Test 1
I tried this with Thom, on the front door of commercial house, first inside, then outside. I started outside, I just filmed it on my phone and that moved around quite a bi, which made it really hard to piece together the animation afterwards. When i tried it with the blowing on this inside, I realised, that obviously the window is colder on the outside, and the colder it was the better the condensation. Also if doing it inside, there were lots of reflection on the window, so needed the light to be in front, and on the glass, the more light, the more the condensation came to the fore. I did work with the contrast and brightness of the footage afterwards. In putting the images together i found it hard to work out the order. So though for the next go, i would number the sheets on the inside, so I can see the number in the glass. So his would mean me filming all the templates, and the blowing as well as the animated figure. I also thought I need someone to take photos, as it needs to be monitored the whole time, and using a locked of shot. I was also torn, as I did like the look of the templates, and thom blowing into ti. I started to wonder how to bring this in.
The window was dirty, and off centre, so this fitted with my instantaneous structures notion of marginality, this was definitely a side space. But also looking at it in relation to the everyday, and quotidian activity, the notion of drawing in condensation, is an activity that people do when bored, a doodle. So it is a small action, a marginal concern, the mark doesn’t stay, it dissipates, unlike graffiti. So in this way, formally it was structurally correct for the research ideas. The idea is that the mechanics of Accumulation, and Amplification, come into their own in this work, the collecting of the individual doodles, in the graffiti are brought together to create the animation, the running of which, amplifies the individual gestures into an artefact, but that also the animation features those in it.
I did worry or analyse the use of the template, was this in some manner cheating. But then seeing it in light of my research, I began to see the template as the interface, that channeled the breadth of the participant, and connected them to the experience. Is it seductive, I think it does have certain seductive qualities. Also in relation to the virtuosity, and the mimetic interface. This interface is different to the others, it is the image that will be made, but still needs to be activated by the participant. Does it also in some manner give the impression that the participant has drawn in a way the image, though they have used the template. So it can seem like part of the false virtuosity. It makes the participant feel as if they drew, or created the frames of the animation. For those watching as well, it communicates, the ability to create the form the condensation. The interface is the template, and each template is individual in nature. So it is a different kind of interface to any I have used before. The accumulation, is a gathering of the breadths. This though fits more with the study ideas, than drawing on the window, and so not needing some kind of interface between the participant and the action. I am beginning to see it is the artefact of the interface that makes this research work gameful and different from art that is about space or performance and uses no object, such as site specific dance.
Though part of the structure, and the artefact, is to show those that partook of the animation, that each figure or set of figures, is connected to a participant, and that participant is blowing.
Location wise, this work as well is about a new space, that of the window, the front facing, it is temporal in nature. It is also reflective of the time of year, and the area in which it i created, in that it is cold, the work can only happen in the winter really. There are ways that the natural world is gamified. There is the gambling game of betting on raindrops going down windows. This is a folk game of sorts. OR folk structure.
Test 2
I had found that I could really get the animation going, as kept moving my phone, now used a locked off shot. Ut found that it was very important the placing of the camera, and the light. I only filmed it being done on the outside this time. I could also see the number s this time. I only did stills, and began to get into the shots of the templates with the blowing in, as well as the condensation. As we progressed, we were near a bus stop, and we did affect the landscape and the world around us doing this, but at this time I didn’t bring anyone else in to blow. I Tried to start do it but decided to let Thom do it, so i could observe. When trying it, I realised the importance of holding the sides down,s o the condensation doesn’t escape and dissipate, there is a challenge to doing it, and it did feel good and a sense of Fiero, when the figure was really strong.
A number of people waiting for the bus came and spoke to us about the activity, and were greatly interested. I managed to get through twenty frames. I edited them together using numerous adobe software, I did alter the brightness and contrast to bring it forwards. I found also that the shot was too far back, and made the animation slightly indistinct. So I zoomed in closer, and when the frames ran together it did animated, with a very strong aesthetic.
I also began to really like the images themselves, when seeing them up close, the condensation had a very different texture to what I thought it would. i was worried about the image showing up, being strong enough, but started to think of gamefulness, and that part of the game of the work, cold be seeing and keeping in view the animated figure. It looked great in the photos, as Murray shot it Raw, and the details was strong. I started to wish it could be installed with large photos. Or thought of another aspect to it, which could be people filming the photos themselves and crating the animation., maybe for the future.
Meeting.
Today, the date at the top, i met with gateshead and had a check of the various windows in the library with what I know now. I think i found a good one at the entrance, that will allow us to film in a bit more comfort. I Realised with the edit, that I really want to get film of the blowers,and people blowing, as well as the stills, but not sure how this will all cut together. So the filming day, with the public, set for the 25ht febuary.
What is virtuosity, how does it fit i with this work, it will need in some manner to bring in the people and their blows, to make space in the accumulation for this to occur and inform the artefact. This work also once more builds on the concept of the location, and it being created with a specific kind of space in minds, here it is a front facing window.
research 