For my degree final project, I have been developing a publication called “why is there an astronaut in a field of flowers” and yesterday was the first time in a while I was able to focus on the next stage, creating animated work to accompany the offline iterations. I don’t have much time left, and I still have quite a lot to do, so was pleased to have a moment to scour the internet for content. I was looking for anything made in 1971, the year I was born, which relates to seeing, vision, eyes.
I really enjoy working with found footage which is something many contemporary internet users are familiar with – I’m often amazed by the avant-garde nature of the content my kids love so much. I’ve written quite a lot about this collective common use of cultural material and look to artists such as Douglas Gordon, Mishka Henner, Rachel Maclean and Pipilotti Rist for inspiration.
My project is multi-faceted and explores several interrelated themes – perhaps the overarching one is the relationship between technology and the concept of selves and others. How is the technology we use changing the way we interpret ourselves and reality?
I found several super short films but the most bizarre was an educational one about the senses – if this is typical of educational material used to teach my generation, it might explain a few things… here’s a short clip of the film as I found it. Enjoy!