Media Arts Lab NMTAFE: 2014-08-24

The shadow model

with added fluid on charcoal

tunnel vision

This is a selection of shadow drawings from the model of 283 Williams St (my site) and an image of the model itself used to create the shadows. The actual works vary in size from under A4 to A1 + pieces. This basically helped me to disconnect from the site in a way-and moves from the personal/animal/interaction to viewing light through wet and dry mediums. It is useful to contemplate what happens under the actual site-this is the reasoning behind the 'under' exploration. (283 is located above the Northbridge tunnel-which is also partially responsible for the physical deteriation of the building.)

Terrain Vague

I've recently been reading Mirror Travels: Robert Smithson and History as investigation for my site project. In the book, the author uses the french phrase terrain vague referring to "the liminal or interstitial landscape". These urban in-between spaces, such as my site (an abandoned lot at the corner of Palmerston and Stuart Streets), visually operate in passive resistance to the ordered, linear and definable nature of the contemporary cityscape.

One finds that trying to communicate the topography and features of terrain vague is roughly the liguistic equivalent of hitting ones head against the wall - as much as we are able to easily give directions and describe the landscape using words like 'post', 'block', 'street', 'park' and 'corner', our vocabulary is found wanting when terrain doesnt conform to our Cartesian view of space (and history).

All we are equipped with when confronted by the continuous, undulating, obscure products of erosion and untamed growth are few ambivalent terms like 'clump' and 'clearing' which really describe nothing but a general loss of bearing or direction.

"Swamp" - Robert Smithson and Nancy Holt

"Nancy Holt and Robert Smithson collaborated on this seminal film, which viscerally confronts issues of perception and process. The action of the film is direct: Holt walks through the tall grasses of a swamp while filming with her Bolex camera, guided only by what she can see through the camera lens and by Smithson's verbal instructions. The viewer experiences the walk from Holt's point of view, seeing through her camera lens and hearing Smithson's spoken directions. Vision is obstructed and perception distorted as they stumble through the swamp grasses."

London Plane Tree

Photograph taken on my phone, one of many London Plane trees in Monger Street.
Non-edited version

Same photograph as above, edited version. I changed the exposure levels on photoshop
but didn't take away the fine detailing of the tree's features

Olive tree gif

One of the many olive trees in the laneway.

Post Nature Sounds

https://soundcloud.com/connorjameslucas95/swamp-sounds

Ive been looking into the post nature movement and how mankind ignorantly thinks they can live without nature, replacing it with a replica. This perhaps creates comfort in these power hungry twits.

Connect to personal blog and other sites through: http://connorlucasartstudent.blogspot.com.au/

Abstractions from drawings of site

First of many abstracted and edited drawings inspired by Wade st. site.

Draw - Photograph - Edit - Print: Rinse & Repeat (then repeat again!)

3D Brick Gif

Last week, Francoise asked me if I thought it would be possible to make a 3D animation of a rotating brick using photoshop.
My first instinct was to say no, but it sparked my curiosity enough to have a play with the 3D-layer tools. It took me a while to figure them out but I ended up discovering that its relatively easy to make simple 3D animations by working between the 3D tools and the video timeline. You can use your own textures, pick from a number of mesh templates and adjust colour and direction of lighting with out too much trouble.
This gif was exported with a huge amount of compression to make viewing easy but usually would be much higher quality.