I've finished the build of the installation. It has been a very trying few weeks, however I'm more then happy with the outcome.
The structure is of such a large scale to simulate the idea of endless, open space, which I feel it has, within reason, achieved. While the room is a relatively small confine, there is enough space that when standing facing away from the walls, due to the curved surface the area opens up in front of the viewer. Any claustrophobic feeling is caused by the low ceiling, however it is minimal.
Despite being an open space, the projection does make the installation an uncomfortable setting; the constant buzzing of thousands of particles is unpleasant due to the influx of detailed, untraceable movement. Just as one number becomes clear it whizzes away, leaving no reference point. The projector’s beam is enlarged due to the dome mirror to the point where the pixels are visible, sized at roughly 1x 1cm. When viewed up close, the pixels form a stationary grid, where each individual one changes colours, much like a television set when viewed from a similar distance. However due to the size of the installation, this is not noticeable, and the overall viewing of the animation is unhindered.
The sensation amounts to a degree of contained wonder, partly because as light, it can be broken by the shadow of the viewer, and also because as a digital medium there is a subconscious narrative of it as fiction. To be genuinely enthralled by a digital work requires a suspension of disbelief. For this is the reason I have concluded that a digital piece cannot evoke the sublime as it occurs in the natural world; the threat is known not to be real.
There is no way of monitoring if the work is or is not sublime; as the piece applies to the individual, the experience cannot be generalized as a success or a failure. If one person out of one hundred feels emotionally moved and the other ninety nine do not, then the piece has succeeded in terms of the single individual, even if it has failed with the others.
I don't feel capable of judging the work myself; I have too much vested in it to be subjective, and as the creator I understand how it has worked.
What separates the experience from being directly sublime or depicting the sublime is that it aims to evoke other feelings which can collectively produce said feeling. It is a stimulant, a mediator rather than the emotion itself. The piece aims to cause frustration, exasperation, a degree of fear and above all, wonder; ingredients as separate emotions.
When exhibited, the animation and concept will be discussed, however the exact methodology will not be revealed as it is in this paper. The sublime as a total experience can only function through a lack of understanding and contemplation. If the viewer is aware of this methodology, then the animation and experience is conquered, it is no longer as mysterious, threatening or wild. While the lack of a complete explanation may frustrate, this is part of the experience and of the sublime in the traditional sense. Staring at the universe will not reveal its secrets.
To summarize simply, this experiment in evoking the sublime succeeds if the person feels irritation, frustration, trepidation and wonder. If it does not, then it fails. This proves somewhat exasperating, as I cannot prove or disprove if the piece evokes the sublime, however in taking on such lofty emotions and aiming to contain them within an installation, like with any piece which aims to induce emotion, it can never be universal. However I can say on a personal level that while I cannot find the work sublime myself, having manufactured the scenario, I can say that it fully reflects my own relationship with the sublime, and alongside the feeling itself, that is what I hope to convey to others.
Created a film
I've made a film to accompany the installation, it is viewable on the film and video page.
Disposal and storage of shoes
I've drilled and sanded two holes in the plinth which I will have a monitor placed on, one for disposal of the shoe covers, and the other for taking. They feed into a bin liner which hosts them all.
#
More gaps
I've taped up the outsite edges with gaffer tape to prevent any leakage inside. It is now pitch black.
Projector problems.
Due to a miscommunication, I found today (Wednesday 7th Sep) that I did not have transport to move the projector from Epsom, so I collected it in person and took it to Canterbury. This meant I could only carry one. On arrival at Canterbury, I found the projector was not working. So far the cause has not been identified. Luckily I have been leant a rather good projector from fine art for cover. It is no where near the specs of the broken one, however it still looks very good and I am happy. It does mean however that I have had to reformat the animation, loosing motion blur and upping the contrast, so the image is clearer.
Sagging
Unfortunately the roof is sagging drastically in the centre, so the dome mirror cannot be fitted.
To counteract this, I have created a very large centre beam to sit over the top of the roof, and then screwed from underneith the roof into the beam to bring the two closer. This involved a degree of guess work, as due to the black background paper I could not see what I was aiming at.
The result is not attractive, but it works. Luckily as it is outside, it will not be seen.
To counteract this, I have created a very large centre beam to sit over the top of the roof, and then screwed from underneith the roof into the beam to bring the two closer. This involved a degree of guess work, as due to the black background paper I could not see what I was aiming at.
The result is not attractive, but it works. Luckily as it is outside, it will not be seen.
Moving the roof
To move the finished roof structure I required the help of my entire class, with one person at each joint. Between us we floated the roof upwards and onto the structure, with a great deal of straining. A real team effort!
Assembling the new roof
I started to assemble the roof today. I created four 2.4m x 2.4m square frames , and laid them out on the floor. The structure is very weak, so to strengthen, I then cut four right angle triangles for each corner, four equilateral triangles to bridge the four frames together, and one diamond to link the centre points. These are all fixed with four to six screws to make sure the structure is robust. Because the total size is much bigger then the ceiling height, I can’t flip the roof over. This causes a problem because I wish to line the underside with seamless paper, however can’t get underneath to do so, as the roof must stay facing downwards so it can be picked up and floated onto the installation itself. To get around this issue, I propped up the roof in nine places with cut off block of wood, and ran a long piece of wood through the tube which the paper came on, which I then wedged behind two breeze blocks, so when I pulled the paper, it unraveled without moving. I pulled the paper out and underneath the structure, moving the wooden blocks accordingly so the structure still floated over the surface. When the paper was in place, slightly overlapping the halfway point due to being 2.8m across, I made sure the paper was flat, then folded the edges around to the top of the frame. I stapled thoroughly along the edges, and secured the centre beams with masking tape. The next half will be attached Tuesday, followed by placement and the dome mirror.
Moving and repairing the structure
When I arrived in today, one of the caretakers came to find me, to tell me apologetically that the night before he had to move my installation. I’d asked before if I could leave the access door propped open which had been okayed, so I built the installation close to the door so I only needed a small corridor to block off the studio. However, when locking up the alarm would not set, and it turned out the access door has a sensor on it, and had to be closed. To do so three of the boards had been pushed forwards to allow the door to close, which meant the tape had been ripped, the walls were no longer circular; relying on the correct angles and the floor was slightly damaged. This is no fault of the caretakers, and they were very sorry; it’s just one of those things. They did their best not to disturb the installation, so there’s no problem there. It meant however, that due to the angles being incorrect, the entire installation had to be moved, which meant removing all the tape I had painted the previous day. With the help of Vickram I moved the whole structure, retaped and repainted. Where the floor had been painted previously to blend with the tape there was now a clear line where the tape had been removed, so a larger portion of the floor has been painted to make the difference up. A new centre point also now needs calculating. A very frustrating day, but at least it happened now rather then next week. It’s back to where it was previously now, and there is little noticeable difference.
Filling the gaps
Today I began to tape up the gaps between boards and floor in the installation. I’ve been using 1 ½” masking tape, ran down the edges of the installation in three layers, to cover the hinges as well as the gap, making the transition more seamless then previously. The same applies to the floor, with three layers bridging the edges, so the seam is slightly tapered rather than a harsh right angle. Once the structure was covered, I painted over the tape with white emulsion, feathering the edge onto the floor slightly, so there isn’t an abrupt line between paint and paper. When dry, the finish blended nicely, the installation now having an intense, white glow, not quite enough to cause arc eye, but enough to induce heavy squinting. When darkened this won’t be an issue. It feels bizarre that I am preparing the installation to be perfectly, seamlessly white, in order to hide it completely.
New new roof
– Due to efoam letting me down, I’ve had to find a new way of lining the roof. Previously in the test rendition I was cutting scraps of black backdrop paper with the hope of lining them to the framework I was due to build. To return to this solution, I have ordered a 2.82m x 11m roll of black backdrop paper from Calumet, who supplied the white paper for the floor, and intend to line the roof in two long strips, with the centre seam covered with a single strip of black tape. As the ceiling is relatively low, this should prevent any light leakage. If it does not appear dark enough, I will line the roof with the tarpaulin I used in the test rendition, which due to the black paper underneath will this time not filter the light, giving the installation the blue shade it previously took on.
No foam roof lining
I’ve been waiting the last week for delivery of the foam roof I previously mentioned I had ordered, which would have been perfect for the installation as it would cover the entire structure seamlessly, filling any small gaps due to the material. I rang eFoam, the company I had placed the order with to find out what was causing the delay, and after giving them my order details and confirmation was told they would ring me back when they have investigated. Half an hour later, I was told that the company could not cut the foam to the specifications I had requested, and had refunded my bank the day after I had placed the order. I had placed the order with no trouble on their website with no indication that there was a limit on any of the dimensions, which considering the sizes were selected from a drop down menu is particularly misleading, and I received no email from the company telling me they had been refunded, or that they were unable to complete the order in the first place, so had effectively waited a week for the delivery with no indication to the contrary. When informing the staff member of this, I was told that if I checked my bank statements, I would see a refund, and this was indication they could not complete the order, which I found incredibly unprofessional. This means I need to find a new way to line the roof. To conclude, should you find yourself in the bizarre situation where you are ordering custom cut foam, do NOT use efoam.co.uk.
Projector difficulties
I’m experiencing some real problems transporting the projectors. Because they are baulky and expensive there is too much risk in collecting them on the train, which is the only way I can get to Farnham. I’ve rung round various members of staff involved in the logistics side of the campuses, and in short there is no form of direct communication between the Surrey and Kent campuses. Post goes through the royal mail, and library books are shipped with a private courier company via Maidstone. I way recommended to seek a private courier company. This is very disappointing; I’ve always thought of UCA as a five campus university, however it would seem that this is a marriage of convencience rather then anything steadfast. I can’t help but feel let down that there is no way of getting equipment apart from in person; I’ve asked for help as its an inter campus transfer, not a request for help from a private company. I can’t afford a courier, as the price is in the hundreds, so I may have to seek a good samaratan, but at the moment, it is looking bleak.
Chipboard in place
The walls are now in place. I identified a centre point on the flooring, and measured 2.35m from it in twenty four directions, to mark out a circle with a 4.7m diameter (the circumference is 15 metres) in masking tape. With help from Onion and Vickram I then moved the boards, which are fixed in pairs to the edge, and was attempting to measure the angle using a set square, until Onion pointed out that because the circle is correctly measured, I just needed to make sure the edges of the boards were touching the masking tape for it to be perfect without the hassle. This simple piece of logic utterly floored me, and surely enough everything was at the needed 150 degree angle. I redrew the screws between the six sets of twos to complete the structure.
Laying the floor
I’ve laid out the flooring for the installation. It’s two 2.82m x 5.3m long strips of polar white photographic paper from Calumet, which I’ve linked together with a single strip of masking tape. I’ll paint over the link at a later point. The outside is stuck to the floor with more robust duct tape. I’m enforcing a no shoes rule to keep it as pristine as possible; everyone must wear the plastic shoe covers.
Canterbury build begins
After a van ride and some heavy lifting, the installation is now beginning assembly at Canterbury.
Visiting Farnham
I’ve had some success locating projectors. Various phone calls led me to the BA Digital Film & Screen Arts course at UCA Farnham, led by Steve Littman. He kindly agreed to meet with me to talk about various issues with the dome projection, and to discuss lending a projector. I took the dome with me, and trialed a 3500 lumin HD projector in the television studio, which has no light sources, so was perfect for this scenario. It worked brilliantly, leaving a clear, bright image on all the walls. It will be perfect in the enclosed space of the installation. Steve also suggested the use of two projectors, to bring a deeper level to the work, and also pointed out that I should be directing the image onto a mirror angled at 45 degrees, as it damages the bulb to be turned upright. He also gave me some great advice to do with HD compression, which will mean the renders are much better and will run more smoothly.
Ordering shoe covers
I’ve ordered 300 protective plastic shoe covers. To make sure the white floor doesn’t get dirty, I’ll ask viewers to slip a pair on before they enter the installation. I’ll also use them when building to prevent unnecessary dirt.
Ordering a new roof
– I’ve ordered a 5m x 4mm foam disc to sit underneath a basic frame for the roofing, as opposed to the pre mention solution. I can staple it to the supporting beams, and it will block out all light, provide a clean finish, and plug any gaps around the top due to the density. Perfect!
Securing a better projector
Due to the diffusion of the image, I’ve been trying desperately this week to secure a new projector to use with a higher lumin count and better quality. The projector I was hoping to procure from the lecture theatre is not as good as I had initially hoped. There are none available in stores at any of the campuses that are of a higher count then 2000. However, I have emailed Steve Littman, of BA Digital Film and Screen Arts, who I’m going to see next week regarding the possibility of borrowing his 3500 lumin HD projector, which belongs exclusively to his course. This will be perfect, as the brightness will hopefully be compensated, and the visable pixels on the walls halved in size.
Things to note from the test build
Eschewing the theoretical choices in material which I’ve already mentioned, the main revelation of the test build is to have a clean, prepared methodology towards how the structure is to be assembled. Erecting the walls first was a mistake, even if it seems obvious, and this in turn caused problems later on. First, the floor must be laid out, and taped flat. Following this, a centre point on the floor is to be identified. From this centre point, a circle centering on the centre point with a 2.35m radius needs to be taped onto the floor. Following this, the boards must be lifted into position in pairs, starting with the main door, facing the access door in the architecture block. Then, the boards can be fixed back together. The edges between the floor and the boards, and the boards themselves can then be taped over, and painted. The roof structure can then be placed over the top, with a plum line in the centre. The plum line must match the centre point of the installation. When it is correctly positioned, the mirror can be fixed into place. The two small boards acting as a corridor to block out the view of the rest of the room can be fixed, and the projector can then be tested. There are issues with the projector to be resolved, however the main objective of the exercise was to test how exactly I am going to create the structure, and I now have a clear, calculated method.
Ordering flooring
I’ve ordered a 2.82m x 11m roll of Polar white backdrop paper from Calumet for the flooring in the installation.
Taking down the installation
I took the structure down today, as I’ve tested it as much as I can at this stage. It was surprisingly easy; I kept the boards as pairs which I numbered so when I put them together again its easier due to the drill holes being aligned. Once I had unattached one in every two, the boards folded perfectly, and propped against a wall. They are however very heavy, and moving them will not be a fun job.
About the roof
– To block out light, I’ve been trying various tactics; however none have been aesthetically placing from the inside. The use of a large sheet of blue tarpaulin made the installation darker, however filtered the light to a shade of blue, even when large offcuts of black backdrop paper from the photography department were placed on top. I also tried to use 8 x 4 ft polystyrene reflectors from the studios, positioned over the top, propped up with spare beams of wood bridging the gap between the walls and the centre panel. All these make shift experiments have made it abundantly clear that I will need to create a real roof structure to have a successful, professional finish. To do so, a set of 4 2.4m square frames will be attached together, and covered with a suitable material, which will be painted black. I’ve been trying to find black membrane from builders merchants in this size and black colour, however to no avail. Other shortlisted possible solutions are foam, cardboard, black tarpaulin and thick paper. All of these can be fixed to the top of the beams. I will not be testing the roof however, as once it is made, the fabric will be unattachable, and the roof will be too big to transport.
Testing the projection
I have been testing how I will map onto the dome mirror with a 2000 lumin NEC projector. Directing it upwards, I’ve noticed that projection beams are all staggered at around 30 degrees upwards, rather than the beam exiting horizontally straight. This is so if placed on a table half the image isn’t lost. However when I am trying to place the projector in the correct place, this does not work, as the thirty degree angle causes distortion, making it difficult to find the centre. It does eventually work, but there seems to be no full proof way of positioning without guess work. The method does work, with the light covering all of the walls. The pixels are much larger then I had thought they would have been, around the size of a fingernail, but the image is still clear from a distance, and this does not take away from the overall effect. One issue is how diffused the light becomes. The installation is not entirely dark, and is positioned below a large skylight, which it will not be in the exhibition. Also the university is only open 9-5 and as it is summer there is much more ambient light. In September the situation will be different, so it is difficult to gage how much of an issue this will be, with environmental factors playing a key factor. With this in mind, it is sensible to find a solution that works in any room, regardless of light, something I will resolve soon. To return to the issue of disused light, the solution is to locate and borrow a projector with a higher lumin count. The more lumins, the brighter the image. I will start ringing around the university to see what is available. Another issue was the position of the dome. Dome projection works in the X, Y and Z axis, so if the dome is not straight, the whole projection will be lopsided. For this reason, more then one beam will be needed, to make sure the mirror does not fall to one side.
Taping the gaps
I’ve covered the gaps between the floor of the structure and the boards, and the gaps between boards themselves, covering the hinges, with three staggered layers of masking tape. I’ve then painted over the tape with emulsion. The improvement is vast; the seams blend perfectly and there are no visible edges. It makes the inside look much more finished, and will help dramatically when the projection is hosted.
Filling the edges
I've been trying out solutions to bridge the gap between the floor and the walls. Cardboard cut to size looks flimsy and draws attention rather then deflecting it, and is difficult to cut to size due to the walls not being perfectly angled at 150 degrees, which is the angle for a dodecagon. I encountered the same problem with coving. I collected fifteen pieces to cut to size, however due to the cheapness of the material (polystyrene), cutting the edges left a flaky edge, and paint did not take well to the surface. I think the simplest solution, which I intend to use to bridge the gaps between boards as well, is to tape over the edges with 1 ½” wide masking tape, and paint over with emulsion.
Flooring
I’ve lined white backdrop paper to the edges of the installation, trying to slide some underneath the boards to create a seamless finish, however they are not easy to move, making the experience more difficult, resulting in the paper having to be cut roughly to size. Next time, the flooring must be laid down before the walls are placed on top of it.
New method for the animation
To create an image of the entire nights sky, rather then using selective elements to translate the image into binary and as an emitter, the entire footage may serve as both, meaning absolutely no elements are rejected. I have created a methodology which allows this.
Using Adobe After Effects, the footage of the nights sky is sped up to two minutes; (the rough length of the experience, so it is digestible, see above) and adjusted using the threshold filter, which translates it into pure black and white pixels (see below). The particle plug in program Trapcode Particular changes the footage into a layer emitter.
The footage taken and edited in its threshold filtered state is set as the layer emitter. The brightness of the image is programmed to control the velocity of particle emission, so where there are white particles, there is a high rate of emission. To put this into a real context, picture a cardboard cutout stencil with paint passing through it. In the animation, cloud coverage and stars appear as white blocks, and so emit particles.
The amount of particles in the scene is the key controlling factor, and is dictated using the following methodology, which also provides the translation of the image to binary.
Emission is controlled on a per second basis, with film running at 25 frames per second. From the two minute film, one frame is taken every second, and saved as a jpeg image file. This results in 120 jpegs. The images are then loaded into ImageJ, a Java based image analysis program, developed at the National Institutes of Health, primarily used for three dimensional live cell shading and radiological image processing. By adjusting the image threshold, the program can analyze each individual pixel, placing the results in various groupings. In this case, the program has been used to count each pixel’s brightness level, on the RGB scale of 0-255, 0 being white, black being 255 (see below).
The results for each second is then logged, and divided by 25, (the number of frames per second) to generate the rate of emission within the final animation (See below).
With only two sets of numbers to work from, each pixel is effectively on or off, in binary 0 or 1. By copying the input data into Trapcode Particular, the particles behave in accordance with the original footage, emitting however many particles are determined by the data unique to each second for the 0’s. Assigning each particle a sprite graphic of the binary number 0, as particles are only emitting from the white, ‘on’ areas of the original footage, means that rather than particles, the image now has a sea of ‘0’s’ instead of small white dots (see above). This method disregards the black areas however, which have their own data, under the number 255, or 1 as it is assigned in binary, being ‘off’. To emit from the black areas, the original footage of the nights sky which is set as a layer emitter is duplicated, then inverted (see below).
This footage is then set as another layer emitter, with the rate of emission per second controlled by the data of the black pixels, or 1’s. a new sprite of the number ‘1’ is assigned to the particles, which are now emitting in the opposite manner to the ‘0’ layer of footage, so the whole image is covered with 1’s and 0’s instead of black and white pixels. It is worth mentioning at this point that both input layers of the original footage are hidden, and not viewable, it is only the particles with their attached sprites that are on screen.
The result of the two combined layers is a mass of thousands of ones and zeroes, behaving independently of each other, some staying fairly stationary, others tearing across the screen ferociously, dependent on whether or not they are conveying movement or steady light sources on the original footage.
Using Adobe After Effects, the footage of the nights sky is sped up to two minutes; (the rough length of the experience, so it is digestible, see above) and adjusted using the threshold filter, which translates it into pure black and white pixels (see below). The particle plug in program Trapcode Particular changes the footage into a layer emitter.
The footage taken and edited in its threshold filtered state is set as the layer emitter. The brightness of the image is programmed to control the velocity of particle emission, so where there are white particles, there is a high rate of emission. To put this into a real context, picture a cardboard cutout stencil with paint passing through it. In the animation, cloud coverage and stars appear as white blocks, and so emit particles.
The amount of particles in the scene is the key controlling factor, and is dictated using the following methodology, which also provides the translation of the image to binary.
Emission is controlled on a per second basis, with film running at 25 frames per second. From the two minute film, one frame is taken every second, and saved as a jpeg image file. This results in 120 jpegs. The images are then loaded into ImageJ, a Java based image analysis program, developed at the National Institutes of Health, primarily used for three dimensional live cell shading and radiological image processing. By adjusting the image threshold, the program can analyze each individual pixel, placing the results in various groupings. In this case, the program has been used to count each pixel’s brightness level, on the RGB scale of 0-255, 0 being white, black being 255 (see below).
The results for each second is then logged, and divided by 25, (the number of frames per second) to generate the rate of emission within the final animation (See below).
With only two sets of numbers to work from, each pixel is effectively on or off, in binary 0 or 1. By copying the input data into Trapcode Particular, the particles behave in accordance with the original footage, emitting however many particles are determined by the data unique to each second for the 0’s. Assigning each particle a sprite graphic of the binary number 0, as particles are only emitting from the white, ‘on’ areas of the original footage, means that rather than particles, the image now has a sea of ‘0’s’ instead of small white dots (see above). This method disregards the black areas however, which have their own data, under the number 255, or 1 as it is assigned in binary, being ‘off’. To emit from the black areas, the original footage of the nights sky which is set as a layer emitter is duplicated, then inverted (see below).
This footage is then set as another layer emitter, with the rate of emission per second controlled by the data of the black pixels, or 1’s. a new sprite of the number ‘1’ is assigned to the particles, which are now emitting in the opposite manner to the ‘0’ layer of footage, so the whole image is covered with 1’s and 0’s instead of black and white pixels. It is worth mentioning at this point that both input layers of the original footage are hidden, and not viewable, it is only the particles with their attached sprites that are on screen.
The result of the two combined layers is a mass of thousands of ones and zeroes, behaving independently of each other, some staying fairly stationary, others tearing across the screen ferociously, dependent on whether or not they are conveying movement or steady light sources on the original footage.
Making the roof beam
To hang the mirror, I’ve made a 6m support beam to fit across the centre of the installation, turned upwards so the wood is thicker and less prone to bowing. To make sure it can hold the weight, I’ve doubled the beam and fixed it at regular intervals with wood screws. The mirror is attached securely, and sits neatly in the centre.
Painting
I’ve rollered the all of the inside walls of the installation with white imulsion. From this experience I’ve concluded that painting in this fashion is utterly brain numbing.
Assembling the outside of the structure
To erect the structure would have been a relatively simple process, had it not been made difficult by the material. Due to the weight of the chipboard, the boards had to be fixed together in pairs by four sets of hinges, whilst lying face down on the floor. From this point they could then be lifted upright, with one edge angled at 90 degrees for support, before being dragged into shape and reattached with one person standing behind the boards, holding them in shape. Without clear floor measurements marked out, which was a very silly oversight, it was difficult to correctly position the boards as a circle; due to the hinges when one board was moved an adjacent one and in turn the one next to that would also move out of place. The lesson of today is positioning before fixing.
Moving the chipboard
Now the private view is over, I can build the installation in the MA Base Room, which is fantastic. It meant today dragging the boards down the four storey ramp on a trolley whilst trying not to let go; very tiring! Now I can start the build.
Chipboard arrives
The chipboard has arrived from Wickes. At the moment I have nowhere to test build the structure; I’ve tried every workshop seminar and teaching room. The only place that has said it is okay to use their space is the canteen, but I don’t think it will be very hygienic due to dust flying everywhere. Because of the lack of space, and private view for students work at the university over the next few weeks, I’ve had to store the boards on level 0 in an outdoor store room which the caretakers use, until the situation is resolved. This also means I will have to carry the boards down the ramp to get them to level 4, which in all probability is where I will be building; level 0 has no rooms for students and the rest are only accessable by stairs/lift, which the boards are too heavy/large for.
Ordering a dome mirror
I’ve decided to use an adaptation of the fulldome method of projection to cover the installation. Due to the throw ratio of the projectors available to me, I cannot cover the entire surface of the walls, or the floor if I mount four projectors facing each other, one every quarter of the installation. I feel it is important to cover the floor with the projected image as well; if the ground, which is taken as stable, moves beneath the person, the effect will be more unsettling, challenging the viewers basic conceptions of what is and isn’t real/tangible. Another possibility was the use of fish eye lenses. I briefly trialed using various prime camera lenses, but the effects were unrecordable as the image was lost. There are various conversion lenses available for projectors, however cost removed the possibility. One particular option was the Navitar HemiStar 180/360 degree fisheye lens, which they own the patent to. The price however was in the thousands. I looked to astrology forums for help, as amautuer astronomy enthusiasts often like to create their own planetariums, covering the sky. This led me to dome projection techniques. Ordinarily, the image would be bounced from the projector, onto a mirror just in front, which is angled slightly, which deflects the image onto a dome mirror. The dome mirror due to its convex shape, throws the image outwards, stretching the pixels but covering a greater area. There is a loss in quality, however this can be compensated using projection mapping, being aware of how the dome will fit into the selected shape. The most cost effective yet applicable solution was to use a dome projection technique. Ordinarily, as the name would suggest, this method lends itself to dome shape structures. I could not find any examples of usage in a cyclindrical shape. However, from UV Mapping experience in Maya, which allows spherical mapping to be applied to a cylinder, mimicking the scenario of a dome projection within my installation, I could plan a UV map which dictates where the projection will fall, and once rendered, change my final animation to fit. To change how the projection system works, I will suspend a full hemisphere dome in the centre of the installation, and project from below directly onto it, covering the surface. This will throw the light out across all the walls and the floor. Detail will tail off at the top of the walls as this is the edge of the image, however adjusting the UV map can counter this. I have contacted a warehouse security company in Plymouth, who make full hemisphere dome mirrors, and placed an order for one, measuring 60cm in diameter, weighing 2.4kg.
Revision again...
While the previous method works, it has a fundamental floor, which is that it ignores everything else in the image except for the stars. The darkness, the clouds, the moon etc are all just as much a part of an image, and selectivity over which elements I choose to track undermines the universal nature of the input.
Motion tracking stars
To extract binary from the filmed footage of the nights sky, I have motion tracked each individual star, mapping its progress on the X and Y co-ordinates to form a set of numerical data, displaying each stars movement per second. There are around fifteen stars in the filmed footage. These numbers can then be translated into binary. Each second of binary can be emitted from an emitter attached to the star, replacing it in its movement across the screen. This replaces the stars with violent eruptions of numbers, which will travel across the walls of the installation.
Making the model
I’ve made a twelve sided cylindrical model from foam board to test if creating a curved plywood surface would be viable. While the effect does create a perfect circle, the cost of both the plywood and wood for the curved supporting beams would run to around sixty pounds per frame. While creating test models in Maya, I noticed that when creating a cylinder, a twelve sided shape (a dodecagon) creates the illusion of a circle without needing the curved edges. A twenty four sided shape would create a complete illusion, however twelve sides has the same effect. There is no real need to curve the wood itself. This means that if I was to use free standing chipboard of the same size, while not as easy to move, it would create the same effect, yet only be 1/6th of the cost, as well as being sturdy enough not to buckle or need support frames. I will place an order with Wickes for thirteen pieces of 18mm 2.4m x 1.2m chipboard. The extra piece is to be cut into two to form a small entrance corridor.
Planning the structure
I have been considering viable options to create a cylindrical shape on which to project. The shape must be at least 2.4m in height and around five metres across in order to contain the viewer without generating any feelings of claustrophobia. While many surfaces will hold the projection, it is a question of practicality and cost effectiveness. An early solution was to hang fabric as a large curtain, however the cost of creating a circular rail on which to run the fabric was too high, as was a 15m x 2.4m piece of thick fabric. Plywood has been suggested, nailing to a curved piece of wood, which I will create in a model to test. Common size plywood is 2.4 x 1.2m, which is ideal, as the circumference of a 5m diameter circle is 15m, just 30cm short of the 14.6m the plywood would cover. The plywood would be nailed to a supporting frame made from two straight pieces of wood and three curved pieces, which would fit neatly together to form a circle. After making a 1:4 size foam board model, I will consider how practical this will be.
A new approach and input
I feel that the use of binary code is still important to the animation. Binary is the atoms of the digital world, and by using it, it brings to the forefront of the animation a number of jarring contradictions; incomprehensible complexity from two digits, a single engulfing image made from thousands of minute images with scale created by minutiae, unique seconds of animation through endless repetition, easily interpreted numbers becoming unreadable, and the invisible data of an invisible universe becoming almost concrete in an enlarged, projected state. Visualizing binary will show the enormity, expansiveness and intricacy of the digital universe by effectively showing the opposite. This will provoke a state of confusion, where the visuals override any form of logic and ordering, as the data displayed is not possible to order. Trying the count or order the binary would prove as fruitless as counting stars.
The importance of projecting the image lies in the state of flux between the digital and the analogue, as the footage changes from a real input, into digital through a secondary device, where it is broken down into the most basic form of digital, before being projected using the most basic component of real existence; light, where the small components are enlarged and dwarf the viewer. By changing format so many times before arriving at the final output, the signal becomes almost a hybrid of digital and reality, with the two states difficult to separate.
While it may seem fruitless to confuse and frustrate the viewer, it is important to provoke these emotions as well as overwhelming them with scale and complexity in order to incite something of the sublime.
With the importance of binary in place, I must now determine both an input and a methodology to extract the binary from an image; something which is not easy as it involves breaking down an image to its most rudimentary state.
I placed importance of Schopenhauer’s interpretation of the highest form of the sublime as the contemplation of the universe (1818: 205). To capture this through a camera for instance is impossible. Time based media can never fully capture the essence of a single moment, due to the limitations of the format. The idea of a transparent window reflecting reality through the medium is more of an ideal then a practical possibility, as there will always be mediation as the capturing device, be it film, audio or even paint acts as a buffer between the person recording and the moment itself. With this in mind, the only possibility, as with the portraying of the sublime, is to capture the personal. By filming the nights sky directly above my residence as I look out on it, I may not be capturing the entire scope, the deep lying levels of the universe, the nebulas and the supernovas, but I am recording what I am viewing, and what, despite being a small segment of a far larger picture, is still filling me with wonder.
Recording over the course of one night serves as the perfect input; it is by accounts the closest I may achieve to a completely sublime experience, it reflects the personal, and it is very much of the real and although mediated through the camera the original footage remains true to my intention of showing the expanse of the universe.
The importance of projecting the image lies in the state of flux between the digital and the analogue, as the footage changes from a real input, into digital through a secondary device, where it is broken down into the most basic form of digital, before being projected using the most basic component of real existence; light, where the small components are enlarged and dwarf the viewer. By changing format so many times before arriving at the final output, the signal becomes almost a hybrid of digital and reality, with the two states difficult to separate.
While it may seem fruitless to confuse and frustrate the viewer, it is important to provoke these emotions as well as overwhelming them with scale and complexity in order to incite something of the sublime.
With the importance of binary in place, I must now determine both an input and a methodology to extract the binary from an image; something which is not easy as it involves breaking down an image to its most rudimentary state.
I placed importance of Schopenhauer’s interpretation of the highest form of the sublime as the contemplation of the universe (1818: 205). To capture this through a camera for instance is impossible. Time based media can never fully capture the essence of a single moment, due to the limitations of the format. The idea of a transparent window reflecting reality through the medium is more of an ideal then a practical possibility, as there will always be mediation as the capturing device, be it film, audio or even paint acts as a buffer between the person recording and the moment itself. With this in mind, the only possibility, as with the portraying of the sublime, is to capture the personal. By filming the nights sky directly above my residence as I look out on it, I may not be capturing the entire scope, the deep lying levels of the universe, the nebulas and the supernovas, but I am recording what I am viewing, and what, despite being a small segment of a far larger picture, is still filling me with wonder.
Recording over the course of one night serves as the perfect input; it is by accounts the closest I may achieve to a completely sublime experience, it reflects the personal, and it is very much of the real and although mediated through the camera the original footage remains true to my intention of showing the expanse of the universe.
Thoughts and changes since the research phase
The conclusion of the research phase of this thesis led to the proposal of a cylindrical installation, filled with an animation translating the movement of elements in a JMW Turner painting into binary digits, designed to evoke the sublime through overwhelming the senses through large amounts of abstract data.
Since completing the research phase, I have rejected the input of a Turner painting and the methodology which formed the animation, whilst adjusting how I intend to use the space to evoke the sublime.
The aim of the previous methodology was to create a piece which remains original, relevant and reflective of my own relationship with the idea of the sublime and the idea of a digital sublime. A key factor in the translation of images in my previous theory was the resolving of the sublime into a format which can be represented and understood by the audience.
This undermines my own relationship with both digital technology and the natural sublime. While I have drawn many parallels between the digital and the natural worlds, from the size and expansion to the finite state of memory, I have somehow overlooked what is essentially the cornerstone of Kantian theory on the sublime, which holds true to both worlds, and this is that the sublime moment is a negative experience of limitations.
As Schopenhauer wrote in The World As Will & Representation (1818), ‘we feel ourselves reduced to nothing’ when contemplating the duration and enormity of the universe (205), leading the mind to the point which he regarded as the highest possible feeling of the sublime.
This interpretation of the sublime is not as a positive experience which can speak universally, but one of isolation, unique to the individual. There can be no generalizations, no relation to another person, which makes the experience so difficult to convey, one of reasons along with the limitation of a secondary format that the sublime has proved so elusive to explain, let alone express. To try and convey an experience, the only possibility is to as Noviselis put it ‘look inwards’. If a piece can speak personally it can hope to convey an element of truth.
I find the experience of the sublime daunting, isolating, and above all else, it reminds me of the indifference of the universe towards anything which I aim to or will achieve in life. It is a measure of time as minute and finite, and reduces the moment, despite its lofty feelings of importance, to something so minuscule, so insignificant that it is forgotten and is dead within a fraction of its arrival.
Although it is not strictly related, I feel I should point out at this point that I do not find the experience wholly depressing; although the sublime may well remind me of the absurdity of existence I do not see this a reason not to appreciate it; to borrow a much quoted expression allegedly from Gandhi “Nearly everything you do is of no importance, but it is important that you do it anyway.”
Continuing on from this digression, the experience of the sublime as a reminder of the futility of the moment plays an equally valid role in the existence of the digital sublime, while on a less elevated level, as an invisible universe cannot have the hold of a physical reminder.
Even as I prepare this text which will eventually be published on an online blog, I am aware that this document will remain a coded CSS sequence on a server belonging to Google, to be visited a few times by a small handful of people (mostly my parents) before the page remains dormant until eventually it is either erased, lost in a server crash or completely forgotten, floating in a nonexistent purgatory with the millions of blog entries documenting people’s lives, likes or even occasionally pretentious pseudo-artistic ramblings relating to their masters courses. If a document is created but never accessed, it is as if the file doesn’t exist, with no physical copy it remains buried, never to be unearthed.
The internet and world wide web are in their infancy, and their evolution has been astronomical; by the time their lifetime has doubled, it is difficult to even speculate what format it will have taken. This means that files, like people, have a lifespan before they die and are forgotten. To relate back to the real world, a study conducted in 2007 by genealogy site ancestry.com found that 1 in 3 US users did not know any of the names of their great-grandparents (ancestry.com, 2007). If the personal is forgotten so easily, this would suggest that the digital is even more transient.
An example of personal digital data being lost is blogging site Greatest Journal, which closed in July 2009, meaning years of its users blog entries disappeared. A google search now brings up a handful of discussions about its closure; however it is now confined to the memory of its former users (google.com, 2011).
Related is the fear of a Digital dark age, in which files of old formats become obsolete and unreadable, meaning a large amount of data could become inaccessible. There are currently many high profile projects to prevent this happening, such as the Internet Archive (www.archive.org), creating a digital library of websites, videos and music, and since 2007 Microsoft have created a partnership with The National Archives to unlock now inaccessible formats (guardian.co.uk, 2007).
With my personal approach to the sublime assessed, the aims of my installation must now change. I hold much admiration for the abstract impressionists, as their paintings aimed to be experiential, rather than depicting the experience. This still holds true for my own installation, as the experiences I have described above are too abstract to convey as a tangible form or clumsy metaphor. However, the strength of artwork is its ability to provoke emotion. My negative experiences of being overwhelmed, exclusion, wonder, confusion, absurdity and perceived meaninglessness can still be held within an installation, however what will be key to the piece is how much is revealed and what is explained from the methodology. The universe may not reveal its secrets upon contemplation; however it still engages, which the installation must do. The worst possible response would be apathy. Therefore enough needs to be exposed to entice and connect to the viewer, but not so much that the ‘reveal’ is given away and the piece becomes completely understandable, as that would prevent any hope of provoking the sublime, which I would hope to evoke through the culmination of the above mentioned responses.
The use of a cylindrical installation remains valid, as the shape has no defined edges, no point of reference, and what projected onto becomes infinite and creates the illusion of endless space. It surrounds completely without resolve, and on a large scale removes any sense of claustrophobia which may be felt; important as large scale is significant if the viewer is to be overwhelmed. The cylinder makes the person confront the piece directly, rather then through the mediation of a television or cinema screen. The shape allows for the animation to cover the floor, walls, and the viewer, moving beyond the surrounding shape, actually engulfing them as part of the experience.
With the above brought into consideration, a method and reasoning behind the creation of the animation has been reconsidered.
Since completing the research phase, I have rejected the input of a Turner painting and the methodology which formed the animation, whilst adjusting how I intend to use the space to evoke the sublime.
The aim of the previous methodology was to create a piece which remains original, relevant and reflective of my own relationship with the idea of the sublime and the idea of a digital sublime. A key factor in the translation of images in my previous theory was the resolving of the sublime into a format which can be represented and understood by the audience.
This undermines my own relationship with both digital technology and the natural sublime. While I have drawn many parallels between the digital and the natural worlds, from the size and expansion to the finite state of memory, I have somehow overlooked what is essentially the cornerstone of Kantian theory on the sublime, which holds true to both worlds, and this is that the sublime moment is a negative experience of limitations.
As Schopenhauer wrote in The World As Will & Representation (1818), ‘we feel ourselves reduced to nothing’ when contemplating the duration and enormity of the universe (205), leading the mind to the point which he regarded as the highest possible feeling of the sublime.
This interpretation of the sublime is not as a positive experience which can speak universally, but one of isolation, unique to the individual. There can be no generalizations, no relation to another person, which makes the experience so difficult to convey, one of reasons along with the limitation of a secondary format that the sublime has proved so elusive to explain, let alone express. To try and convey an experience, the only possibility is to as Noviselis put it ‘look inwards’. If a piece can speak personally it can hope to convey an element of truth.
I find the experience of the sublime daunting, isolating, and above all else, it reminds me of the indifference of the universe towards anything which I aim to or will achieve in life. It is a measure of time as minute and finite, and reduces the moment, despite its lofty feelings of importance, to something so minuscule, so insignificant that it is forgotten and is dead within a fraction of its arrival.
Although it is not strictly related, I feel I should point out at this point that I do not find the experience wholly depressing; although the sublime may well remind me of the absurdity of existence I do not see this a reason not to appreciate it; to borrow a much quoted expression allegedly from Gandhi “Nearly everything you do is of no importance, but it is important that you do it anyway.”
Continuing on from this digression, the experience of the sublime as a reminder of the futility of the moment plays an equally valid role in the existence of the digital sublime, while on a less elevated level, as an invisible universe cannot have the hold of a physical reminder.
Even as I prepare this text which will eventually be published on an online blog, I am aware that this document will remain a coded CSS sequence on a server belonging to Google, to be visited a few times by a small handful of people (mostly my parents) before the page remains dormant until eventually it is either erased, lost in a server crash or completely forgotten, floating in a nonexistent purgatory with the millions of blog entries documenting people’s lives, likes or even occasionally pretentious pseudo-artistic ramblings relating to their masters courses. If a document is created but never accessed, it is as if the file doesn’t exist, with no physical copy it remains buried, never to be unearthed.
The internet and world wide web are in their infancy, and their evolution has been astronomical; by the time their lifetime has doubled, it is difficult to even speculate what format it will have taken. This means that files, like people, have a lifespan before they die and are forgotten. To relate back to the real world, a study conducted in 2007 by genealogy site ancestry.com found that 1 in 3 US users did not know any of the names of their great-grandparents (ancestry.com, 2007). If the personal is forgotten so easily, this would suggest that the digital is even more transient.
An example of personal digital data being lost is blogging site Greatest Journal, which closed in July 2009, meaning years of its users blog entries disappeared. A google search now brings up a handful of discussions about its closure; however it is now confined to the memory of its former users (google.com, 2011).
Related is the fear of a Digital dark age, in which files of old formats become obsolete and unreadable, meaning a large amount of data could become inaccessible. There are currently many high profile projects to prevent this happening, such as the Internet Archive (www.archive.org), creating a digital library of websites, videos and music, and since 2007 Microsoft have created a partnership with The National Archives to unlock now inaccessible formats (guardian.co.uk, 2007).
With my personal approach to the sublime assessed, the aims of my installation must now change. I hold much admiration for the abstract impressionists, as their paintings aimed to be experiential, rather than depicting the experience. This still holds true for my own installation, as the experiences I have described above are too abstract to convey as a tangible form or clumsy metaphor. However, the strength of artwork is its ability to provoke emotion. My negative experiences of being overwhelmed, exclusion, wonder, confusion, absurdity and perceived meaninglessness can still be held within an installation, however what will be key to the piece is how much is revealed and what is explained from the methodology. The universe may not reveal its secrets upon contemplation; however it still engages, which the installation must do. The worst possible response would be apathy. Therefore enough needs to be exposed to entice and connect to the viewer, but not so much that the ‘reveal’ is given away and the piece becomes completely understandable, as that would prevent any hope of provoking the sublime, which I would hope to evoke through the culmination of the above mentioned responses.
The use of a cylindrical installation remains valid, as the shape has no defined edges, no point of reference, and what projected onto becomes infinite and creates the illusion of endless space. It surrounds completely without resolve, and on a large scale removes any sense of claustrophobia which may be felt; important as large scale is significant if the viewer is to be overwhelmed. The cylinder makes the person confront the piece directly, rather then through the mediation of a television or cinema screen. The shape allows for the animation to cover the floor, walls, and the viewer, moving beyond the surrounding shape, actually engulfing them as part of the experience.
With the above brought into consideration, a method and reasoning behind the creation of the animation has been reconsidered.
3.1 & 3.2 begin.
With the research phase over, I am now beginning the realisation phase of the thesis.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)