The Position
The position I started to develop at the end of the previous brief was to begin to consider the labor involved in making and interpreting meaning, while considering the relationship between and the position of maker, viewer and the subject or object being perceived.
In this Unit, I’m interested in encouraging the labor of considered looking. I hope to do this by overlaying ambiguity, distortion, interpolation and other methods of manipulation onto the perceived material. How does this affect interpretation? How does this affect a viewers experience and perception? What are the multiplicity of meanings created? Who creates them? Who is right – the maker, viewer or the subject? Are there even ‘correct’ meanings? Or is a better question… What do you make of the things you perceive regardless of what is ‘correct’? What is the value of misinterpretation?
The References
The three reference I chose to respond to for this unit were, [1] Ways of Seeing Episode 4 (1972) by John Berger as televised on the BBC; [2] Sentences on Conceptual Art (1968) by Sol Lewitt; [3] I Am Sitting In A Room (1969) by Alvin Lucier.
All three of these references build on the iterations and references from the previous brief, where I was looking at [1] the ways in which we read images and text; [2] the ways in which a maker makes meaning and how a viewer may interpret, misinterpret and evolve the meanings made; and [3] the ways in which diminishing or distorting the qualities of a material/subject/object being perceived may lead to seeing/listening and understanding said material in different ways that may not be as straightforward as what is being presented.
The Iterative Responses
Using the above references as a starting point, I created three moving image iterations that interpolated parts of the contents of two or more of my chosen references.
Sentences on Seeing: Part 1
Sentences on Seeing: Part 2
Sentences on Seeing: Part 3
Through this experiment, I wanted to explore a few things.
- How does the interpretation of each iteration vary from one another?
- How do people interpret (moving) image, text and voice together?
- Does the fragmented nature force the viewer to look more closely?
- If so, does the viewer draw connections between the three references as it forced me to do?
- Do these connections exists already?
- Or are they slightly new variations of meaning we create as positioned, subjective and individual perceivers of these references juxtaposed in a very specific context?
- In certain parts the connection between references are clear, but can the absence of connection or ambiguity of meaning in certain parts of these iterations create room for new ideas, concepts and connections?
Tutorial Feedback
- The idea and position are rich areas to look further into. Focus on the lens of maker, viewer, subject and object. And their relationship/influence on meaning and multiple perspectives.
- The experiment does begin to explore how variables in manipulating a message can shift its understanding. How can this be pushed further? What are the variables?
- Works that it deals with subjectivity, makers voice / intent and viewers own meanings and connection. There is no right interpretation.
- The cropping, narrowing and withholding of clarity works in making the viewer question what is going on – it intrigues. It works to encourage sense-making.
- Consider the line between being able to form some sort of understanding (potential for new meaning through distortion) and total incoherence (viewer gives up trying to form any understanding).
- The voice-over having a more human sound rather than sounding so robotic can help the listening be a bit smoother.
- Play around further with the text – voice – found image – found footage combination. How do you combine these ‘found’ and ‘authored’ elements to make something new?
- How can this be pushed further? Can there be multiple screes? Can it be a multi-channel installation?
- What is the content I will manipulate next? How will the message be manipulated? Will it effectively encourage considered interpretations? What are the interpretations people will make?
Reference Suggestions
1. HyperNormalisation (2016). Directed by Adam Curtis. [Documentary Film]
2. View From The People Wall (1964) Directed by Charles and Ray Eames. [A Multichannel Film Installation]