Project
For my Final Major Project I intend to look at the art and structure of film - specifically similarities in classic Hollywood cinema through the ages, like the work of Alfred Hitchcock and Stanley Kubrick. I find the idea of using pre-existing films appealing because of their familiarity. For example, when viewing Christian Marclay’s ‘The Clock’, I noticed myself and other people around me talking amongst themselves about the films each clip originated from and trying to guess other films that may be used in the piece. This proved to me that if an audience recognises the material being used, they are more likely to respond and react to it.
Whilst I plan to explore film as the basis for this project, I also wish to explore the idea of projecting and layering moving images, an idea which stemmed from my previous brief. In the previous brief I have already looked at photo-collages, multiple-exposures and cutting away images to reveal more underneath. For the FMP, I intend to first explore slide projections, whether that be projecting images onto objects or places, or layering projections to create a multiple-exposure effect. After this I will progress into the projections of moving images, and begin to explore the aforementioned trends in classic films (for example similar shot types, lighting styles or camera movements) and look for ways to relate this back into the final outcome.
The inspiration for exploring projections initially came from the Polish artist Krzysztof Wodiczko who is renowned for his large-scale slide and video projections on architectural facades and monuments. In his work, Wodiczko juxtaposes the physical space of architecture with the psycho-social space of the public realm, citing social interaction with buildings and architecture as being just as important as our first interaction with other human beings. Another artist that explores social interaction through projections is the filmmaker Michel Gondry. Gondry’s projections give the illusion of more than one story happening at once, and the hazy images promote an almost dream like state for the viewer. This more whimsical, romantic way of layering images greatly contrasts with Wodiczko’s more hard-hitting, political work.
Whereas in the previous brief, I used the layering of images purely for an aesthetical outcome, in this final project I would like to take inspiration from other artists like those mentioned to create more of a concept, and a recurring theme which the images will follow. Christian Marclay frequently uses his collages of film clips to explore sound; however I am more interested in the movement in each scene.
Therefore, my current idea for the final outcome is to project a collage of similar classic film scenes onto a canvas of some description and paint in coordination with the movements of the characters/cameras over the top as a performance piece. Seeing as this project is a way of exploring social interaction with film and images, I will assess my success by showing these projections to an audience regularly, and studying how they are received. I will also take part in group critiques where I can share my development and take on opinions to assist in my development. Reviewing my work weekly will ensure I remain focused and frequent tutorials will assist with any guidance needed.
