2009. HD (1920×1080) 60fps video. Duration: 9:26 seamless loop. Technique: Custom software, Computer Vision, Computational Fluid Dynamics.
Excerpts
(Soundtrack “Planet Caravan” by Black Sabbath only added to online excerpt and is not part of the original, longer work)
Part of an ongoing series of works investigating the abstraction of human form and movement – in particular, playing on the boundaries of abstract and figurative.
How do we – the viewer – complete the picture and make sense of what we see? If this film were to be paused, at many points in the film the shape would look like an unrecognisable blob. But through movement, we can see the human body. And through movement, we can even identify the different parts of the body, the different limbs and joints.
When the film starts, you probably won’t recognise a human shape at first, but your eyes and mind will be searching, seeking mental connections between abstract shapes and recognisable patterns, like looking for shapes in clouds. You’ll be questioning what you see, is that it? is it sitting? is it crouching? is it kneeling? Then all of a sudden, it’ll be crystal clear. Then you’ll try and keep it in focus, following it as it moves around, tracking each limb, using the motion to construct an image of the parts you can’t see. It’ll fade in and out of clarity. At times you’ll be clinging onto just the tip of it’s hand swinging round, trying to identify any other recognisable parts. You might see another arm or leg and grab onto it, fighting not to lose it. Then it’ll be crystal clear again, and then all of a sudden vanish, literally in a puff of smoke, and your eyes will start searching again.
