Adam Lewis-Jacob

Reading, Writing and Research Methods – 18th Sept. 2014 Steve Rushton

What, How, Why – 50 words.

1. Lemon Scent

Lemon sent is a moving image work that uses the format of the documentary and interview to investigate how information can be generated and manipulated. It attempts to collect what residual fact or fiction remains throughout Los Angeles about an artist called Bruce Grove, however Grove is a fictional artist. All the information generated about him is done collaboratively with the interviewee through improvisation.

First, a meeting would be organised. In this meeting I would ask the interviewee to tell me what they new about specific time periods from the Los Angeles art scene. I’d ask them to tell me stories about artists they knew or about myths or legends they heard. After the interviews I would return home and then email them asking if they would like to take part in my film. I would explain it was about Bruce Grove. I would then arrange another interview in which I would ask them to tell me the same stories but to insert Grove.

I wanted to understand the documentary format better. I also very interested in the idea of mimicry, I wanted to see how convincing I could be. But this changed as the project developed. I know understand that the work was about generating raw material collaboratively, Bruce is no longer the focus of interest but a vessel for more abstract ideas.

2. Rep Resemble Ultra 2.5 HD

Rep Resemble Ultra 2.5 HD traces the journey of an object found by my uncle in a skip from the physical, three-dimensional world into the flat two-dimensional digital world. It is a moving image work that utilises digital technologies and computer software.

Using a digital camera as a capturing device the object is changed from an object to a representation. It is then manipulated in Photoshop and isolated from its background. After this it enters a constructed digital world where it interacts with other objects. Each constructed world deals with different forms of representation; from flat (.png) files to computer generated three-dimensional representations of objects (.objs).

I wanted to understand how objects can be read and how changing their format can influence this. I also wanted to create another world unlike the world we live in, a world populated by objects detached from people and context.

3. Wheeze

This piece was made out of necessity to fulfil a requirement. It is both a sculpture made out of concrete and usb storage device to distribute data. The shape of the sculpture is vital to the contents of the usb. The shape is wavy and column like, like a Brancusi or anal beads.

Walk around, look around, find something. Look at it some more. Make a decision. Fill it with concrete place a usb stick in it. New problem - what to put on usb stick? Think about form, material and associations. Insert, wheeze, relief.

I was asked to produce a piece of work for an art auction and wanted to produce a video work. I set myself the problem of trying to find a more interesting way to ‘package’ the video. The subsequent object then became the starting point, the contents of the usb were kept secret, only the new owner could see them.

(Contents - include a mix tape of slow, grinding RnB tracks, an image of a Brancusi sculpture and a ripped and re edited video with a new sound track of an infomercial selling anal beads and but plugs)

Side Note : I like the idea of reducing the information about a work to its most basic. I don’t want to reveal to much, I want the text to be seductive, intriguing and inviting. I want it to want to make the viewer find out more. Giving everything away seems counter intuitive. The text can add another layer to the work. I can be like a game. Lists can be a useful approach for this.