Wednesday, February 24, 2010

The ocular - I

scenes 01 and 02... in progress..






Wednesday, February 10, 2010

The Ocular Zwischenraum -updated


What?
Zwischenraum[1]
Every object or scene in nature has two aspects to it – the interior and the exterior. There exists a connecting element or a packet that fuses the two rather distinct layers. It may also be interpreted as a `passage’.
The connecting packets of disjoint scenes in a movie or the elements in a cityscape are usually invisible to the common eye. It is these elements that contain a larger story and that maintain the continuity of the unheimlich[2] union.
While exploring the various portions of Soho, differentiated distinctly by the functions of the occupying spaces, I came across the stretch of Rupert Street – Walker’s court and Peter Street. This street possessed some highly contrasting activities that seemed to be juxtaposed onto the streetscape, still co-existing fruitfully. This juxtaposition led to the study of the connecting elements or passages that make possible the unheimlich union. It seems necessary to make these passages visible, thereby making a whole new sequence from these passages.
In my project I am going to deal with these passages in the space time continuum[3].

Why?
An entire movie or storyboard can be formed out of the diagrammatic representation of the connecting elements. It has the potential to give rise to an entirely new by product from a normally unintentional source.
More often the ignored parts of a sequence are the links or connecting elements. The mystery lies in the disjoint elements of a sequence. The connecting elements thereby have the power to broadcast secrecy. These connecting packets or passages determine the relationship between the real and the virtual.
By giving a visible form to this, we are able to express the relationship between the two disjoint stories. This could even be unheimlich. The unheimlich union of two or more elements the real and the virtual can define the interstitial realm of the space.
Thus one of the main intention would be to make the unseen visible by giving the interpretation of the in-between space a form. Also, to form a new complete circle/storyboard from only the connecting passages.

How?
I would like to begin by exposing the connecting elements of a trailer video “passages”, which depicts various scenarios shot in Taiwan. The graphical representation of the interpretations gives birth to the interstitial passages that connect the various scenes together.
The uncanniness can be brought in by the forced juxtaposition of a scenario different from the original source.
The whole juxtaposition of the two different elements viz. the connecting packages of a video and the streetscape of Soho brings out the invisible interstices that can exist around us in nature.
By using the trailer “Passages[4]” as a reference, draw the interpreted connecting packets of the disjoint scenes. Make a new storyboard by using just the connecting elements. This story board when placed in a particular streetscape in Soho would define the “element of surprise” I experienced in the street. This would make the connecting passages in this stretch visible to the normal eye.
Hence, the Zwischenraum that exists in the particular streetscape of Soho becomes ocular[5].


References/Influences
1.       Singh, Tarsem – The Cell (2000) movie – graphical representation of the mind of a psychotic killer.
2.       Hirst, Damien – artist – reference for depiction of horse split into sections by glass panels (scene from The Cell).
3.       Nerdrum, Odd – Norwegian figurative painter – based on anecdote and narrative
4.       Giger, Hans Rudolf ‘Ruedi’ – Swiss surrealist artist – set designer for Alien.
5.       Quay, Timothy; Quay, Stephen; (Brothers Quay) – stop motion animators
6.       Romanek, Mark – director – music videos:
a.       Closer (1994) by Nine Inch Nails
b.      The Perfect Drug (1997) by Nine Inch Nails
c.       Bedtime story (1995) by Madonna
7.       Sigismondi, Floria – director
8.       Freud, Sigmond, ‘The Uncanny’ – essay (1919).
9.       Deleuze, Gille and Guattari, Felix –  ‘The Actual and the Virtual’ essay, translated by Albert, Elliot Ross
10.   Salcedo, Doris – installation at International Istanbul biennial 2003.
11.   ‘Liquid City’ – Marc Atkins / Iain Sinclair


[1] German term for  the space in between / interstice
[2] A Freudian concept of an instance where something can be familiar, yet foreign at the same time, resulting in a feeling of it being uncomfortably strange.
[3] Not sure about the usage. Unclear if time is going to be a factor at this moment
[4] Link – http://vimeo.com/7410185, passagesfilm.blogspot.com (source of video)
[5] Perceived by the eye

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Zwischenraum / Passages


Zwischenraum[1]
Every object or scene in nature has two aspects to it – the interior and the exterior. There exists a connecting element or a packet that fuses the two rather distinct layers. It may also be interpreted as a `passage’. In my project I am going to deal with these passages in the space time continuum[2].

The connecting packets of disjoint scenes in a movie or the elements in a cityscape are usually invisible to the common eye. It is these elements that contain a larger story and that maintain the continuity of the unheimlich[3] union.

An entire movie or storyboard can be formed out of the diagrammatic representation of the connecting elements. It has the potential to give rise to an entirely new by product from a normally unintentional source.

More often the ignored parts of a sequence are the links or connecting elements. The mystery lies in the disjoint elements of a sequence. The connecting elements thereby have the power to broadcast secrecy. These connecting packets or passages determine the relationship between the real and the virtual.

By giving a visible form to this, we are able to express the relationship between the two disjoint stories. This could even be unheimlich. The unheimlich union of two or more elements the real and the virtual world can define the interstitial realm of the space.

I would like to begin by exposing the connecting elements of a trailer video “passages”, which depicts various scenarios shot in Taiwan. The graphical representations of my interpretations can give birth to the interstitial passages that connect the various scenes together.

The uncanniness can be brought in by the forced juxtaposition of a scenario different from the original source.

The whole juxtaposition of the two different elements viz. the connecting packages of a video and the streetscape of Soho brings out the invisible interstices that can exist around us in nature.




References/Influences
1.      The Cell – movie by Tarsem Singh – graphical representation of the mind of a psychotic killer.
2.      Damien Hirst – artist – reference for depiction of horse split into sections by glass panels (scene from The Cell).
3.      Odd Nerdrum – Norwegian figurative painter – based on anecdote and narrative
4.      H. R. Giger – Swiss surrealist artist – set designer for Alien.
5.      Brothers Quay – stop motion animators
6.      Mark Romanek – director – music videos:
a.      Closer (1994) by Nine Inch Nails
b.      The Perfect Drug (1997) by Nine Inch Nails
c.       Bedtime story (1995) by Madonna
7.      Floria Sigismondi – director
8.      ‘The Uncanny’ – essay by Sigmond Freud (1919).
9.      ‘The Actual and the Virtual’ essay by Gille Deleuze and Felix Guattari translated by Elliot Ross Albert
10.  Doris Salcedo – installation at International Istanbul biennial 2003.
11.  ‘Liquid City’ – Marc Atkins / Iain Sinclair


[1] German word meaning the space in between / interstice
[2] Not sure about the usage. Unclear if time is going to be a factor at this moment.
[3] A Freudian concept of an instance where something can be familiar, yet foreign at the same time, resulting in a feeling of it being uncomfortably strange.