User:Aratrikak

Methods

Session 1, 13th september

link to pad: https://pad.xpub.nl/p/MethodsLB23_24Sesh1 /

WORK 1:

What: “Insides” is an ongoing series of monochrome, digital photographs taken on a phone, made starting in 2020. The series depicts intimate physical forms of the human body, nature, and surrounding objects, acting as a window into the artist’s state of mind. It uses self-portraiture as an investigation of the self. It uses the interplay between form and light to convey moments of joy, grief, frustration, wonder, pleasure, and joy again.

How: These images have been made at various moments in my life over the course of a few years, photographed on my phone. The theme of the series has always been present in my work, and these images were picked out from my archive over many months, with a lot of adding and culling of images depending on what I thought fit the idea of the work best. The works chosen from my archive were often already monochromatic, which made that decision for the work feel organic and cohesive.

Why: I have always been fascinated with the physical form and how shapes can convey feeling. Over the years that I have been exploring this interest, I have found that documenting myself through self-portraiture has helped me through difficulties, helped me celebrate, and helped me reflect on these moments and draw strings through them through time. Certain forms in nature — in their stillness, or their vastness, serve as a mirror to the Self I find myself embodying or aspiring to at the time. Monochromatic visuals help me convey these feelings through my work with more clarity and singularity.

WORK 2:

What: This untitled work is a video made up of a series of short video clips of close shots of the artist’s physical body, like their eyes, face, hair, hands, their mouth while eating lychees. These videos are often glitchy or over processed with colours or filters. The videos retain their original sound, some of which are a song playing in the background, or the sound of the rain, or the leaves of trees rustling in the wind. The videos are all in portrait, as shot on the phone.

How: The phone videos taken by the artist were done either handheld or sometimes with the phone leaned against a nearby object. These videos are taken on different days but always in moments of solitude, such as after a shower, or while relaxing on the balcony. I am moved to film something because of a certain sound I hear, the way I see light hit my body, or certain textures of wetness or stickiness. These videos were then pulled from the archive and put together.

Why: I am interested in the interaction of camera movement x disembodied details of the physical body x live sound. I am also interested in what quality distortion and overlaying filters can bring out in these videos. I wanted to explore the kinds of moods these combinations of things can elicit in video work.

PORTALS

Session 2, September 27th

What are you making?

I am currently working on a short film for the pre-Eye seminar, as a test-run for a short film that we have to make for the Eye project for January. It’s about portals and I’ve been working on it for about a week. It has footage that I took on my digicam over the past week or so, and just put together for like about three and half minutes of material.

Why are you making it?

I take a lot more photos than video’s, even though I like videos. I’ve always felt limited from making moving images because of various reasons like needing more equipment, lack of storage, etc. I do enjoy moving images a lot and with this it was nice to be able to work with them intentionally. In making photos I feel like you see portals, in different places… like you see a still image and it feels like a portal. So I’ve had a lot of moments with photos where I was like: this is amazing, this takes you somewhere else. I’ve also been thinking about portals you don’t just stumble upon but ones you create, as a means to go where you want to go. I was talking to my friend and we were talking about what you want from a portal says something about you and your desires. It’s also an escape from your reality and it tells you about things that you don’t like about where you are currently. It’s also trippy and it feels like an immersive experience. A feeling of going elsewhere; it’s always positive, or optimistic rather. That’s why I’ve been interested in it.

How does it relate to other things you have done?

It does relate to things I’ve done. I feel like all my video work, and I guess sometimes photo work, when shooting it, it feels immersive. It feels like you’re elsewhere. Like watching leaves moving closely, it feels like you’re in there. And with art/work, I feel like you want it to be a portal. In that sense: yes.

How is it different to other things you have done?

How it’s different is… because I haven’t explored this theme in a structured way before, especially in moving images. This is my first time really having to think of a topic and then shooting footage for it intentionally and putting it together. I usually film whenever I feel moved to do it, and then it comes together as a coherent work later. So in that sense: the theme I’m exploring and how I’m making it  makes this project different. This was also my first time trying this old digicam and shooting with it and discovering its textures and how it really works in action.

What are the most significant choices have you made recently?

I haven’t really done a focused video edit project like this before. So I had to make some significant edit choices on clips I liked vs. clips that served a narrative. I also moved a little away from directly exploring identity, which is a common theme in my work. I was between the two topics for this short film, and I chose this (portals). Because it was less explored and hence more fun.

What promise does the work make?

Finding special, magical things in everyday life.

What question does it ask?

Well the title asks the literal question ‘Where do you find portals?”, which is subjective to each person. It would be nice if it asked the question: Where do you find your portals? It’s exploring what a portal is to me and hopefully it makes people think what a portal is to them. To have the viewer leave thinking more about portals in their life would be enough.

Session 3, 25/10

Group rapid prototypes: https://pzwiki.wdka.nl/mediadesign/Rapid_Prototype_Directory_LB1

Session 4, 08/11

Individual rapid prototypes: https://pzwiki.wdka.nl/mediadesign/Calendars:Networked_Media_Calendar/Networked_Media_Calendar/08-11-2023_-Event_4

Rapid prototype #1 [30 mins]:

1. Take a photo of your face in the classroom
2. Take a lap around the building floor. Take a photo if you feel inspired
3. Take a deep breath. Try to record it on your phone
4. Film something that moves
5. Text a loved one and take a screenshot
6. Take a picture outside the window
7. Turn on the fan if not turned on already
8. If the loved one has responded, screenshot the interaction and edit the S curve on the image

Rapid prototype #2 [1 hour]:

1. Print an image now. Cut it up [later if required] and take a photo
2. Tap the inside of your wrist with your first two fingers for about 20 second.
3. Repeat on the other side.
4. Write a quick journal entry about how you’re feeling. No more than 3 minutes
5. Intend to timeline jump
6. Film your hand for 10 seconds
7. Update your methods page with all your work so far
8. Be nice to yourself
9. Rip up an image by hand
10. Create a collage of 4 images you take right now, on `photoshop/illustrator
11. Make a track on garage band OR make a sound on Reaper
12. Put it together with any footage/images you have made so far in this rapid prototype

Session 5, 22/11

Proposal for a project that may or may not be made

What will it be?

A film montage of visuals of me filmed by myself using different instagram filters. In these clips I am alone, doing everyday things, often looking into the camera. There is overlaying audio that creates a coherence and narrative.

Why do you want to make it?

I am interested in the ways we choose to depict ourselves, the joys of choosing and building our identities. I have been exploring self portraiture in this way for a while now and want to put the different clips together and see what I discover.

Describe how it would be made:

-Look through archives from 2019-now and download relevant and interesting clips

-Put them into a video editing timeline

-Play around with them in terms of order, duration, colour

-Make note of what kind of themes or narratives emerge, feel free to experiment with various iterations

-If it feels right work on a voice over or sound design to tie everything together

Extra steps:

-Imagine how it might play out as a video installation

-Play around with TouchDesigner

Rapid Prototype:

1. go to the studio

2. print out a picture

3. stretch your upper body

4. take a photo of your reflection

5. put it side by side with a still from an old self-video clip, on the computer or printed

6. write for 5 mins about how that feels

7. say "good job aratrika"

Session 6, 06/12

Draft text notes:

Performance and repetition in everyday life

Repetition of an act makes it more closely bound to the realm of time, and can also act as a way to document Change or lack thereof -- change in space, in our bodies, in the content and manner of the act, of society and the worlds around us.

Rituals can be private/public, solitary/in a group. What does the documentation of solitary rituals do, and do these rituals only come into reality when shared with another person? What does it do to share private moments publicly, and repeatedly? Who has the agency to decide how/when/if to do that?

Thematics & Self-directed Research

Text on Practice