Questions to an unspecified object
Untitled
A carousel slide projector is placed at one end of a folding table, facing inwards. There is a small screen towards the middle of the table and at the opposite end is a sewing pattern with a triangular optical prism placed upon it. The projector automatically shifts through a sequence of 80 slides converted from each frame of a 4 second digital video clip of an intentional crash by a Formula 1 racing driver. The images are projected onto the screen which is constructed of white foam board; approximately A4 in size and anchored by two toolmakers' clamps. A small vertical slit in the screen allows a narrow beam of light to filter through to the other side. The ray is refracted by the prism, casting a spectrum across the sewing pattern which has been taken from a 1988 edition of Burda Modern and provides overlaying templates to produce multiple garments from the same sheet.
Is it original?
Yes. While it composed of discrete found objects or materials, the configuration of these elements here create an original entity.
The installation is original in its configuration though it contains found images and presentation equipment.
What’s holding it together? The piece is held together by a number of elements. One is a conceptual framework in which is gathered the various elements. [unpack this please: what various elements? in a few words S.] Another is the folding table, which provides a tableau of sorts, a cohesive context for conditions of display. The third is the light emitted from the projector, which both activates and connects the discrete elements of the piece.
The individual components are held together in various ways: the projector is held together with screws and clips that are integrated into its moulded casing, the foam board screen remains upright due to the support of the steel clamps and the table is screwed, glued and tacked together. When placed in series, the components are unified by the beam of light that originates in the projector.
How long will it last? The work will last as long as the projector is operating, but I imagine it can be re-constructed at different times and places.
It consists of non-perishable materials so will therefore last for a long time. Specific elements may have to be replaced over time, such as the projector bulb or the foam board screen.
What does it evoke? The work formally evokes the notion of fragmentation and diffraction through the use of the individuated frames from a video sequence of a crash, through the literal diffraction of light through the slit in the screen, through the refraction of light through the prism and onto the sewing pattern which is itself a fragmented representation of a whole.
The work evokes a sense of deconstruction and reconfiguration. The highly engineered racing car is intentionally destroyed in the sequence of images. This instantaneous act is meticulously separated into individual frames. These images are converted into a concentrated beam of light which is then again separated, into a spectrum of colours. The colours follow line on a pattern, a method of construction. Further evocation stems from the modern symbol (the racing car) being deconstructed and reconfigured over the pattern taken from a magazine from the former DDR.
Where are its edges? The edges are delineated by the light of the projector, from its source in the machine to the extent of its visibility on the sewing pattern.
The installation has the tangible edges of its concrete components. As it is shown in a darkened space, the reflected light from the screen and refracted light from the prism extend its boundaries to the gallery walls.
STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE Geometry
STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE Geometry consists a series of garments. Each garment is formed by the repetition and tessellation of a single shape; larger shapes are enlargements of the original singular shape. These enclosing volumes have openings for the head, arms, and legs. The Cube comprises six 30x30-inch squares in black cotton canvas. The Isosceles Triangle Double Cone consists of twelve isosceles triangles in white silk organza. The Equilateral Triangle Trilateral Pyramid comprises forty-eight 24-inch triangles in undyed cotton natural bull denim. The Equilateral Trilateral Pyramid consists of four 48-inch triangles in black cotton canvas. The Vesica Pisces Sphere comprises five vesica pisces in black cotton fleece and black cotton ribbed-knit trim. The Rhombus-Quilted Rhombus-Faced Rhombus consists of thirty-six 10-inch rhombuses in black synthetic fabric. The garments are hung on a clothing rack in order from least complicated to most complicated, with the Vesica Pisces Sphere draped on a dress-form.
Is it original?
Yes, though it comprises very commonplace shapes.
The installation is original in its configuration.
What’s holding it together? The work is held together by the conceptual framework of the title [ this needs unpacking s.] of the collected garments, by the naming convention of the individual garments, and by the procedure used to produce each garment. Physically, the work is held together by the overall use of fabric, the choice of neutral (non)colors, the process of sewing, and the context of the garment rack. It is assumed that the fabric works are stitched together and that they remain on their hangers due to a combination of friction and the gravitational pull of the earth.
How long will it last? The work will last in this form as long as the garments are hung on the clothing rack. Beyond this, the garments may exist in other contexts and function in other ways.
The individual works, if properly handled and stored, will last many years in their current state. However, this will be drastically reduced if they are worn as garments.
What does it evoke? It evokes a systematic process for the creation of volumes or forms and references to tessellated architectural forms popular in the 1970s. The garments themselves evoke their geometric origins as materially, they are not self-supporting structures, but rather drape according to the way they are hung or placed.
The work evokes an idea of the reduction of superficial personal identity to Platonic solids and, in turn, all cultural phenomena can be reduced to a set of basic elements.
Where are its edges? The edges of the work are in the limits of geometric differentiation and repetition. More concretely, the edges of the work lie in the context of presentation, in this case, the clothing rack.
The physical edges of the installation run along the folds of the fabric garments and the vanishing point of the curved rail, depending on the position of the viewer. There is also an abstract boundary in the sense of a spectral presence and movement of potential wearers of the garments.