MAPS NOT TRACINGS

lsmpgt:

Evolution of the chicken, journey of the egg, the universe, and beyond.
This piece has roots in my earlier piece utilizing the Möbius strip. I like the idea of an endless loop without much evolution, as I believe our existence and world is just part of a larger scale, continuously repeating loop: life, radical change to environment, extinction, repeat. We are just a small blip in one iterative loop of identical cycles.
As to the actual components of the piece, there are a few worth further explanation.
The grey line in the background was used to ground the eye, create a horizon rather than have the egg floating in the screen.
The scale of the piece makes a massive difference to interpretation and to understanding of the data presented. To process it more effectively it has to be large, when making the piece I used my laptop which has a relatively small screen but also linked up to a large screen television. I found that on a small scale there was much less impact, which could be attributed to the lack of noticeable detail. On the larger screen the animation is much more effective. I would actually like to see the piece as a projection m, larger than life to see if that makes more of a difference, but for the showing of this piece the television in the space we chose had the impact I desired.
The piece is composed of about 250 single images presented in a stop motion effect. I felt the jerkiness and intentional pauses stop motion creates lent a feeling of anxiety to the piece. I did not want smooth transitions and a smooth flow, I felt the feeling of skips and breaks in the stills created more tension and unease.
As for the actual imagery, rather than hatching, the eggs consume themselves in an almost cannibalistic manner. The chicken then forms out of the almagamation of the two halves (which can metaphor for reproduction) rather than hatching from the egg.
Then close up of the chicken shows the universe in the eye, which brings up the question of the chicken being part of the universe or encompassing the universe within itself.
Then we see the universe implode and become an egg, so does the chicken create the universe or does the universe create the chicken.
The morphing nature of the egg when it consumes itself is inspired by several Escher works; particularly Bond of Union, Stars, Gravity, and Double Planetoid. The pieces by Escher seem to often fold back in on themselves, never ending iterations that have no evolution nor any direction other than familiarity through repetition. Bond of Union has an interconnected was that I tried to emulate in my piece, the two beings while unraveling are still of the same material. Double Planetoid seems to expand outward but simultaneously fold back into itself, another technique I tried to employ in my animation, the egg expands and retracts continuously confusing the viewer to its actual size and relation to the universe. The influence from Stars is the feeling of space and the universe as well as the presence of creatures seeming to lurk. Gravity has a feeling of a being trying to emerge from the geometric shape, struggling to escape, the chicken in my animation is comparable to that being, it tries to break free but is eventually pulled back into the force that contains it.
The journey of the egg, the loop without much aim rather than surviving the day is derived from the feeling evoked in The Road. The film focuses on the man and son’s survival, there is no other goal but to live, no radical plot twist or ultimate goal, it is a simplistic act that many of us don’t consider on a daily basis. For most inhabitants of first world countries, survival has become a common involuntary action, like breathing. We can control it but often it is subconscious and not at the forefront of our mind, The Road draws attention to this and focuses our attention on such a mundane task.
The time space continuum universe aspect is inspired by Hollinger, the clip is on a continuous loop that doesn’t have a definitive start or beginning. The “evolution” is cyclic so it seems it could start at any time or could represent time travel as it reverts back to its former state continuously.

References

Escher, M. C. (1948) Stars. [wood engraving].
Escher, M. C. (1949) Double Planetoid. [wood engraving].
Escher, M. C. (1952) Gravity (aka Gravitation). [mixed media].
Escher, M. C. (1956) Bond of Union. [lithograph].
Hollinger, V. (1987) Deconstructing the Time Machine. Science Fiction Studies, 14(2)201-221.
Hillcoat, J. (dir.) (2009). The Road. [film] New York: Weinstein Company.

lsmpgt:

My work for this experiment struggled with a slow creative start, given the opening focus on creating the experiment brief itself. Once this was completed, the task of wrangling together all of the ideas was at hand. 

Horrific Time was the main theme for the experiment, however following discussions with Dean and Rob, the suitability of themes regarding mapping, travel and journeys was discovered as a possibility. As a result, the idea of the journey or travel in a post-human world or environment was the one theme that stuck with me creatively, and seemed like a challenging task as a way of rethinking a timeless piece of human technology; the map.

Maps stand as the symbol of human mastery over geography, and represent an archive of exploration and cohesion. By positioning this technology in a conversation about the post-human suggests that all previous history imbued in the map form is irrelevant and abandoned. As a result, the formal implications of dimension were the first boundaries disregarded. This ties in with Escher’s artwork; the most influential apparatus for this experiment. His fascinating geometric structures in his two dimensional artwork defy possibility, and as a result, this style seemed perfect for reimagining maps beyond the human. 

I should emphasise that maps came about at the topic given the selection of The Road as one of the apparatus, in which the lead characters are on a journey through a desolate post-event (apocalypse?) world, their end goal seemingly unknown. The title of the film itself points towards the meaning of the film being found in the journey that these characters undertake, rather than the outcome. Maps are designed to clarify the route to the outcome in simplistic Cartesian terms, and therefore dwell little on the importance of anything on the route. Directions rarely give instruction to take not of a passing cloud or interesting geographic formation. 

By manipulating the imagery associated with Ordnance Survey maps for our intentions, the metaphor becomes rendered in our own two dimensional representation of a three dimensional space, which draws directly from Escher.

However in an attempt to extend beyond Escher’s dimensional limitations, the project is intended to be rendered into a three dimensional space, the logistics of which are yet to be established. 

Overall, the final images of the project look underwhelming, but represent my technical limitations in three dimensional renderings, and hopefully represent the culmination of my conceptual response to the apparatus provided. 

References

Burroughs, W. S. & Kerouac, K. (2008). And the hippos were boiled in their tanks. New York: Grove Press.

Escher, M. C. (1948) Stars. [wood engraving]. 

Escher, M. C. (1949) Double Planetoid. [wood engraving]. 

Escher, M. C. (1952) Gravity (aka Gravitation). [mixed media]. 

Hollinger, V. (1987) Deconstructing the time machine. Science Fiction Studies, 14(2)201-221. 

Hillcoat, J. (dir.) (2009). The Road. [film] New York: Weinstein Company. 

Kerouac, J. (1997) On the road. New York: Viking.

(Some references to be added). 

lsmpgt:

After viewing all of the apparatus’, and reflecting on the conversations had in the first workshop regarding this experiment, the productive response has been awkward to formulate. 

The experiment devised by myself and Adrian was designed to be intentionally open ended, leaving any and all responses the opportunity to dive off into any tangent deemed relevant. As a result, my response to the task has taken a theme and ran with it.  

Inspired by Escher’s geometric formations, I placed Ordnance Survey Maps onto 3D shapes within photoshop, as a proof of concept for what will (hopefully) form a physical rendering in the following exhibition. The choice of maps as the texture for these shapes comes from the themes of journey and travel from The Road, but also from the conversations regarding travel from the first workshop. Within that workshop was the suggestion of manipulating the visuals of a roadmap within physical dimensions. 

Maps are two dimensional tools, so by transcending dimensions, the function of a map is distorted. Some sense can still be made perhaps, but the more complex and Escheresque the geometry, the more complex and impenetrable the map becomes. As a result, I planned to morph the 3D shapes together, to create my own ‘Gravity’ piece. 

The outcome is the following image, which currently stands as a proof of concept for the final construction, which may formalise in a different way. 

The image essentially shows the sort of construction to be created, attempting to morph together the different mapped landscapes in a similar way to which the concepts and themes have been morphed together, to create a new understanding or landscape, literally in this sense. 

Reflecting on all of the content that has contributed to this experiments endpoint, I can say that I have tried to produce something new and unique, that whilst not artistically stunning or even attractive is a marked attempt to render the discussions of journey in a post-map and post-human sense. 

lsmpgt:

Veronica Hollinger’s piece ‘Deconstructing the Time Machine’, published in the Science Fiction Studies Journal in 1987, works through various iterations of time machine technology in relation to linguistics, space and representations in media objects, whilst continuously referencing academics like Derrida (heavily) and Barthes. 

The piece looks into the Grandfather paradox, presented by Larry Niven. The idea of the paradox is built on the frailty of time-travel when travelling back in time to alter the past. If a grandfather invents a time machine, but his grandson uses it to travel back in time to kill him, before he ever met the grandmother, sired the father, or invented the time machine, does the grandson ever exist at all?  Time travel is always potentially deconstructive. p204.

The idea of time loops is also presented, reminding me of the mobius strip pieces that Adrian posted about in the previous experiment. The word loop also reminds me of films like Groundhog Day, and more obviously Looper, which fits perfectly into these discussions of time travel affecting the future. 

The most useful aspect of the piece for my concerns are the notions regarding time in terms of spatiality. Language speaks of time in spatial metaphors and produces the concept of time travel. p202. By visualising time in spatial terms relates to the already spatial theme of my evolving idea as it stands. Representing the concept visually in a physically rendered object in three dimensions allows the viewer to rethink concepts of space, given the influence form Escher’s artwork. 

The aforementioned paradoxical nature of some time travel theories links to the optical illusions of Escher, with both seemingly impossible from the fixed perspective of reality. If we take these themes going forward, the four apparatus’ have been drawn together succinctly, each providing an aspect to the final response being developed. 

lsmpgt:

Combining the themes I have taken as inspiration from The Road (found in this post) with the Escher themes from this post, my current ideas are to construct a shape using (road)maps to reflect the convoluted nature of a journey, referencing the issues of human mastery over space (demonstrated through comprehensive mapping for example). The proposed shape will attempt to reflect an impossibility, akin to the images Escher often published, in an attempt to provide a visualisation of the opposite of human mastery. 

By constructing a three dimensional object, plastered in maps, the object can be placed into a space, and observed from all angles. For this to happen, possibly hanging the object from the ceiling will provide the most accessibility for those interested in viewing. With this in mind, I’ve began sketching possible formations for the structure, which I’ll post once completed. 

The next stage is to look through the Hollinger apparatus, in an attempt to clearly tie together the themes from all provided apparatus. 

lsmpgt:

The Road, directed by John Hillcoat in 2009, tells the story of a father and son, walking through a post-event (cataclysm, apocalypse?), looking to stay alive and avoid hunters and cannibals. 

After several encounters with both aggressive and passive travellers, the pair are low on supplies, morale and energy. An arrow wound rapidly deteriorates the health of the Man, who dies shortly after. The Son is then effectively adopted by a family that have been following the pair for a while. 

This is only a short summary of the story, however the main themes to take away from the film for our concerns are of the journey, rather than the destination. The title of the film suggests to us that the most important part of this tale is that the characters are on a journey, and given that their intended destination is never stated or obvious, this remains as the foremost concern for the characters. Surviving from day to day, finding supplies and avoiding confrontation become more important that finding the greener grass, a narrative present in many apocalypse films (see Children of Men etc). 

The film was chosen for a piece of apparatus for this experiment due to its post-anthropocentric themes, given the fall of recognisable civilisation and widespread cannibalism practices. However the main aspect I’ve taken away for my own experiment response is, quite simply, that of the road, the journey being more important or worthy of more attention than the destination itself. 

This ties into some of the topics of discussion made in the 16/3/16 workshop, posted about here. With three of the apparatus’ reviewed, as well as some surrounding pieces, a clear idea of using mapping as the basis of imagery for any constructed response to the piece is coming together. 

The next post will quickly summarise the ideas I have regarding the final response for this experiment, and then I will look into the final piece of apparatus as well as any other supporting pieces of relevant content. 

lsmpgt:

The given artworks for this experiment are from the Dutch artist M. C. Escher, known for his geometric art, and print work.

Gravity, sometimes known as Gravitation, depicts a seemingly impossible structure, with a number of protruding limbs, reaching out to connect with one another. The concept of manipulated perspective and dimensions in also present in the other works being used as apparatus for this experiment.

Stars, apparently a compound of three octahedrons, shows a cosmic version of Escher’s complex geometric artistry. Within the structure, we can see two chameleons, against a black backdrop containing other complex structures. Immediately, the concepts of complex geometry are coming forward as one of the main themes of Escher’s work. 

The final piece of Escher’s work being used as a piece of apparatus for this experiment is Double Planetoid, another piece of work utilising the combination of three dimensional shapes, in a two dimensional piece of art. This particular work combines two triangular pyramids, one adorned with natural geography and the other decorated with manmade structures. Having these two pyramids entangled provokes thoughts about the combination of humanity and the natural world. I am also reminded of Wark’s thoughts on the layers of nature, with the first layer being geographic. All in all, this piece of artwork from Escher is the one that is most thought provoking for my interests in this experiment. It provides basis for discussion in the areas of human agency in relation to nature, on dimensionality and space as well as geometry and art. 

To tie these artworks into the thoughts presented in previous posts, manipulation of dimensions and geometry is becoming a strong theme, and consequently, something I intend to include in my final response to the experiment.

A quick word on the final response; I am interested in creating a physical object that can be placed into a space and interacted with, and given the apparatus reviewed so far, I think that attempting to create a shape that resembles Escheresque geometry whilst reflecting the other themes would be the best response at this time.

Following posts will review the remaining apparatus, and then begin to construct the final response, with a view to considering the subsequent exhibition of the modules works. 

lsmpgt:

Burroughs and Kerouac came together in 1945 to write this novel as part of the Beats Generation, however it laid unpublished until 2008 due to concerned parties (namely the accused murderer Lucien Carr) remaining alive. 

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/dec/06/beat-poets-kerouac-ginsberg-william-burroughs

The novel tells a fictionalised version of Burroughs and Kerouac’s experience of being arrested upon suspected murder, however for the purposes of the experiment, we will be focusing particularly on the opening chapter. Chapters are lead by characters, either William Dennison or Mike Ryko, which is generally agreed to represent Burroughs and Kerouac themselves respectively. The opening chapter is from the perspective of Dennison (Burroughs). 

Following a first reading of the piece, the chapter starts normally enough, finding the character at 3.45 in the morning, just returning home from an evening of drinking. Events quickly descend into pandemonium, with characters eating crushed glass, followed by a serving of razors with mustard. The preposterousness of this situation is heightened due to the extremity of the lateness. The dead of night offers the possibilities of deviant social behaviours. 

Immediate thematic connections with the task at hand are drawn in relation to time, given the prevalence of time as a theme and topic across the previous experiments. Unthinkable time, inhuman time, and rethinking timelines have all been approached in the experiments leading up to this final experiment. Reviewing these in relation to the Burroughs and Kerouac literature, I am lead to think about the extremes of time, and how they distort the boundaries of reality. That which is extreme is more accessible in the lateness of night, demonstrated by ‘And the Hippos…’, which opens creative possibilities for this experiment to address. 

Up next, we will look into how Escher’s work can support our ideas, and develop new creative outlets for the actualisation of our response to the experiment. 

lsmpgt:

After presenting the first draft of the experiment sheet to Rob and Dean, found here, we discussed ideas that arose.

Given the consistent focus on human and inhuman throughout the module, we aimed to involve anthropocentric themes, looking at the mastery of humanity over earthly space, with technologies like maps providing dominance and omniscient knowledge.

Conversation turned towards notions of mapping, which came up previously on the course through Mckenzie Wark, and his overlaying maps of connections. As a result, themes of roadmaps came to the fore in conversation, with suggestions thrown around like having actualised roadmaps in a physical space, perhaps aligned with Escher-esque visual trickery and optical illusions to add a dimension of impossibility.

Dimensionality is another important aspect of the project, with dimensions being something addressed in a number of apparatus, as well as in previous experiments. In projects, this may be approached in an infinite number of different ways, with not only space but time also being manipulatable, as well (theoretically) any as yet undiscovered dimensions.

Somewhat iconically iconoclastic artists and authors were discussed, starting with Burroughs, moving through to Kerouac and the Beats Generation, and also mentioning the photography of Robert Frank, whose work detailed a gritty reality of American life, opposed to the idealised American Dream.

In summary, the conversations touched on topics of human mastery and disillusionment (in terms of visual, spatial and emotional), as well as the concept of anthology, or how to combine multiple works into one larger piece.

The next stage of developing my response to this experiment will be to work through the apparatus in relation to each other, building on some of the topics presented in this post.