Artist statement: Study 1: “The chicken who went skating”
This study provides the viewer with the ability to control which of the 3 videos available will appear on screen. By using the keys v,c and spacebar, each acts as a switch turning videos on and off.
The videos are sourced from the Max date base to allow for simple communication between the Pitcher and the original video. They are displayed through the use of jit.pwindow and played via jit.playlist. Most technical difficulties I am experiencing surround the fact that I have never used a program like Max previously. This simply adds a learning curve and increases the time I must allow for each study.
I have drawn inspiration from Camille Utterback’s “Shifting Time”. Her piece featured in San Jose airport uses human movement to effect when her videos change. This is essentially what my Pitcher aims to achieve on a more simplistic level. In my piece the viewer has physical control on which clip is played rather than in Utterback’s in which they simply choose when they transition. Thus allowing the user to manipulate the work depending on which clips they like more or place in a sequence which they feel best.
Artist statement: Study 2: Group study “Delayed time”
Working in a group of 3 Isobel and I developed a study. This piece uses the camera in your computer to mirror what is happening in front of it. Essentially our goal here was to create a lapse in time so that the video would have an almost slow motion effect.
We managed to do this successfully, filming with two outputs. One which was live and one which was delayed by 3 seconds. Overlaying both streams and using the crossfade feature to blend the two together developed an eery time warped version of the video.
It is effects like this which can be used in scary movies and to illustrate a change in time. Sometimes used in flashbacks. Collaborating on a piece like this allowed for knowledge of different areas to utilised and alternate creative thinking to be used. However it was more difficult as physically only one computer can be used to complete to patcher.
Artist statement: Study 3: “Im on the screen”
This study allows the viewer to put themselves into the screen. Controlling when the camera is turned on, off and when it is cleared. This patcher users keyboard controls to give power to the viewer. The key “1” turns the camera on, “2” turns it off and “3” clears the screen.
The video is displayed through jit.pwindow and access of the computers camera is achieved via jit.grab. These two controls allow for a simple relationship to form and in addition keys to be added to manipulate the status.
I have drawn inspiration from Camille Utterback’s “Falling text”. In her artwork, viewers can control the movement of texts on screen through the movement of their bodies. I created this piece in order to start the development of my skills to move towards a similar outcome. I like the idea of recording or mirroring the viewer and allowing their bodies to change the art. Ultimately in my mind i envisage rain falling within a large projection and the audience moving the rain with their bodies as they view it and interact. This is a much more technically advanced edition of my current piece, but essentially a goal. I have now learnt how to create this screen and will attempt to continue my development to get closer to my end desire.