BRIEF
Monday 9th October, 2017
You are asked to spend the next 4 weeks developing a body of work exploring a source of inspiration. Use this as an opportunity to develop and consolidate your personal creative interests or obsessions. Think about where you want to be in a years time and whom you will be speaking to. In choosing a subject matter you are required to write your own project proposal, outlining what it is in the work that fascinates you, how you will go about researching the project, to define an outcome, and project manage the production of the final piece of communication.
INITIAL IDEAS
Tuesday 10th October, 2017
“The greatest forces lie in the region of the uncomprehended.” - George MacDonald
"Standing in the middle of nowhere, wondering how to begin. Lost between tomorrow and yesterday, between now and then” - Ray Davies
“I look at art as a container. You can't get inside it, so you have to ask all of these questions.” - Mark Bradford
The word liminal comes from the Latin for threshold. It refers metaphorically to an interstice, a halfway position, a zone of betweenness, a location or position or status that falls between the cracks. Focussing on materials and processes that utilise a boundary of sorts, I want to explore the visuality of being neither here nor there. The blur of the boundary is intriguing in its uncertainty and the contrast between either side. This could take the form of a simple wall-like structure or a fully contained object reminiscent of the boundary of a window.
I plan to begin by exploring materials and methods which cause a divide, creating intervening spaces that are set beside one and other. This could utilise materials such as tracing paper, glass, Perspex or a mirrored surface to create the liminal boundary. The project will take a three dimensional approach and have the potential for a filmic or animation outcome. With a window-like structure in mind to divide the two spaces, I want to consider natural processes such as condensation as a way of blurring the boundary but also to allude to the mist of being in a landscape in the middle of nowhere. This will give the project an essence of first hand research in the form of scientific experiments to create this effect.
Production schedule: Week 1: Planning and research. Week 2: Initial experiments with materials. Week 3: Using experiments in context. Week 4: Final outcome
Defined outcome: The project will take a three dimensional, craft approach and have the potential for a filmic or animation outcome. All development work will be documented on my blog and in a process book.
"Standing in the middle of nowhere, wondering how to begin. Lost between tomorrow and yesterday, between now and then” - Ray Davies
“I look at art as a container. You can't get inside it, so you have to ask all of these questions.” - Mark Bradford
The word liminal comes from the Latin for threshold. It refers metaphorically to an interstice, a halfway position, a zone of betweenness, a location or position or status that falls between the cracks. Focussing on materials and processes that utilise a boundary of sorts, I want to explore the visuality of being neither here nor there. The blur of the boundary is intriguing in its uncertainty and the contrast between either side. This could take the form of a simple wall-like structure or a fully contained object reminiscent of the boundary of a window.
I plan to begin by exploring materials and methods which cause a divide, creating intervening spaces that are set beside one and other. This could utilise materials such as tracing paper, glass, Perspex or a mirrored surface to create the liminal boundary. The project will take a three dimensional approach and have the potential for a filmic or animation outcome. With a window-like structure in mind to divide the two spaces, I want to consider natural processes such as condensation as a way of blurring the boundary but also to allude to the mist of being in a landscape in the middle of nowhere. This will give the project an essence of first hand research in the form of scientific experiments to create this effect.
Production schedule: Week 1: Planning and research. Week 2: Initial experiments with materials. Week 3: Using experiments in context. Week 4: Final outcome
Defined outcome: The project will take a three dimensional, craft approach and have the potential for a filmic or animation outcome. All development work will be documented on my blog and in a process book.
ATMOSPHERIC TECHNIQUES
Tuesday 10th October, 2017
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After setting myself the brief of Middle of Nowhere I began to consider techniques which could visualise such isolation. Although this title is similar to my summer project and explores similar themes, I want the outcome to be aesthetically different thus to push my ideas and techniques. I therefore plan to focus on natural atmospheres rather than city based, man-made ideas.
With this in mind I thought back to a project I completed a few years ago. This project was a simple exploration of light using a pin hole camera which I constructed from cardboard. The cardboard box only allowed light inside through a single pin hole, opposite which was a piece of photographic paper attached to the side of the box. This meant any light that entered the box was projected onto the paper and exposed using traditional, analogue photographic processes. The outcome of my photographs resulted in images that appeared foggy and misty and thus had the atmosphere I first imagined for this project.
As a starting point this was really helpful in getting my production started to develop further as the project commenced. The imagery also had a natural theme through the depiction of flowers and forest scenes.
With this in mind I thought back to a project I completed a few years ago. This project was a simple exploration of light using a pin hole camera which I constructed from cardboard. The cardboard box only allowed light inside through a single pin hole, opposite which was a piece of photographic paper attached to the side of the box. This meant any light that entered the box was projected onto the paper and exposed using traditional, analogue photographic processes. The outcome of my photographs resulted in images that appeared foggy and misty and thus had the atmosphere I first imagined for this project.
As a starting point this was really helpful in getting my production started to develop further as the project commenced. The imagery also had a natural theme through the depiction of flowers and forest scenes.
THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE
Tuesday 10th October, 2017
Following my pinhole experiments I returned to digital photography when the weather took a mysterious turn. I often utilise an opportunistic approach to photography and this instance was no different. While working away on my project I noticed the weather outside becoming more and more foggy until most of the view from my window had vanished to grey. I therefore darted to the forest a short drive from my house and photographed the surroundings. Inside the forest was spooky much like a horror film where figures would emerge from the depths. I could have decided here to use this creepiness and install it in the project however I felt this would’ve been the easy option. A lot of my work has taken a dark turn and explores horror themes so far me, this isn’t difficult. I wanted to challenge myself however and produce a project that didn’t rely on fear. I therefore removed myself from the forest and began to focus more on the figure.
Outside the forest overlooks small towns and villages since being on the top of a hill however these were completely submerged in fog and only the figure of my brother was visible. In areas of the fog however it was so thick that the figure would be chopped in two with the head or the legs masked by the greyness. This did make for a spooky image but more mysterious than terrifying. There was still a sense of calm about the atmosphere.
Outside the forest overlooks small towns and villages since being on the top of a hill however these were completely submerged in fog and only the figure of my brother was visible. In areas of the fog however it was so thick that the figure would be chopped in two with the head or the legs masked by the greyness. This did make for a spooky image but more mysterious than terrifying. There was still a sense of calm about the atmosphere.
PROCESS EXPERIMENTS
Tuesday 10th October, 2017
Using the photographs of the figure I began exploring process that could replicate the distortion of vision. I quickly became bored of these since they felt tedious and like I was going through the motions though they did provide a stepping stone to processes that followed.
I began with layering techniques using tracing paper. I printed and cut a figure into sections dependent upon how far they appeared from the camera. For example, with a stationary figure walking, one arm may be swung in the walking motion and one leg forward in a step. These would be on the lowest later and most misted to suggest their depth. Items like backpacks would be on the top later since they were closer to the camera. I did like how the image worked visually however it didn’t leave much room for development.
I began with layering techniques using tracing paper. I printed and cut a figure into sections dependent upon how far they appeared from the camera. For example, with a stationary figure walking, one arm may be swung in the walking motion and one leg forward in a step. These would be on the lowest later and most misted to suggest their depth. Items like backpacks would be on the top later since they were closer to the camera. I did like how the image worked visually however it didn’t leave much room for development.
RAIN, MIST, FOG
Tuesday 10th October, 2017
Following a number of unsuccessful layering techniques due to their lack of realism I decided to explore closer to the actual physical process of fog. I began by forcing condensation on a sheet of Perspex. Prior to this I tried glass however the reflective qualities meant the condensation didn’t really fog up the material but collect in droplets. Perspex worked far better as the droplets were less pronounced and thus appeared more like fog on a surface.
I layered this sheet over some of the images I’d captured in attempt to fog them further. [INCOMPLETE]
{PHOTOGRAPHING PHOTOS THROUGH CONDENSED WINDOWS}
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Trz1diBkAR0
I layered this sheet over some of the images I’d captured in attempt to fog them further. [INCOMPLETE]
{PHOTOGRAPHING PHOTOS THROUGH CONDENSED WINDOWS}
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Trz1diBkAR0
CONTAINING ATMOSPHERE
Tuesday 10th October, 2017
Images: Smilde,Berndnaut. Nimbus. 2014-17
The Nimbus works present a transitory moment of presence in a specific location. They can be interpreted as a sign of loss or becoming. People have always had a strong metaphysical connection to clouds and through time have projected many ideas on them. Berndnaut Smilde is interested in the temporary aspect of the work. It’s there for a few seconds before they fall apart again. The physical aspect is really important but the work in the end only exists as a photograph. The photo functions as a document of something that happened on a specific location and is now gone.
For me, my interest in Nimbus is through the containment of an environment and an atmosphere. Here we see a cloud in an uncanny, juxtaposed setting for a short amount of time. I feel it could be interesting to attempt to contain fog in an other worldly setting like Smilde to allow viewers to experience the setting on a miniature scale.
For me, my interest in Nimbus is through the containment of an environment and an atmosphere. Here we see a cloud in an uncanny, juxtaposed setting for a short amount of time. I feel it could be interesting to attempt to contain fog in an other worldly setting like Smilde to allow viewers to experience the setting on a miniature scale.
With Berndnaut Smilde’s Nimbus in mind and its containment of atmosphere, I began building my own structure to encase fog. I decided I wanted to build a glass cube since this should work well in condensing and making visible the inside. After days and days of attempting to source a cube or sheets of glass. I was unsuccessful. Instead I resorted to perspex. Perspex is an acrylic glass which is tougher in construction. It has very similar properties to glass however its reaction to temperature is not quite the same which could raise issues when using hot water and ice to create condensation. I therefore conducted a few experiments with some left over pieces of Perspex I had from etching plates. I found that fortunately the acrylic worked even better than the glass. Glass when condensed creates pronounced droplets which form on the surface where as Perspex creates more foggy, dispersed droplets closer resembling the fog I experienced in the forest.
I also worked on having a focus within my container so I could explore visibility and distortion and therefore built a number of trees. This created a forest like setting which would become surrounded and engulfed by the fog created using boiling water and ice. The lid of the container would house the fog and react to temperatures outside.
I also worked on having a focus within my container so I could explore visibility and distortion and therefore built a number of trees. This created a forest like setting which would become surrounded and engulfed by the fog created using boiling water and ice. The lid of the container would house the fog and react to temperatures outside.
The trees are made with plastic stems sculpted with a craft knife and foliage clusters purchased online for quick creation and the reduction in chances of colour leakage when moisture is added. The box was created using 5 sheets of Perspex cut to 15cm x 15cm and a sixth sheet added for the lid. The lid has a lip on the perimeter to prevent air getting in the container and preventing the condensation from leaking.
I lit the box from beneath to prevent reflections on all the Perspex surfaces as this became an evident issue when lighting from outside the box. The simple box structure with the trees inside isn’t too interesting to look at.
I lit the box from beneath to prevent reflections on all the Perspex surfaces as this became an evident issue when lighting from outside the box. The simple box structure with the trees inside isn’t too interesting to look at.
When photographed with the box edges not visible, the outcome looks surprisingly realistic. The trees appear to be masked in a fog through which you can see only small hints as to what they are. The tops of the trees are more misted than the bottom, typical of real life where the fog rises. This may have been due to the lid of the box extracting the warm air through small gaps. Nethertheless I had achieved the effect I sought after.
The images worked best when the edges of the box were clean before condensing. This allowed for an even fog as opposed to drips and smudges on the surface which in turn made the imagery less realistic.
The images worked best when the edges of the box were clean before condensing. This allowed for an even fog as opposed to drips and smudges on the surface which in turn made the imagery less realistic.
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LIGHT[N]ING + TEMPERATURE
Tuesday 10th October, 2017
As a quick side experiment, I explored how the lighting could diversify the atmosphere. I created two basic animations, one of flashing light where the screen would alternate from black to white and another which faded from cool, blue tones to warm, orange ones. This would signify lightning and temperature respectively.
I found these to be interesting and that they actually had an effect on the visibility of the fog itself. The bright flashes of lightning almost stun the viewer, making the forest contents visible for a split second before returning to the foggy darkness. The warm tones significantly altered the atmosphere from a cold, winter's day to a warm afternoon. This could be something to think about when developing a final outcome of some sort.
I found these to be interesting and that they actually had an effect on the visibility of the fog itself. The bright flashes of lightning almost stun the viewer, making the forest contents visible for a split second before returning to the foggy darkness. The warm tones significantly altered the atmosphere from a cold, winter's day to a warm afternoon. This could be something to think about when developing a final outcome of some sort.
CONDENSATION DRAWING
Tuesday 10th October, 2017
Since I now had my structure complete, I wanted to think about developing my ideas further to bring in some complimentary imagery. The photographs I have taken of the box were highly realistic and, to me, look like a crisp winters morning. With this in mind I began considering the inhabitants of the space, those in the middle of nowhere. My first though were the small, woodland creatures that lived in the forest and then onto human interaction. I decided to run with this since time was of the essence and I could always make changes further down the line. I created 5 basic GIFS ranging from 9-20 frames each which I sketched out on Adobe Photoshop. I wanted the shapes to be fairly simple for what was to follow.
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I therefore began thinking about process and methodologies of animation which could link with and compliment the foggy aesthetic. My first experiment led me to utilise condensation on a window. I condensed the perspex I was working with on the box and drew in turn the 9 frames of a bird flying from above. I photographed these and assembled them into a GIF until the bird appeared to flap its wings. Unfortunately when attempting to recreate this effect, I had a lot of trouble. There was a fine balance between lighting, condensation and time to achieve the above GIF which was hard to recreate for every frame thus to make the drawing in the condensation visible to the camera. The process was also lengthy meaning I would for sure run out of time before the project was up. I therefore explored other avenues.
BREATH FOG
Tuesday 10th October, 2017
During the process of condensing the Perpex for the condensation drawings, I kept having to repeatedly breath on the surface, thus to recondense it. This gave me the idea for my second experiment which I anticipated would be more successful than the frame-by-frame drawings. Using breath as a means of fog creation, I set up a projector in my back garden at night and had it play through the simple black and white animations. When breath was breathed over the projectors light, anything white in the frame would appear in the fog. This gave an interesting, ghostly effect where the deer, for example, would appear to float and appear and disappear as the fog was breathed over the light stream. The outcome is otherworldly.
LAYERING
Tuesday 10th October, 2017
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With the breath fog experiments, I used the 'screen' blending mode on After Effects to have them appear atop the photographs and moving shots I obtained of the fog box. This made the animals appear situated inside the box like they were part of a miniature world surrounded by fog. The images appear to distort reality through a warped and dreamlike lens. The reduced scale evokes feelings of omnipotence as well as the visceral sensation of winter. Hovering above as an onlooker to the box with the animals inside, the viewer approaches these model as an all-seeing eye, looking down upon the structure.
When compiling my overlaid clips together I further extended the idea of the breath. I utilised a sound clip of inhaling and exhaling which I timed to a visual clip of breath appearing and disappearing on a screen. I then layered this atop the imagery so the imagery only appeared on the outward breath when the screen would fog up. This mimicked the actual process for me as the imagery would disappear when the condensation had gone and, as a result, I had to keep breathing on the surface to have it reappear. This created a really ephermal effect. The sound in sync with the breaths on screen created a theraputic sort of atmosphere, similar to the experience of feeling relaxed in a tranquil forest.
When compiling my overlaid clips together I further extended the idea of the breath. I utilised a sound clip of inhaling and exhaling which I timed to a visual clip of breath appearing and disappearing on a screen. I then layered this atop the imagery so the imagery only appeared on the outward breath when the screen would fog up. This mimicked the actual process for me as the imagery would disappear when the condensation had gone and, as a result, I had to keep breathing on the surface to have it reappear. This created a really ephermal effect. The sound in sync with the breaths on screen created a theraputic sort of atmosphere, similar to the experience of feeling relaxed in a tranquil forest.
RE-PROJECTING
Tuesday 2nd November, 2017
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As a final experiment, I projected the imagery back onto the cube. I set up the structure, again lit from beneath to illuminate the trees, in front of the projector. The projector was fairly close to the box, approximately 40cm, thus to fill the square shape. On the projector played the film I had just made of the box images layered with the breath animals all composed onto breaths so the imagery appeared and disappeared. This meant the box itself began to breath. When the animation was bright white, the animals were not visible and the box appeared full of fog as the light reacted with the condensation. When the box appeared to breath out and uncondense, the imagery was revealed. Being surrounded by the box and the light really felt like the box was alive.
The final outcome resembles an unusual watercolour painting which appears to bleed into and out of the water. The box becomes a symbol of life as it inhales and exhales like a living being. The overall aesthetic reminds me of a therapy light which fades into and out of colour to relax the viewer. This was intentional as I wanted to convey the calmness and tranquility of being in the forest surrounded by fog.
The final outcome resembles an unusual watercolour painting which appears to bleed into and out of the water. The box becomes a symbol of life as it inhales and exhales like a living being. The overall aesthetic reminds me of a therapy light which fades into and out of colour to relax the viewer. This was intentional as I wanted to convey the calmness and tranquility of being in the forest surrounded by fog.