Brief Report: Days have continued to begin with 2 hour physical warmups
which now include some contact improvisation with long anatomical imagery
sessions. We have had some discussions on the notion of feedback
(kinesthetic/ haptic/ proprioceptic) sensor environments inside the body and
outside through the touch. The rest of the days have been spent working with
the electronic technology we have available. Lots of people have been
'capturing' and sampling data via analog or digital video and then inputting
it into computers for manipulation, editing and processing. We have had
demonstrations and brief lessons on various software (bigeye/ imagine from
STEIM for example). We are also using quite a few pieces of 'funky'
shareware such as 'melt' and gifgifgif. Our advise on this front has come
primarily from Amanda Steggell and Per Platou.
The group has broken up into 3-4 teams of people pursuing different
projects. One group became intrigued early on with a nearby site called
Bosham where the tides move in and out extremely quickly. There are various
stories and myths connected with the site. They have been recording material
there (sound/vid) and planning a detailed scenic shoot for tomorrow. Another
group has been choreographing and capturing movement material... then going
to the computers to see what can be done with it in terms of various sorts
of animations and re-presentations. Another group is planning a site
installation outside, but on campus.
Today we meet to discuss concretely and pragmatically what is realisable
this week both in terms of what we wish to learn and what we wish to
present. Priorities will be decided, e.g. do we keep trying to configure the
webcam (it's doable but will take time) or is it better use of time to
concentrate on beginning to overlap imagery from the various sources in
'imagine'. As always, we underestimate the amount of time it takes to
'learn' a new or even only slightly different program. We also realise that
the 'configuration' of software/ networks, etc. we are working on need a
rethink before we begin this second week. However, we do have enough
experience now in only 4 days of working together to be able to say "that's
not possible, but let's see if we can do that".
Some participants came prepared to work from a conceptual basis regaring
content, others needing time to 'see' what material began to emerge before
making these choices. Because this was never overly prescribed one way or
the other (Johannes providing a very open and supportive environment for
individual approaches) -- these two different ways of working have never
been a problem, but rather been part of a complementary framework for what
is essential a fairly large scale collaboration for learning and making.
The technology enables us to blend, layer and overlap sampled material from
each of the separate 'teams'... something which we will also be discussing
today. We are on an internal network which enables us to sit around and
exchange data extremely easily and work on the same material together in the
digital environment practically in 'real-time', but not quite. Be looking
forward to the day we could be trying out something else which is connected
to STEIM -- Sher Doruff's 'keystroke' project... which, as I understand it,
will enable a realtime collaborative artmaking network in a digital environment.
1)
I forgot to answer the question from Shinkansen regarding the showing on the
18th -- there will be one at 8 pm here at the Dance Centre on Saturday nite
18 July (not on the 17th). 4 quid/ 3 concessions at the door. They aren't
taken reservations but this shouldn't be a problem. The presentation will be
a combination exhibition/ installation/ hands-on/ lecture-demonstration.
2)
There is another item of interest. Chris Butler who organised this project
and the one in 1996 (Split Screen) has published the conference papers from
the 1996 conference. 242 pages of papers/ abstracts/ artist statements, etc.
-- some good material. Worth having. YOu can order *Split Screen July 1996
Conference Papers* compiled by Chris Butler and Dilly Ward Bundy from:
Chichester Institute of Higher Education
Dance Department
Bishop Otter College
College Lane
West Sussex PO19 4PE UK
http://www.chihe.ac.uk/
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Regards, Scott
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Scott deLahunta and Susan Rethorst
Writing Research Associates, NL
http://huizen.dds.nl/~sdela/wra
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