BANK HOLIDAY musing

This is not my work, but I like it because it has to do with reflections. I especially like the simplicity of the images at the start.



Could it possibly have been done with two real ducks squaring up to reflections of themselves. But how would you coax them into such a strange kind of environment for them. Perhaps the white objects are some kind of food pellets?

Six months later ....

Hadn't realized how long it was since I last wrote in the blog.

So much has happened since then:
Visit to Liverpool Biennale
Visit to New York
Performance and video as End of Year projects
Acceptance again for Claremorris Open - this time for the BALANCE performance. (Note the change of title)



Since the summer started, I have been obsessing about the thesis, and also about the degree show project, but currently all I can think about is getting ready for Claremorris.
I'm making changes to the performance, but without the benefit of tutorial advice. Hope I don't make a mess of it.

New Website/blog

And of course, a lot of my time has been spent on organizing the new website - for my professional work at

http://betsywowart.wordpress.com/

I managed to upload some video to Youtube (it takes ages) and also some animation. So keep watching the new website - I will get them posted there eventually - there is something wrong with the links from the Influences page at the moment, but you might be able to click here to access the Favourite Animations .

Weary week-end

Actually, I shouldn't be moaning - I have had a chat with Joey and he has given me some tasks to do on Monday towards the Parish Centre portrait:

• Go to the Centre and photograph the painters at work, especially little details of brushes etc
• Ask for the copies of the old photos and scan them in
• Ask in the college for model details of cameras we could borrow (he suggests using the same camera for all shots.
• Photograph youngsters in playground - take the form and ask the teacher to distribute them
• Prepare a Shot List for the shoot.

He suggests that we aim to do the shoot near the end of March as he has something else coming up in April, not to mention Easter.

As for the Bipolar Balance piece, Mary and I went shopping - did I mention before that I had already bought the Wii controller.?
Today we got

• the bamboo pole,
• a panel of willow which I hope to turn into a stand,
• chain for the trays,
• two trays in case we can't get transparent ones made in the college,
• hooks to hold the pole, and
• hyacinth bulb glasses which I plan to use instead of whiskey glasses.

So I really should be feeling on top of the world that both pieces are under weigh.

Maybe I do need to take a day off to nurse this cold, and not cod myself into calling it a 'rest' just because I am not going out in the cold and spending a couple of hours travelling.

Why a portrait of a Parish Centre 2

That first day I wnet there, some time in November, I had no idea what was before me, and felt a bit nervous going in the narrow gate, across the little yard, and in the door to the glass-fronted reception desk.

From that moment - I felt at home. The receptionist on duty that day, was friendly and smiling, and passed my message on to the office upstairs, and in a few minutes I was guided up along the passage and through the big hall where some folk were sitting around a big table. Through more doors, past glass-cases full of trophies, up the stairs, and into John Gallagher's office.

Again, the feeling of being made welcome.

And that's how it has been on each visit - welcome and willingness to give me whatever help I needed. John wasn't the only person I spoke to. There was Sr Laurentia, and there was Gerry who told me about the various activities that take place over a month in the centre.

By degrees, I was beginning to think of this place as having an identity of its own, separate from the individuals who use it. The idea began to grow in my mind of doing a portrait of the building - just as it is at this one moment of time.

Then as I thought of portraiture, I began to think of the layers of time-based identity that are behind every face we see, the faces of all the yesterdays, piled one on the other.

So in my finished piece, maybe I will be able to include past and present, in some way ...

What is motivating me? I think it is a way for me to return to the Centre, both in the sense of honouring the gift they have given to me, but also in the sense of giving me an opportunity to be with these people whose company I enjoy.

Why do the Portrait of the Parish Centre?

What gave me the idea of doing this piece?
Well, I think it started with my initial visit to this building in the course of researching what ended up as the Coombe - Old and New piece before Christmas 2008.

I had only vaguely noticed the shabby building before this, not even knowing whether it was in use or not. the windows were covered in screens, and access wasn't obvious.

It was one morning, walking up Francis Street, on my way to college that I saw a woman standing outside the chiropodist's. What I noticed was that she was without stockings despite the chilly weather, and I wondered if her feet were sore, and was that why she was waiting to have them seen to. As I drew near, she greeted me with a cheerful 'Hello'. I replied 'Good morning', as I advanced a step or two, almost past where she was standing.

but in a moment of inspiration, I returned to her and asked her did she know of anywhere I could meet up with older people in the area to find out their opinions regarding the forthcoming restoration plans for the area. She immediately, and with enthusiasm suggested I go to the Parish Centre opposite Francis St Church. A few days later, I made my first visit.

TO BE CONTINUED

POST-TUTORIAL Notes

JUST HAD TWO GREAT TUTORIALS.
First with Claire who gave me good suggestions for things I could do with both projects.
PARISH CENTRE portrait.
My feeling about this is that when a portrait of a person is painted today, That is to-day's face, But yesterday's face is hidden behind today's face, the the previous day's face, and all the faces back to childhood are to be seen in today's face.
I'm seeing a building in a similar light - as if the traces of today and all the yesterdays, and all the people and events of this place are still present today.

Tried to find something about making a portrait online - not easy - plenty of commercial packages, but found a nice Powerpoint presentation. I don't have Powerpoint on my computer, but I was able to save it and then upload it to Google Docs online.

Re BIPOLAR BALANCE, Claire out of the blue suggested I might like to look at Blue in which Derek Jarman struggles with illness.



TUTORIAL WITH BEN
Great to know that Bipolar Balance is eminently doable. Plan is to use a Wii controller which I have to have for our next session.
He also made a suggestion that instead of using a cut-out figure to hold the bamboo in the installation, I might find something suitable in a gardening shop that would keep the gardening theme which I see as symbolic of where I go when I'm a bit bipolar minus.

RESEARCH for Parish Centre PORTRAIT

Began by taking a look at the program Anthony gave me to use for converting Photo to Movies - a bit more sophisticated than the Ken Burns effect in iMovie.

Almost the first thing I read in the manual was the suggestion that you fit the pictures to the sound - which is what I did in the COOMBE - Old and New piece.
well, I haven't really given thought to what the Portrait will sound like, so I went to YouTube to sample some tours to get ideas.

First thing I realize is that a film (even if made of stills) will need a 'script' of some sort. I think I expected that the script would come from the visuals, but now I'm not so sure.

As for music - I'm a bit paranoid about copyright and royalties, so possibily the safest thing is either to use something in public domain, or write and perform something myself!

Just made the start of a P2M movie with the BW Coombe photos. Could be promising

TUTORIAL - Feb 2 2009

What do I need to report to Claire during this tutorial?
I think she will want to know about four or five areas:

• The aftermath of the ASSESSMENT and if their are any outstanding issues that need clarification.
• Am I still on track to do the two piecesI have set myself for the end of term show?
• What stage I am at regarding the Parish Centre PORTRAIT?
• What stage I am at regarding the BIPOLAR BALANCE?

• Am I prepared to lead the discussion online on Wednesday morning?
  

Outstanding from the assessment are the efforts I have been putting in to completing the COOMBE DVD's, particularly with a view to giving a copy to John Gallagher, and also to the Architectural Archive.
I have had an hour of tuition with Michael with particular reference to taking photos, with my particular camera.
Arising from this, I have re-scanned some of the pictures which I had previously photographed, and saved them as tifs instead of as jpgs.
Re-editing the video to insert the new images is very slow, but I am getting there.
Regarding doing the two pieces
Yes I am still planning on doing the two pieces, that is I still have an intense interest in both topics. However, both are going very slowly, and I feel I am making little or no progress. If this state of affairs continues with both cases, I might have to settle for just doing one.
Thinking about which is more important to me, I settled for the Bipolar Balance. The Parish Centre Portrait could be done later if necessary.

What stage I am at regarding the Parish Centre PORTRAIT?
ADMINISTRATION
I have visited the centre, and confirmed with John Gallagher that I can proceed.
He said the centre is covered for insurance.
He said the Centre will organize any permissions needed for children to appear.
TECHNICAL

• I have watched the DVD regarding the Steadicam, and had a practice with Julia's assistance, using one of the college cameras. It was very heavy, and no way could I see myself being able to film for any length of time with it.
• I also did some practice with my own camera at home, using the tripod as a steadicam.
• The results were poor, in fact abyssmal.
  
• I am now wondering if my life would be simpler if I just took photos and gave up the idea of using video.
• Another option would be to get someone else to do the camera work - but after doing the Camino/theatre lights piece, I realize that directing someone else to do the camera isn't as easy as it seems - their translation of what I say, doesn't look like what I see in my head.
  
• Joey (my son who thinks like me) might be a possibility but not sure if he would be available to come home for a few days to shoot it, and timing might also be a factor
• Got email address for Coilin Rush, but left it in college, so won't get to contact him till Monday. He is doing research on Steadicam, so may have some info to offer.
  
• Want to find out if there is any information on me having a tutorial with Ailbhe Ni Bhrian which Anthony said he would arrange.
  

What stage I am at regarding the BIPOLAR BALANCE?
Just got an email to say I can have a tutorial with Ben Gaulon who gave us the workshop on physical computing last week.
Need to pull out all the stops to prepare for that.
Have now collected and printed all the notes I wrote over the past eighteen months - I thought it was much longer than this I was thinking about it.

Ben talked about using a Wii controllor as a sensor? having the ability to measure the distance/angle relationship of basket to floor? This VIDEO on YouTube looks very exciting, even though I don't really understand the half of what he is talking about.



Ben also mentioned the idea of using a projector as a source of light, being easier to control than conventional lamps. I love this idea as I particularly like the quality of projector light, which is different to other light.

Other than this, I want to find out if I could have my long promised performance tutorial with Kevin Atherton, especially after seeing him the other evening I love his laid back attitude to his work and think I could learn a lot from him.


Not sure if I posted this last year, but I still like it for a grin. Of course, Kevin is now moved over to GRADCAM, so maybe he will be too busy to deal with us poor undergraduates!

Bipolar Balance - SELF DIRECTED 2

II hope to do two pieces of self-directed work in the period January-May 2009:
(a) Video Portrait of a Parish Centre (See other blog entry)

(b) Installation with recorded Performance on Bipolar Balance.
Work on this piece is only in very preliminary stages.

My idea is to create an installation where the audience can 'play' with the components and at the same time get some idea of how unpredictable the mood swings of bipolar condition can be.
Performance:
The metaphor for this instability is a balance - trays suspended from a bamboo pole across my shoulders.
I a blindfolded to indicate that I am out of control of the origins of my mood swings.
Glasses of water will be added randomly to one tray or the other by members of the audience. Weight of the glass will cause the tray to lower towards the ground, triggering a sensor to change the lighting, and vary sound. I will have to straighten the pole until the sound informs me that the bar is level again.

The installation
There will be a timber outline figure to hold the pole and trays. Glasses of water will be on adjacent table. Audience can experiment with wearing the pole if they wish.

Video recording.
Four cameras at different locations and levels will record and project the performance to the live audience, and will be available as a composite video for exhibition viewers.

Live audience will be invited to discuss the work afterwards.

Portrait of a Parish Centre - SELF-DIRECTED 1

I hope to do two pieces of self-directed work in the period January-May 2009:

(a) Video Portrait of a Parish Centre
(b) Installation with recorded Performance on Bipolar Balance. (See other blog entry)

(a) Video Portrait of a Parish Centre
I will video and photograph various elements, features, activities and people whom I meet during a short period of short visits to the Parish Centre at Carman's Hall off Francis Street, Dublin 8.
My research has consisted of both video and internet sources as these seem most relevant.
My Preliminary research was into the idea of a video portrait, and also the idea of a portrait of a building, or any non-living subject.
Portrait of a community through portraits of individuals (words and pictures)

Portrait of a community through their religious organization

Portrait of a Community through its common cultural links

I then looked at some videos.
Russian Ark has shown me about camera techniques used filming the interior of a building.


Last Year in Marienbad also shows tracking around the inside of a building.


I've done considerable research on the topic of steadicams, and also on the idea of a dolly.

Currently I'm looking at the idea of using a tripod as a steadicam. This video show a man simply using the inner pole of the tripod.



This lad uses one leg of the tripod as a horizontal handle, and extends the other two legs to create a centre of balance.


This one looks the best. I agree with the comment that suggests duct-tape or velcro for fastening on the bottles.


Next thing for me to do is to test the ideas and see which works the best.

COUNTDOWN

This is now the COUNTDOWN to the end of the year.
The outstanding essay is now complete so there is just the SELF-DIRECTED part of our work.
I have decided to do this in two sections, possibly not equal:

(a) Video Portrait of a Parish Centre
(b) Installation with recorded Performance on Bipolar Balance.

LENGTH OF PROPOSAL
One of the comments at my assessment was that the statement on what I was going to do was too long.
In hindsight, I can see now how this happened. It arose from a misunderstanding. I had done the series of talks with Sarah Browne on making a Proposal and she had given made outline notes available to us with which I was very impressed. When I asked if Claire if I would follow this outline, I didn't show it to her, so when she said yes go ahead, we were actually talking about two different proposals.

It was only afterwards that I realized what the mistake I had made was about.
Sarah's notes referred to a document to be sent to a stranger who would need contextual information.
The Notes for the assessors were addressed to people who are very familiar with what I am doing, and I gave them far more detail than they needed.

Added to that, the fact that I sent the document by email, and it highly formatted meant that it spewed out a stack of pages when Claire printed it.
So the two lessons I am faced with learning:

• Clarify terms in matters of importance. Make sure that we both agree that we are talking about the same thing.
• Give hard copies if that is permitted, otherwise, either use attachments or do the doc in TEXT ONLY in the body of the email.
• Could also suggest to Claire that she give a max number of words, rather than a number of pages, seeing that formatting can be used to cheat on the number of pages (which is what I did, but it didn't come off)

I have now decided to write a short statement here (see next blog entry) , mostly to clarify my own mind. About 600 to 700 words is probably enough as that fills a page.

Thoughts after ASSESSMENT

Intense relief that it is over - at least the formal part.
Think I will make a list of tasks I could do with the material I presented, and then put these on the long finger while I get on with the three tasks in hand:

• Write the essay on Comedy is serious
• Negotiate the Parish centre project and get it done
• Begin to organize the Bipolar balance performance.

Follow up the leads in the library as to people working in in the field of art with people in local areas.

• Christine Mackey about moving people into new flats in Sherriff Street
• Anne Cleary and Denis Connolly - City Loops
• actuality films using old footage
• Mitchel and Kenyon in the library
• Differentiate between documentary and art film
• Studio to Situation

Down to work then!

ASSESSMENT DAY - Jan 14 2009

I'm due for assessment at 1500, and its mid morning as I write these words about what I plan to say. (I began last year some time to make out a sheet to had to the assessers of what I want to say, so that, in the event that I get side-tracked, and don't say everything, they will have it there in front of them.)
Anyway, this HINT-SHEET helps me to be focused, so whether it helps the tutors or not is for them to say.

I need to focus on the three pieces of work I am presenting:
Camino
Coombe Old and New
Sometimes.

CAMINO
This is a short piece which has two aims:
1. To avail of the oportunity to explore the use of theatre lights to make art
2. To work through the personal trauma I experienced in the course of walking over 200km of the Camino de Santiago de Compostela over 12 days in July 2008.

There are three elements in the video:

THE FIGURES:

The WALKER (using the hat, kaftan and sticks as used on the journey) re-experiences the variations of mood experienced along the route and shows this by changes in body language.
WHITE FIGURE 1 dangles a large cube representing the heavy load carried and how at times this was unpredictable and uncontrollable in its effects.
WHITE FIGURE 2 dangles a manic butterfly which is also difficult to control, and represents the fragility of the moments of high elation.

THE SOUND

This is MUSIC, recorded on the camino final day, is a group of pilgrims dressed in Inca like costumes marching to the Cathedral at Santiago. The original experience of this music did much to enliven those last few kilometres of the journey.
Three different tempos are used: normal, slow, manic again to reflect mood experienced.

LIGHTING

The THEATRE LIGHTS are also used to reflect mood - bright light and purple light, light flooding the performance area at the end.

SELF CRITIQUE:

• I am pleased enough with how this worked out in the end. I have plenty of footage to play around with later if I want to do so.
• What I learned is that theatre lighting is very different to studio lighting and extra people are needed to operate them. Also they are not as flexible as floor lights, especially with regards to tracking, and also focus. I would be reluctant to use them again for a performance.
• I also learned how different performance is from either theatre or movie-making, and how difficult it is to explain this to people who may not have experienced performance before.
• Working with other people was a lot easier than I anticipated, and the meetings we had were very focused and kept strictly to time.
• I also began to realize about the way light works, light piercing the darkness, interrupting this universal 'screen' that hides, conceals, protects so much.
  

COOMBE - Old and New
This piece consists of a sound piece recorded on a walk up and down the Coombe with John Gallagher who was born there and lived there most of his life.
Photographs and video are used to illustrate John's narrative.
Black and white images, from the Architectural Archive and from books, fade over present day images to show what used to be on the site concerned.

SELF CRITIQUE

• I think this piece works well. I am particularly pleased with how it isn't evident that the video was made on a different day to the sound, though I realize that the traffic sounds don't synch with the cars in the movie.
• What I learned, apart from an intimate geography of the Coombe which animated this urban area for me, was a lot more about using Photoshop and Final Cut Pro. I also learned that I still have a great deal to learn.
• The video work showed me the need to try using a Steadicam for this kind of work, but I like the idea of the one long shot, something I subsequently view in part of Russian Ark on You Tube.

SOMETIMES ...
This short piece is first of all an exercise in looping video.
The theme mood swings, as moods cycle from one to the other.
IMAGES

• Shadow image shows a see-saw which represents the ups and downs of moods
• Light flashes on and off at irregular intervals even as lighter moments interrupt the darkness.
• The colours are symbolic: Green for peace, blue for 'the blues', Gold for joy.
• The times vary, showing that moods are not of uniform duration.

SOUND

• Weather forecast voice predicts changes in weather but in a way is as unreliable as trying to predict what mood will predominate on any particular day.
• Back-ground studio sounds indicate that life goes on as normal regardless of how any individual may be feeling.one
• Voice indicated the isolation of the internal world of the individual as they face the reality that mood changes are a normal part of life.

SELF CRITIQUE

• I am pleased with how this little piece turned out. By slow degrees I am learning that quantity isn't everything, sometime 'small is beautiful'.
• Again I learned some filter controls in Final Cut Pro in the course of doing the editing.
• I also learned to make an 'animation apparatus' in my kitchen at home, a kind of light box, an activity I would like to pursue at some stage.

Saturday Struggles - Jan 10 2009

Actually, I've been struggling several days now, and although I am learning a tremendous, especially about what DOESN'T WORK, I am making very little progress towards preparing for my assessment on Wednesday.

What I have accomplished:

The small Loop video Sometimes ... is now ready to roll, as soon as I get it back from wherever I have it hidden - thought it was on the small Mac, but of course, it should be on the external hard-drive, so am not sure where it is - still have to locate it. But I do know it is finished somewhere.

Another thing I nearly have done is the Proposal/Statement which has to be emailed by tomorrow afternoon. Actually, I still have to edit this down according to Claire's directions. Hopefully that won't take too long. Anyway, I will keep the long version, hopefully to keep myself on track.

Today Mary came and volunteered to help me to learn enough DVD Pro to be able to make the required Menu-driven DVD on which all the work will be submitted. After she was gone, I did a whole trial by myself, following the marvellous YouTube tutorial which took me through it step by step. Best of all, I learned how simple it is to make slide-shows, so that is something I will pursue to make my various photos available, if only to myself.

The two big projects still aren't done - I spent hours faffing about with Final Cut Pro, making some slow progress, but not enough.
When Mary she suggested that I do something very short and simple, and I think she is right, so that is what I propose for the Camino piece, involving the theatrical lights.
She used a very good analogy that I think will help me focus.
If I think of the simplicity of the original idea of just three or four walks across the stage, and if a technician came in and insisted on using all the footage available, think how frustrated I would be. I need to get back to that simplicity. After all, all the edited footage, plus all the original stuff is all there for use in the future if I want it.

That just leaves Coombe - old and new. The audio is great, and maybe I should think of it just as a slide show with the audio behind it. Wonder would that work.

My PERSONAL 50 Words - Jan 8 2009

Images that excite me: light, shadow, reflection, projection, in other words things you can see, but cannot grasp.
Themes: the personal past of individuals including my own past and my historical geographical and genealogical connections,
Media: Communication through recorded performance in installation,
Developing skills in photography and video.

Even if its aspirational, it's no harm to have it written down.

BACK IN COLLEGE

First here is a link that I got from my son, to a site with fabulous images of light photography by a guy called ALAN JARAS.


I think they are beautiful, but not sure how exactly they are made, even though he is telling about the process.

Back in college, I went to the Media class, where I was impressed with the efficiency of the tutor, Gerry Walker who had reading lists and essay titles as well as an explanation of the course, all ready and stapled for us.

In conversation with him, I decided to change my essay topic and to do the one on Comedy is serious.
Went to the library and read a thesis on the topic, and got some ideas so hopefully will soon be on my way.

CHRISTMAS HOMEWORK 1

First thing I completed is the VISUAL CULTURE ESSAY. Topic agreed with Declan and Tim Stott before hols: Essay that might be expanded into a THESIS. The area I covered refers to my proposed DEGREE SHOW idea of doing something with my Family Archive. I called the essay: Bits and pieces – is this art, and if so, why? Very enjoyable to write, and still have loads of sources to explore if it is agreed this will be the thesis I go with.

Second thing I have done is to think up a theme for the Media essay. I want to analyse an ad-break through the lens of Transactional Analysis. I have already started looking at the BBC videos on the Century of the Self.

Third thing I have started working on is a rehash of the COOMBE Old and New which is one of the pieces to be presented for my assessment on January 11.
So far I have made out this plan, and I have also made a chart in which it is easy to put the timelines.
I'm very unhappy with the film I took, and may either end up re-taking it, or only using part and padding it out with some of the original stills. Depends on time.

How I might edit the three elements of the video COOMBE.
The three elements are
1. the AUDIO. This is the voice of John Gallagher as he walks up the Coombe and back down telling me about what it used to be like and some of the history.
2. the VIDEO. This is the footage I took with my JVC camcorder, walking the same journey as I had done with John a few days earlier. I did cross the street on my way back so as to get a better view of the first (north) side of the street. I am not happy with this footage. The camerawork is very jerky. Have explored the possibility of making a steadicam. If I can get this done, I might reshoot the footage.
3. the OLD PHOTOS. These are black and white scans of various photos, some from the architectural Archive and some from various books. The quality is not great. If I know more about photoshop, I might improve them.

So what am I proposing to do?
I plan to use the AUDIO as the base-line, and to fit the visuals to that.
As John (in the audio) mentions some place, my plan is to show it first as it is, then
to fade into the scan of how it used to be, and then
return to how it now is as we proceed to the next place he mentions.

I have made out a TIMELINE for the AUDIO, so I can use that to plan where the scans should appear, and how long each scan should be shown for. (I imagine this will vary according to how much John had to say about any particular place.

Think it will work to make the VIDEO opaque while the scan is showing.

Wonder can I put a fade TRANSITION ? Maybe I won’t need it if the opacity works instead. That would be better.

Think I probably need to make a physical TIMELINE with 4 cols: Time Audio, Video, Scans
If that wouldn’t take too long, then I can be very precise about where the fade-out starts and ends, and how long the scan is on before the next fade-in begins.