process
'Reconstruction'
contains several generations of the images and sounds, which
is the outcome of a long-term progress of development both technically
and conceptually. The content of the DVD involved the creativity
of four artists; each contributing to the unique part of the
final product. Photographer Ching-Fang Chiang, who spent nearly
4 months documenting and researching the abandoned hospital,
initiated the earlier stage of the project.
Choreographer Caroline Quinlan took part in creating movements
and dance performance for the exhibition: 'Within the Walls'
- a multimedia installation held in Lindley Cultural Center
Gallery at Ohio University on January 2002. Composer Edward
Schocker writes for a mixture of alternate tunings and non-traditional
instruments. His original music score 'Blesch' forms the basic
audio element of the DVD. The design of the DVD structure and
the digital audio and videos are created by Lien fan Shen, a
computer artist who conducted and completed the final stage
of the 'Reconstruction.'
Following are the statements from the artists who participated
in creating this work.
Ching-Fang Chiang: (Photographer/Film
maker)
Years ago, when I was just beginning to experiment
with digital image making, the digital media was simply a tool
for me to manipulate original photographs and to create the
'extension images', or 'sub-images' of the originals. This concept,
however, has changed in time. While working on 'Reconstruction',
I have experienced the different creative methods that are strongly
connected with the availability of the new technology. Often,
when I discussed certain ideas about this project with Lien
Fan Shen, these ideas began to grow and shift according to what
I heard or learned about what certain programs or devices can
do for image/sound making. New technology actually directs new
ways of thinking and art making. This DVD is the product of
such new tech inspiration.
Caroline Quinlan: (Dancer/Choreographer)
Dance is more than an outpouring of emotion; it involves a need
to move, to explore movement, and to explore the surrounding
space. Our bodies receive information through physical activity,
sensation, and experience of the space that surrounds us. Information
flows from the external to the internal, so the internal process
needs some outlet. This external outlet can be expressed through
a dance, making a statement about a formal investigation of
not only the space around them, but also the emotions evoked
from the architecture of that space.
A person may become uncomfortable and tense when they feel trapped
by their surroundings, yet one may also find comfort in knowing
that their whole life exists in a small room. To many this thought
seems disturbing. I have tried to capture this tension between
the comforting and disturbing effect of a confining space. Utilizing
the positive space of my body contrasted by the negative, projected
images, I explore both the internal and external, crossing the
boundaries of mind and body. With minimal, intense, strong movements
I delve into the depths of the subconscious mind.
Lien Fan Shen: (Computer artist)
The progress of new technology expands the
possibilities in art creation. While traditional media interacts
with the viewer internally as mental events, the digital arts
actually create the 'virtual object' with the user/viewer. In
the DVD of 'Reconstruction', the elements including images,
performance, sound and music not only interact with the viewers
individually, but also brings interactivity between the artwork
and the viewers virtually. 'Reconstruction' reveals the process
of simulating my personal emotional perceptions from these strong
documentary images into a virtual object. 'Reconstruction' is
assembled through diverse media to achieve new dimensions of
artistic expression in space, movement and sound. |
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