THE DIGITAL DIVIDE'S OTHER SIDE!
A truly amazing video short showing the possibilities inherent in digital/physical union manifested in perfect balance with motion and time!
Fashion photographer and filmmaker Jacob Sutton put Artec pro snowboarder William Hughes in a completely self luminous LED suit, courtesy of designer and electronics whizz John Spatcher, and shot him in Red Epic Digital video skiing down the slopes of Tignes, in the Rhône-Alpes region of south-eastern France, at night in total pitch-black darkness. This is a truly daredevil stunt to make a big impression, one of the most important aspects of a viral video.
Makes me wonder how long it will be before we see corporate logos scrolling across suits like this in similar viral videos? Regardless, It's a beautiful piece with wonderful allusions to personal privacy and freedom issues in the great dark void ( the internet perhaps?) Talk about suffering for your art!
"I was really drawn to the idea of a lone character made of light surfing through darkness," says Sutton of his costume choice. "I've always been excited by unusual ways of lighting things, so it seemed like an exciting idea to make the subject of the film the only light source." Sutton, who has created work for the likes of Hermès, Burberry and The New York Times, spent three nights on a skidoo with his trusty Red Epic camera at temperatures of -25C to snap Hughes carving effortlessly through the deep snow, even enlisting his own father to help maintain the temperamental suit throughout the demanding shoot. "Filming in the suit was the most surreal thing I've done in 20 years of snowboarding," says Hughes of the charged salopettes. "Luckily there was plenty of vin rouge to keep me warm, and Jacob's enthusiasm kept everyone going through the cold nights."
Just how far must one go to garner enough attention to make a point in this viral media environment? That is at question here. Which also begs the question "Where does the digital divide truly begin and end in relation to possible physical expression?" I think seen from this vantage point Jacob, Sutton has created a work of art with far reaching ramifications for our digital age, albeit a fantastical and eerie one.
