#splittingimage

Splitting Image is said to be the originary version of the saying Spitting Image, meaning an exact likeness. According to social historian Dorothy Hartley, the evenness and symmetry which the term conveys would have been obtained by pairing two split halves of the same tree. There are competing positions on this view but as it is the case with the genealogy of many sayings, the history of a term becomes enmeshed with its fictionalized account in the popular imaginary. In that sense, Splitting Image continues to convey the sense of an exact likeness, while retaining the notion of a splitting into two of the same subject. This is the point in the story that is pertinent for the current project, which takes as its point of departure a commuting experience: a one-way trip on the New York East River Ferry starting at Pier 11 on Wall Street and ending at the India Street terminal in Greenpoint. This short journey connects the Financial district to what used to be a working-class neighborhood. Greenpoint's demographics have been changing since the mid 80s. In some ways, it mirrored the residential conversions of industrial buildings that had already taken place in Williamsburg. The rezoning of 175 of its blocks in 2005 increased the pace of this change; it brought about a boom in the construction sector. Since then this process was halted by the 2008 financial downturn, leaving a variety of unresolved environmental and infrastructural issues on the table. A polarizing issue, which the current project seizes up as its backdrop, is the effort to reclaim the waterfront for recreational use and the inclusion of a promenade into the Newtown Creek area. The main character in this video was modeled on the image of the daily commuter. In other words, someone who wants to go from point A to point B, even while needing to endure some stops in between. Like the commuter, the goal of this character is simply to make it home. For that purpose he takes the boat just like the commuter, he also chooses to go in the same direction. In this sense he is a lot like the commuter. One could venture to say that he is the spitting image of the commuter. But that would only be so if wasn't for the fact that the choices he makes, every step of the way, are nothing like the ones the commuter makes. While the commuter walks through the proper passageway that leads into the boat, he finds his way to the boat via the supporting alleys, if not directly through the water. While the commuter finds a comfortable seat inside the boat, he ties himself up to the outer side of the boat. Unlike the commuter who wears regular clothes, he wears a full wetsuit since he expects to do what it takes to reach his destination and that could well mean getting in the water. While the commuter looks through the window toward the new offices and residential buildings, he focuses instead on industrial buildings and the docking apparatus on the piers. He can't help but explore the different angles and possibilities the journey offers. In that sense he is nothing like the commuter who seems to have gotten accustomed with the trip to the point of going through it via the path of least resistance, which is of course the path of full compliance with the norms of conduct put in place to normalize behavior. That's a path the main character will decidedly not take since he is anything if not combative. He will be glad to face every obstacle as if they were in fact placed on his way just to cause him to overcome them. In a way he is like a splitting image of the commuter, someone who might even wish the same but who wishes it differently. The emphasis on treading a path that is slightly peripheric in relation to an established one is a recurring trope in my work. Most recently, in On the Egde, a video realized during a residency in Stockholm, the main character is shown walking through a series of narrow paths, typically adjacent to the proper spaces meant for passersby. In 'Splitting Image,' this device is also at play, but this time the situation is enhanced by the shooting of the scenes from two slightly different angles, one focused on the commuter's path, the other on the main character. Except for a few reversals in the left–right screen placement of the image, the characters from each side don't meet in the same filmic plane; they occupy a parallel space, but not a coextensive one.

BRING TO LIGHT Nuit Blanche New York Ethan Vogt, Executive Director Allison Kline, Artist Liaison Saturday, October 1st, 2011 6pm to Midnight Bring to Light is a free nighttime public festival of art in New York City that takes place simultaneously with “nuit blanche” events in cities around the world. Inviting emerging and established artists to make site-specific installations of light, sound, performance and projection art, the event creates an immersive spectacle for thousands of visitors to re-imagine public space and civic life. Bring to Light will transform streets, parks and the industrial waterfront of Greenpoint, Brooklyn set against dramatic views of the Manhattan skyline. Nestled in the northwest corner of Brooklyn, Greenpoint has historically enjoyed relative anonymity due to its isolation and industrial zoning. In recent years, an influx of newcomers to the area has made Greenpoint one of the neighborhoods with the highest concentration of artists in the city. A rezoning program in 2005 created a master plan for parks and public access to the waterfront and led to increased interest from residential developers. As plans advance for the future of the neighborhood, particularly for the Greenpoint industrial waterfront, the opinions and wishes of local community members, advocates, and officials endeavor to be part of the conversation as this area is transformed. Through this artistic intervention, Bring to Light hopes to engage the public in this dialogue and leave lasting positive impacts. Nuit Blanche (French for “white night” or “all-nighter”) is a global network of locally-organized nighttime contemporary art events. Originating in Paris in 2001, the nuit blanche concept now involves millions of people in cities around the world. ARTISTS Aaron Siegel, Alex Villar, Alex Waterman, Alyssa Taylor Wendt, Amanda Long, Andrei Severny, Behnaz Babazadeh, Camille Scherrer, Chakaia Booker, CHiKA, Chris Jordan & Josh Goldberg, Chris Woebkin, Colin Snapp, Commercial Break, Daniel Canogar, David B. Smith Devan Harlan and Olek, Diller Scofidio + Renfro, Dustin Yellin, Eiji Sumi, Justin Riley and Wolfgang Gil, Eli Keszler, Elisabeth Smolarz, Ellis & Cuius, F.P. Boué, Fair Use Trio, Fanny Allié, Gabriel Barcia-Colombo, Jason Peters, Jeff Desom, Jeremy Blake, Jo Wood-Brown, Jules Marquis, Kant Smith, Karen Ostrom, Karin Hodgin Jones, Karolina Sobecka, Kon Trubkovich, Konstantin Sergeyev, Krzysztof Wodiczko, Leif Parsons, Lucky Dragons, Marcos Zotes, Nat Evans, Nathan Kensinger, Organelle Design and Elliott+Goodman, Parker Genné, Poetry Performance and Projection, PrePost, Ramon Schreuder, Raphaele Shirley, Reader, Richard Serra, Rita Ackermann, Sean Boggs, Sean McIntyre & Reid Bingham, Shai Fuller, Jocelyn Oppenheim, Jacob Segal, Bryce Suite, with Chris Jordan, So Percussion, Stepan Boltalin & Ezer Longinus, The Vandalights, Ugly Art Room, Urban Infills, Ursula Scherrer & K. L. T., Valeska Soares, Vicki DaSilva, Warm Engine, Weston Currie & Grouper, Z Collective, Zimoun. MORE INFO Website Facebook Page Facebook Event RSVP flavorpill.com DIRECTIONS By water The East River Ferry runs regular service to the India Street Pier until 8:30PM. Special ferries will run from 8:30PM until Midnight. Service will be between the India Street Pier, E. 34th St. in Manhattan & N. 7th St. in Williamsburg with boats arriving every 15 minutes. By Train G Train to Greenpoint Ave. Walk (2min) down Greenpoint Ave. to the site. This Saturday, G Trains will be replaced by shuttle buses running every 10 minutes. L Train to Bedford Ave. Walk (15min) to water then North on Kent which becomes Franklin to reach festival site. By Bicycle Bicycle parking will be available at Franklin St. and Milton St. By Taxi/Car Service Please drop at Greenpoint Ave and Franklin St. From there, it is a one block walk to the site.