For Project brief 2 i decided to use Elevators as a Non-Place and explore the ways in which we interacted with them. The idea was that elevators are not unique, they all have the same features and are not strictly very defining as a place. However, once i started to photograph and film them i realised that i was wrong. It soon became apparent that the elevator is infact quite unique. Although every elevator has buttons, and sliding doors they can vary quite a bit in their appearance, the sounds they make and how quickly they work. This was an observation which could only be gathered through conscious engagement with an elevator. This is interesting in itself, because usually we dont pay any attention to the elevator, because we subconsciously consider it as a non place. However, upon inspection and elevator can be quite interesting.
My core assumption was once again proven wrong when i observed the frequency at which an elevator was used. During lunch time i was unable to find time alone in the elevator. I ended up travelling the 13 floor journey of building 8 approximately 7 times to get a clean photo. Thus the idea that elevators were not places was further challenged.
Lastly i settled upon the train of thought that an elevators function is what makes it significant, it is not a place but its ability to deliver us into a place defines its existence. Thus I decided to include photographs from ‘the elevators perspective’, which essentially looked out into the space the elevator delivers people too.
Due to the overwhelming changes in my original assumption i was unable to make a final statement on whether or not an elevator is a place. I decided to leave this up to the viewer of my 3minute video. It opens with the idea of an elevator only existing when it is inhabited by a person. The video goes black and white to show non existence. When the elevator then opens the colour is restored as the elevator now has meaning. The video then cycles through a series of photos taken from six different elevators on RMIT campus. The photos were all taken from the same relative positions inside the elevators, and while intending to show the similarities, the result is the contrast and uniqueness of elevators. This is also in a way what happened with the video of the doors opening and closing, the idea was to show that all elevators use the same sliding door mechanism and they are bland and similar. However, it ended up presenting me with a challenge when they were all so different and there were even one-sided sliding doors. Once again this only emphasised the uniqueness of elevators.
The soundtrack of the piece was all audio that was recorded inside the elevators, however it was manipulated to fill the piece with a very numbing and constant tone. Only occasionally when the video presented a question or when a certain action took place did the audio itself alter to enhance the change.
In conclusion, the exploration of place/non-place regarding elevators, is once which left me quite indecisive and in awe of the process of creating. It showed me that detachment from a desired artistic outcome is important, and there is not a solid line between place and non-place. This serendipity and flexibility is something which is becoming more and more apparent with my Media studies, something which has started to occur more frequently. I did a post about it in semester one: Which can be found here:
http://www.mediafactory.org.au/jordan-williams/2015/03/21/detatchment-from-creation/