which was apart of his process in developing his practice.

THINKING ABOUT THE FUTURE

Using Eagleton’s Introduction as a template we discussed ideas around the concept of “future” which is our introduced theme for the final semester. For this, I brought in Andy Warhol’s quote;

"In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes"

I found this statement interesting, not because of that is is saying but because of how we make predictions about the future, even though it is not relevant to where we are now. Chloe brought the the point of there being no future and this became a foundation for how we started to thinking about what the future is.

NOTES THAT STUCK:

The future is irrelevant because there is no future as the future will always become the present and past.

Future is a theory. Meaning it isn’t proven to exist

Future is the present and past meeting

“What lies in the darkness at the end of the rainbows? The answer comes without the slightest hesitation: other people’s minds.” - meaning the future is contextual - it is different for every individual, culture and generation. This idea was generated by thinking about how our relatives imaged the future and how our generation doesn’t imagine the future the same way.

“The impact of the past and  the influences of history on art practice today”.

Can we dictate the future but will we?

“TIME” - keyword

DOING THEORY AGAIN

If there is such a thing as documentary theory, then it would seem obvious that there is something called documentary which it is the theory of. We can begin, then, by raising the question: what is documentary?

What is it about documentary that interests me? What is at risk?

John Grierson defined documentary  as “creativity of actuality”

Portrayal of a perspective of an event/situation/moment in time

Observation of life

The definition of documentary says something that it is not. Meaning there are underlying issues with documentary that filmmakers have addressed since its development.

Reconstruction is inevitable as not everything can be/is captured when it happens

All attempts to record reality is affected as people act differently when they are on camera

“I think that the truth is what you actually come away with at the end of seeing a film. I mean it’s your truth that you’re seeing. Everybody who makes a film is putting their own truth on screen” - Diane Tammes

eg.

Wolves - David Douglas 1999

http://99percentinvisible.org/episode/sounds-natural/

I recently came across a podcast that explores the controversial characteristics of documentary that people refuse to accept as an art of telling a story. Over the years there have been many issues with documentaries constructing events to sell as ‘the truth. However, the most recent years directors have recognised the importance of factual accuracy and detail to documentary. In saying this, due to the limitation there are still aspect of documentary that need to be created to tell a complete story. This mainly impacts the sound design of the film because high quality sounds are not always accessible during filming and the audience has expectations of what sounds they hear in relation to images they see.

“They are assuming they are seeing the truth … things that are authentic and genuine.”

In the context of entertainment and ‘the truth’, sound design has a responsibility to tell a story and produce an experience that suspends the audiences disbelief. In the case of Wallee, the film depended on sound to evoke emotions and create a fictional world. The sounds were designed to feel right and tell a story. On the other hand, in documentary the truth of sound design is controversial because the audience doesn’t expect to be fooled.

However, as Richard Hinton explained, the foley has been shaped by what people expect to hear. The creation of an illusion is a part of filmmaking and without this, the experience and the story is jeopardised. For example, the sound of an elephant walking actually produces little to no sound but a heavy thud is expected which makes the audience quite uncomfortable when it is not heard.

WEBSITE RESEARCH

Peter Mckinnon

http://www.petermckinnon.com/

(NOTE: Since I last looked at his website, Peter McKinnon has changed his format)

Peter Mckinnon is a professional cinematographer and photographer based in Canada who loves to tell stories and his work bring extraordinary attention to detail which is reflected in his website. What I really liked about his site was the large quotes and high quality images on his homepage that was a continuous scroll template. It provided a particular feel and aesthetic that complimented his professional flare and made it easy to navigate and understand what he does.

Chris Anderson

http://chrisandersondesign.info/

After going through all the websites provided I continued to come back to Chris Anderson’s website because it was simple, easy to navigate and professional. He had sectioned his categorise for his practice effectively as projection or design which made his purpose clear. I loved the way his projects are large images placed out in a grid format that allow you to scroll through them. And once you chose a project more information about the work was provided and more images to scroll through that documented his process important aspects.

I also realised that both these website had high quality profile images that appeared on the first page which created a more powerful and personal experience than many other websites I had seen. This is one element that I want to focus on for my website.

My next steps:

Profile picture

Purpose: Storyteller

Skills:

Animation, interactive installation, videography, documentary (telling stories about others), 3D modelling

WEEK 1 

 The relationship between craft, art and research.

This week we used Venn diagrams to explore the relationship between craft, art and research. We started to playing around with how these factors overlapped because in some way, everything leads to art but also revealed that context is always needed to define art (I use always lightly).

This diagram wasn’t set in stone but a starting point of thinking about art and our practice. Mat gave us the direct example of drawing, stating that a great drawing could not be art. That is to say that someone could have mastered the craft of drawing but their work could not be considered art. The art of drawing therefore needs to be influence by context, research and intention. This contrasts with the definition of craft as “A basic human impulse: the desire to do a job well for its own sake.”

This brought us to Chuck Close, an artist that started paints from photographs which was controversial when he started in the 1960′s. 

I am fond of this quote by Chuck Close:

“Inspiration is for amateurs; the rest of us just show up and get to work. If you wait around for the clouds to part and a bolt of lightning to strike you in the brain, you are not going to make an awful lot of work. All the best ideas come out of the process; they come out of the work itself. Things occur to you.”

Chuck’s process links greatly to craft as a set of steps and set goal. During our discussion in class we described craft to have a desired aesthetic, a set outcome. So what makes his work art? His process is so particular that another artist, Scott Blake was able to create script for photoshop that could turn any photo into a Chuck Close painting. This ultimately arises the question of reproduction and its role as “art”. 

This relationship with process creates an interesting connection between Close’s work and definition of craft. His method departs “from the idea of expression or representation” but does something to the form of art making. The final result of Close’s work is amazing and reveals itself at the end which wouldn’t have surfaced without his dedication to process.

WHAT DID OUR MEDA301 PROJECT LACK? (CRAFT, RESEARCH, PROCESS)

I’d say that our work needed a little more research as a way of contextualising the piece. Throughout the process we constantly iterated and developed the technicalities of how it worked. But we also used results as a way of evaluating the next step but I think more contextual research could have taken the work in another direction or even elevated our origin project.

WHAT WAS TECHNOLOGY’S ROLE IN THE WORK?

Technology was used in our work as an instrument. A tool used to connect our materials and engage with the audience.

It was important to develop our knowledge and skills with the arduino’s and sound software to be able to understand it’s possibilities as a material. This allowed us to manipulate it more easily and therefore explore the results as a possible direction.

We asked a lot of questions today that weren’t meant to be answered but got us thinking about what we do as artists.

In this final week, we decided to focus on polishing up the product and getting the feedback loop at its first iteration.  On Monday, I spoke to Glenn about the best way to go about starting the code. He suggested using the Analog Serial Read again and combining it with the keyboard message press code. However, I think Jane and I were overthinking the process so we returned to Glenn for a push. 

                                                 First major iteration 

                                            Second and final iteration

 However, the effect wasn’t what we expected and required us to reflect on where we wanted this to go. Because the code was creating a metronome effect rather than a natural rhythm which we were originally developing. Due to this, we altered the code so there were no ‘else if’ statements, meaning more than one button could be played for a value instead of stopping at the first value the code read through and we overlapped some of the values. We had to iterate a lot of the values to find the right threshold. We also played with the delays on each sound so they wouldn’t play perfectly after one another which was part of the reason it was creating that metronome effect. 

At this point, we are happy we pushed the code to meet our original intentions but definitely think if we spent more time on the variables, we could create a more natural rhythm to the work again. Even thinking about how we could get the audience to interact with the lights and not just the sound. Maddie also spoke about adding projections on either side of the room which I think is something we could have tested as a way of exploring the space. I think it would also definitely change at a greater scale and being scattered across the entire room.

While installing the work this week we altered our materials so they seemed less visible. We chose to use fishing wire to hang the shades, painted the light cords black and painted the floating table a grey that matched the floor. We chose to do this because we wanted to mainly focus on the pots and lampshades as the materials because we did have the choice of leaving all the wires and cords visible. The floating floor also added to the illusion and gave a start and an end to the work. Maya also brought in cushions because we spoke about how we would sit around the work and listen to it. While sitting around it with a group of friends, it felt like we were sitting around a fire and was quite social and calming. However, Mat also spoke about how this arrangement also designed a space where the audience is waiting for the work to perform and held back that interaction with the work. I think this was a good point because the work never really has a start or an end and there is no real climax and I think this does leave the audience waiting for something more to happen.  Overall, really happy with our last arrangement because it did change every time we reinstalled it but this time the cluster of pots and cluster of lampshades seemed a bit more organised (organised mess). I did start to iterate the arrangement of the lampshades the day after we set up because they seemed unbalanced and the lampshade with the light in it wasn’t bright enough so we swapped that around. It did make a big difference to the structure of the work. 

RESULT: 

Maya made a small video to document our process and set up of the work. 

This week I felt really good about what we achieved because all our ideas came together but there is so much more work to do; the possibilities are endless. 

MATERIALS USED: 

4 incandescent light bulbs 

3 relay module chords 

Arduino 

Multiple lampshades

Grey sheet

Today we arranged the lampshades in more of a cluster and got 2 of the lights working with the Arduino. We trialled the grey sheet on the ground and also clustered the pots and pans in the centre of it which formed a more enclosed installation. This did change the dynamic of the installation because you weren’t able to walk through it and only around it. 

WHAT WE NEED TO FURTHER CONSIDER:

Arrangement of lamps in cluster - needs to look complete from all sides now that it is a 360 work

The arrangement of pots - do we want them to disperse a bit more so that are a bit more spread out.  I think we need to question what we want from the sound because it has changed now that we can’t walk through the pots. 

Mat did mention that he felt like there needed to be whispers coming from the corners of the room like there is a haunted phenomenon occurring. It was hard to ignore this aspect once it was pointed out and would be interesting to play with and expand the space again.

We decided we needed a light that was constant to bring focus to the centre of the room but also to outline the shape of the objects. The pots lost their purpose when we could only see the flash of the lamp shades. 

The placement of the pots on the sheet seemed out of place and restricted the viewer from moving in closer. Mat suggested we should place them on a type of stage but we weren’t sold on having a square shape due to how the lampshades created a circular/cone like figure. Maddie said she’d be able to make something for next week and we measured the diameter we had created today. I also had the thought that if we had it at a certain height we would be able to also hide the laptop under the stage so the work is by itself in the space.

This week I came to class ready to test the code and used little LED lights as a prototype. It seemed to work well but needed to play with the threshold on the sensitivity of the microphone so both lights were flicking on and off separately. At first, we thought it was how loud the sound was that was triggering the lights but this seemed inconsistent and thought maybe it was a frequency that it was actually calculating. We adjusted our numbers to suit the frequency of the dripping recordings but this didn’t trigger the lights at all and went back to our original numbers. 

I then spoke to Glen about how we would go about using this with light bulbs and he suggested using this cord (below) to switch the light bulb. All we had to do was replace the LED’s with wires that connected to the adaptor. We brought in a few lamp cords and light bulbs but was advised by Glenn that this would only work with incandescent light bulbs. Luckily, we had one and used this to test the effect of the light bulb in our installation. 

We were really happy with the result and will be interesting to see how it looks when we get a couple hanging in the lampshades. One thing that we did notice was the delay on the sound recordings so Jane said she would shorten the clips so the sounds aren’t so delayed. Glenn also only has 3 chords that we can use for the circuit so can only make 3 lights interact but will see how we go next week.

The experiment today was effective and the interaction brought back in our mesmerising qualities that we saw in our second week. I think it enhanced the experience because the visual stimulation interacts with the existing sound and surprises the eyes. There is also this realisation when the viewer speaks and disrupts the lights and they realise the sound is causing the interaction and not just programmed to sync.

Related artwork:

Delusion interactive light installation

. This installation turns tubes into virtual dynamic objects by light projection and sensors. The audience can communicate with the installation through the sensors which are situated in the tubes.  The lights tell a story, and the audience is asked to experience the virtual journey through a variety of chapters but their movement triggers the next step in the journey. It was originally inspired by fuel rods from nuclear power plants. Our interaction we experimented with today resembles this artworks quality. In this sense, the audience becomes a part of the work but the work is also working by itself because the dripping sound can also trigger the light.

NEED TO CONSIDER FOR NEXT WEEK: 

Will we want the wires to be visible? I suggested that we hide the wires because I think it adds to the curiosity and illusion. The wires also all head in one direction, towards the laptop and it’s not as aesthetically appealing as saying having the wires spreading out all around the work. 

How will we cover the wires? We brainstormed ways we could effectively cover the wires. We thought maybe using a sheet or leftover carpet. Meaning, we would have to drill holes in the pots so the wires could be invisible. There are also issues with this because Jane can’t destroy all her kitchen equipment. We also considered the colour of the material because a black would take away the shadows that we really liked about the work. And a thin white sheet wouldn’t cover the wires completely.