Had a really kind email from May in response to a weblog I’d posted for Tuesday’s chat (see the post below) discussing the learning outcomes. It was lucky I posted it as Jonathan made some points and highlighted some issues with it. Here’s the chat:
‘ there are several slide show options including my favourite option, which is to upload your pics to flickr (I have this theory that flickr host photos, that is all they do so why should we host them on our sites and fill up the space, just use flickr, same with video, use youtube or vimeo) anyway, once pics on in flickr you can them get a feed from your photos and create a slideshow in worpdress and if you make any changes to the flickr pics, like new tags or extra pics in automatically updates
….Susan i realise it was an experiment, the work and the use of the slide show but maybe you could comment more on how you think the experiment went, at the moment you simply describe the work which is fine but we also need to see a little more comment about how ou felt making it, did you feel it was successful, if so why, what worked well, what would you develop further; and if it didn’t work well how did you feel about that, what would you change, what did you change, etc etc…. ‘
So I have updated the post in italics to show the amendments.
And here’s is May’s email:
‘Something related to your work … whilst I was in think airport catching a flight back to London, there were these art pieces on display in the departure lounge. They were done by recent graduates. One graduate did a series of items of clothing – gloves, socks, shirts. The clothing pieces were each dipped into wet clay and then the pieces were put into the stove (sorry… I don’t know what the process is called when u fire clay to dry). Anyway, once that process was done, the heat would burn the clothing material so that all that was left was the clay casts it made.
The artists’ concept was that the clay left the impression of the person as the item was gone and all that was left was the essence of it.
There was also a shirt that exhibited that was made up of several square pieces of clay attached together to make up the shirt. I think each piece was from a different item of clothing belonging to the person that wore the shirt or something like that. If I recall correctly, the meaning behind it was the garments that were a part of the person’s life – their essence formed part of the person/ person’s life.
I saw your pictures of the skirt and the walking idea and it reminded me of the exhibit I saw 
I like the concept of the items leaving their essence and imprint into the cast that was left behind… kind of like footsteps left behind after walking ’
I was really grateful to May for this email. The theme of exhibition she describes deals with some of the ideas I have been looking at. Also it gave me the incentive to start making some practical work again.
Tried continuing this thread of ideas from White Sheet and August Steps 2009 in these 2 photos below:
The top photo, wearing pointe shoes that are no longer used, no longer a part of my daily life, and the second of the marks left on my feet from having worn them. This idea follows on from earlier work where I drew on my body causing urticaria. Showing the impact on my body of a particular physical history
In the essay (apologies it will get posted am behind and need to catch up with a few things including learning outcomes.), I refer to common phrases about walking E.G. ‘Walking on egg shells’.
What does it feel like walking on egg shells? Started taking some photos and filming video sketches today.
Made the following slide show (not yet on flickr sorry … next one will be) to be viewed as though a flick book to generate the movement.
MPR
September 21, 2009
This project has evolved as a response to my interest in exploring the link between our movements (for the purpose of the MA, specifically non body language movements) and our identities.
My research has come to be focused around the link between identity and movement, of embodiment and disembodiment, the materialized, de materialized and the philosophies of Descartes and Merleau-Ponty.
Throughout unit one I have focused on constructing a methodology in order to explore these ideas.
Videoing movement, slowing footage down, lifting stills allowed me to make slide shows and short video animations which explore movements
http://www.slideshare.net/susanmort/white-sheet-1
and to ask questions about appropriate ways of filming these movements. E.g. what areas of the body to film, whether or not to include the face, question the role of background and environment?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkI_7T1LPUg
I have been using the following programmes
Credo: for animation from video footage of the body.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoYR_sMg-F0
Korsakow: to experiment with a non linear format.
Isadora: to create a piece where video and physical interaction may take place in real time.
Through out August 2009 I attempted to provide a more systematic and structured context for presenting these movements and have done his by attempting to add an empirical element by wearing a pedometer to record the number of steps I take daily and keep a video diary of myself walking for a short period each day.
“But in reality the body is changing form at every moment; or rather there is no form, since form is immovable and reality is movement. What is real is the continual change of form: form is only a snapshot view of a transition.”
—Henri Bergson, Creative Evolution
‘The surface is where the self meets what is other than self.’ Leder, D. ‘The Absent Body.’ The University of Chicago Press 1990 (page 11)
The meeting point between our bodies and the surfaces they encounter will be the starting point to explore the link between identity and movement .
In order to continue this I aim to:
1. Develop core project and methodologies employed to a more specific view point.
2. Create better definition of key words e.g.: identity/surface/environment/embodiment.
3. Book motion tracking facilities at Newcastle University.
4. continue to produce paper based pieces alongside digital pieces. http://www.slideshare.net/susanmort/steps-august-2009
5. Produce prototype for final piece.
It has been a good week. Tests came back from the hospital with reassuring results.
Finished Mail Art and posted out.
Have approached a local temporary art space http://www.emptyshop.org/ to use their venue for 2 days in May and they have agreed.
So I am thinking about the work I have been doing for the last 2 years for MADA and its journey and how and if I want to use this space to pull the work together to get an over view of it as I have somewhat lost my sense of direction and I would like a more objective sense of direction on returning to MADA hopefully in September. I don’t feel I know what I am aiming for or how to develop the work.
There are several ideas I would like to try out and it will be very good to get some feed back from people.
I also started playing round with some previous video clips. I am still having trouble with resolution issues and getting a blocky effect after combining several processes on a clip.
Just cant seem to get round this issue currently. Most likely it is to do with the file types. But I need to resolve this.
This week I have been trying out Credo’s Interactive Life Forms and Dance Forms soft wear trials.
This soft wear offers the technique for rotoscoping. This is an option to generate an animated sequence by aligning the palette figure against a sequence of key video or photo stills.
Learning the to use the soft wear is a bit of a hurdle as my computer seem to be struggling and keeps shutting the application unexpectedly.
23 January 2009
January 23, 2009
I returned to the video clips filmed last summer and decided to focus on sections of the body moving.
Also tried loading the videos to Youtube as MPEG file to see if it improves the quality.
The aim is to provide a better sense of the link between movement and identity with out it becoming filming of body language or dance focused and to try to move away now from such a direct link with dance that I have used up till now to provide a frame work that I was familiar with.
Another challenge is that of making more substantial films of longer duration.
Becoming more aware of the technical questions around the quality of the piece and duration and the way it should be viewed in regards to the final installation/environment.
12 January 2009
January 12, 2009
It’s been a while since I posted. The MA has been on the back boiler over Christmas and the New Year holidays.
I realised that if I want to keep some continuity with the course I must try to stick to a routine of posting once a week when possible.
I am not sure that the content of the blogs will be of much value other than to provide a continuing structure.
Returning to switch focus back to this work. I am beginning to sift through video clips of the field.
One of these clips ‘Small Field’ was shown in the Camberwell show end of last year.
‘Poles’ is a stop animation where I was beginning to looking at different speed and transitions of a stationary, fixed object in a landscape, where the recorded movement was generated from the of moving the ‘eye’ or camera.
It made me realise that movement is something I have been looking at in a purely visual context. Following it or tracking it with a camera. But there is also a physical aspect of movement between points. Moving from A to B.
Movement is transition.
Transition is change= transitoriness
transitoriness
One entry found.
Main Entry:
tran·si·to·ry 
alt=” Listen to the pronunciation of transitory” title=” Listen to the pronunciation of transitory” v:shapes=”_x0000_i1025″> ‘ alt=” Listen to the pronunciation of transitory” title=” Listen to the pronunciation of transitory” v:shapes=”_x0000_i1026″>
Pronunciation:
\ˈtran(t)-sə-ˌtȯr-ē, ˈtran-zə-\
Function:
adjective
Etymology:
Middle English transitorie, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin transitorius, from Latin, of or allowing passage, from transire
Date:
14th century
1 : tending to pass away : not persistent2 : of brief duration : temporary <the transitory nature of earthly joy>
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transitoriness |
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noun |
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transience, transiency, transitoriness |
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an impermanence that suggests the inevitability of ending or dying |
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Category Tree: ╚transience, transiency, transitoriness |
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Which paradoxically supports or allows a belief in a form of permanence in our transitory everyday lives.
We ignore the constant transience movements carry us through our days. We expect to keep breathing and not to have to think about it. Not to be reminded that we are alive because of involuntary and voluntary movements that we take for granted and push into the background.
