Open Works: Initial Thinking

For my final installation, I would like to build upon my understandings of the manipulation of perceived time through editing by examining moments in film and tv that are experienced in “real-time” by the viewer. I will be recreating 2-3 scenes in which a character is delivering a monologue in one, continuous take. One moment I have already chosen to include will be a scene from David Lynch’s Twin Peaks, in which I will dress up as the character Donna and try my best to most accurately mimic her delivery filmed with a very similar setting and cinematic style. My interpretation of the scenes will be projected onto a wall alongside and in sync with the original video. In doing so, I hope to highlight the moments in film and television that a director has made a deliberate decision to stray from their usual style of editing in trade for one, elongated moment. As a photographer, I am also looking forward to getting to experiment more with film, as well as apply my experience in theatre to explore the realm of performance art.

Certain artists I plan to reference and am inspired by for this particular project are as follows:

  • Cindy Sherman: her untitled film stills and ability to recreate cinematic moments through self portraiture and narrative construction are incredibly relevant to the exploration of character I wish to do
  • Gregory Crewdson: I have always been fascinated by his haunting imagery and fantastical sets due to the fact that he constructs a particular moment that feels pulled from a much bigger narrative, like a full-length movie. This is similar to my own choice to recreate scenes that are displayed on their own and pulled from their original context, but hint at being a very important fragment of a much bigger idea and story.
  • Alex Prager: a young, emerging photographer who reminds me of Crewdson in regards to image construction and approaching photography and video shoots with a very large focus on production. Her cinematic style seamlessly pulls you into the past through her soft tonal qualities and amazing attention to detail, something I hope to be able to do with my own project.

6 Comments

  1. John Roach · April 21, 2015 Reply

    QUESTIONS: What is the ideal presentation of this project? How will it effectively utilize space as part of our experience? What is the idea that emerges from this kind of re-creation or what does it hope to provoke for a viewer?

    REFERENCES: Pierre Huyghe – The Third memory. http://portfolio.newschool.edu/roachtime2015/2014/12/21/pierre-huyghe-the-third-memory; Nina Katchadorian – Lavatory Portraits; Jean Baudrillard and Simulacra; “The Eternal Frame” (1975), Re-Enactment by Francis Alÿs, 2001

  2. Susanna Treacy · April 22, 2015 Reply

    What will the contrast between the original and the re-creation convey about time? Will it be obvious to the viewer?

  3. Claire Coleman · April 22, 2015 Reply

    Do you imagine this installation as an empty room with videos projected on the walls? If so, how big will the videos be projected and in what arrangement (as in will your adaptation of the video be projected right next to the original or will they be in different locations)? When you film yourself recreating the scenes, will you be dressed in character and filming yourself in a similar setting?

  4. sepuv845 · April 22, 2015 Reply

    What would you like the audience to take away from your installation ? Will the audience simply be watching or will they play an interactive part?

  5. Jie Ying Du · April 23, 2015 Reply

    How are you going to make the project relates to the audience themselves?

  6. dortl485 · April 27, 2015 Reply

    Would this project sort of feel like a point of view movie?

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