Overall Assessment of Unit X

Final Projection

Here is my final projection which I have created as part of my final piece to exhibit over the top of my paper installation. To create these visuals I have combined techniques which I have learnt within Resolume Avenue 4 and then edited into a flowing video using I Movie. To create the visuals I collected several images throughout my work such as Photoshop manipulated photographs, Photographs of some of my miniature installations and projection work. I layered up these images, and added different effects. with never having used Resolume before this Project, and being unsure how to use it, I was really impressed with some of the designs which I came up with entirely from scratch. I also like how eventhough there is a lot going on within the projections after being quite heavily edited, you are still able to make out what they are and how they are related to my previous work shown throughout my blog.  I then used I Movie to combine the projections together in a flowing movie which I was pleased with. My transitions between each clip were much stronger than my previous attempts and blended well together and also with the music. Even though I was disappointed with myself that I wasn't able to create some of my own sound using Audacity, I did find a track that definitely suited my visual projection well and it looks as if the projection almost flows in synch to the beat which was what I was aiming for. Overall, I was really pleased with my final outcome. However, with a bit more time I would have liked to use 3d projection mapping with the mad mapping software which I discovered in our last workshop with Ant Dickinson.. but simply didn't have enough time to do so, and was unsure of the exhibition space. Though, this is not wasted as I will definitely be continuing with the skills I have gained in Low Tech Hacking through out my further practice. 

Composition

Here I have carefully chosen a selection of my strongest pieces of work. Ranging from my illustrator files, digitally manipulated photographs and projections. I have printed them onto a range of medias such as acetate and also in black and white to brake up the colour slightly. I started to think about the composition and arrangements within my photographs and where I would place them. I think this reflects on Jessica Killen's work who I was really inspired by as she did similar large wall pieces. I would have definitely liked to have done this on a larger scale for my exhibition piece if I wasn't using a video projection.

Final Acetate Projections

 As I enjoyed working with the over head projector I decided to print several of my strongest images onto acetate in colour, and also some of the designs which I created on illustrator onto black acetate. I then began to layer up the pieces of acetate to try and create this optical illusion effect. I was surprised at how good the colours would project from the acetate and believe that this has worked well. as I was limited to what I was actually able to project unlike when using a digital projector, this made me be very selective with the chosen photographs I wanted to project.

Ant Dickinson

Today we had a workshop with North Wales based musician, sound designer and technologist Ant Dickinson who works with unconventionally applied instrumentation and computer processes integrating elements of improvisation, indeterminism and destruction. After studying Popular music at Salford Uni he then went into teaching technology for 9 years. He was also massively into jazz and electronic music and begun to write his own music. In 2010 Ant decided that he wanted to leave the teaching aspect and instead begin to work on creative projects. He started to work with his friend to produce the music within feature films such as "Dark Waters" and showed us ways in which he recorded the water sounds and the technologies he used to do so. Such as Impulse Response recording, contact microphone and scanning electronic microscope. with his wife also being a visual artist they both collaborated to project at a festival at Conwy castle. (see video below) Many of their collaborations were involved with 3D Projection Mapping which I am really interested in using within my work so this definitely did appeal to me. In the afternoon we begun to use Audacity which is a multi-track audio editor and recorder. After collecting some fairground related sound clippings from sounddogs.com I then played around with the effects such as pitch, reverb,fading in and out and playing the sound in reverse. I really enjoyed Audacity and would be great if I was able to use this within my final piece.




Some other software we touched up on within the afternoon workshop was Adobe After Effects, this is what Ant has used many of times within his video footage, and is a good way to manipulate photographs or video stills to make them look like they are moving. I am now going to take this process forward and try and include some of the techniques within the video that i will produce. I am also going to download Mad Mapper and try and get to grips with projection mapping, even though I doubt I will have time to produce this for the exhibition.

The last software we touched up on in the workshop was Pure Data. Which is a visual programming language similar to Max MSP. This can be used for synthesis, sound design, audio processing as well and manipulation and triggering of programmed visuals, video and still images. External hardware such as Arduino can also be programmed for interactivity. I also begun to write my own simple code in Pure Data.

Overall I found Ant Dickinson's workshop highly influential and will definitely be taking many of the techniques I learnt forward within my Textiles Practice. however, I feel like it is a shame that this workshop wasn't at the beginning of the course as I would have really liked to include some of the processes within my final exhibition piece but is now unlikely I will have enough time to do so.

Light and Shadows

Using some metallic coloured foils from the last project, I decided to place these in front of the over head projector at different angles, capturing the light which the projected shimmering waves of light, shadow and colour onto my wall. Even though this is much different from the bright and vibrant colours I have previously been working with, I really do like the simple, but great effect that has been produced by this technique and also think the colour selections work well together.

Happy Mistakes...

Here are some photographs of stills that I unintentionally come across, however thought worked well when using the digital projector. I really like how I have captured the contrast between the movement and light of the colour within the projection as well as slightly distorting the image. Projecting my work into different spaces within an environment also got me thinking about projection mapping and how I can develop my skills further by projecting within a selected area. 

Projecting onto Materials

Using some of the basic materials that I collected at the start of the project such as shot glasses and neon straws. I begun to make three dimensional sculptures on my wall and projecting over them to see what sort of effect this would create. I believe that his worked particularly well as the neon colours within the straws and shot glasses blended with the colour schemes within the projections also. When photographing my work I slowly moved the camera to create a blurred like effect. I liked the way in which the sculpture itself stayed in focus however the colours within the projection are all distorted creating a depth of field. 

Projecting on to Paper

The Paper installations which I have created here were definitely one of my favourite bodies of work. I was inspired by Robert Seidels work and the way he projected onto delicately cut paper to produce some great effects. I really like how the projection and light captures the movement of the paper and from the side on almost looks like lights/el wire itself. As I would like to use lighting within my final piece, this could also be a great alternative. I can see myself creating a similar structure but on a larger scale for my final piece, and maybe play around with different types of materials, such as acetate. 

Inspiration

Robert Seidel 

Robert Seidel is a Berlin based artist, working in the field of experimental film, projection and video installation.
In his work Seidel is interested in pushing the boundaries of abstracted beauty through cinematographic approaches, as well as ones drawn from science. By the organic interplay of various structural, spatial and temporal concepts, he creates a continuously evolving complexity. Out of this multifaceted perspective emerges a narrative skeleton through which viewers connect to the artwork via the projection of their own personal memories.



grapheme | robert seidel | permanent installation at museum wiesbaden | documentation 2014 from Robert Seidel on Vimeo.

"The organic projection sculpture frees the film from the dogmatic limitations of rectangular screens and monitors. These delicate, laser-cut tissues float in the architectural space, light spills over them, and they come to life before the viewers’ eyes. Mirrors reflect the projected film image back onto viewers and allow them to become part of the work in the form of their own reflected image. In the multiple layers of the work, observers’ personal memories, their own reflection, that of the museum environment, the installation and the daylight become bound together into a situational work of art."

I am really interested at how Robert Seidel projects onto paper, and the way in which the dark environments help the projections catch onto the paper to produce some beautiful images. I would have really like to have done some detailed lazer cutting onto paper and hung it to then project on like he has within his work but unfortunately wont be able to do this now the lazer cutting is fully booked up. would definitely be too time consuming to do by hand as I wouldn't bee 100% certain that it would be a success.I will begin to experiment with projecting on to paper sculptures though, as I think this would be a great idea to combine within a final piece.