Berlin Trip

Standard time: Stop motion film using time

At the Guggenheim, Agathe Snow: All access world

Guggenheim.

Corey Archangel, split screen projection

Hamburger bahnhof

Hamburger Bahnhof

Hamburger Bahnhof

Hamburger Bahnhof

Bruce Nauman

Going to Berlin was great for art galleries and museums as well as the culture. Some pieces of work caught my eye using TV's and some digital timers.

Lorenzo Fusi

Lorenzo has given me some websites to look at, this being particulary useful: The Disappeared Lorenzo was great to speak to about the presentation of my work ready for assessment and the degree show. I have simplified my idea down for the TV's after speaking to Lorenzo because if I used both the Tv's and the map both would detract from each other. Ideally I would like a dark room to display my TV's so they stand out visually.

TV Idea

Side shot of TV's on plinth

Birds eye view

Birds eye view

Holes drilled for the wires

Plaques with country names made with the laser cutter

Inside of the plinth

Laser cutter in action for my plaques

I have my idea for my final piece using TV's and corresponding numbers of missing people. Originally I was going to use 9 TV's to represent 9 countries, but I have now cut this down to 6 due to getting the equipment on time and it still looks visually pleasing. This week I have been busy making the plinth for the TV's to rest on, making reinforcements inside and drilling the holes for the wires to go in. It has also been a mission to collect all the TV's ready, getting them from friends, family and tips/dumps. Also I booked in with Lol to make my plaques with the laser cutter, I used perspex for the country names.

Nam June Paik

Amazing piece that also uses a world map!!!

In a previous entry I explained I went to the Nam June Paik exhibition at the Tate. This trip has become very inspirational and a good reference point to my work now. Using TV's in my work, I instantly thought of him. I remember looking behind some of his works and seeing all wires and technical stuff which looked rather complicated. No doubt I will have to overcome some hurdles using technology in my work. This also made me think of how to hide my wires/dvd player etc as I wouldn't want these visible and visually impacting it. I have come up with a cutting plan for Sean so we can start building a suitable plinth on Friday.

New Idea

Because I have been struggling to find the digital timers (I have emailed different electronics companies, asked the electronics department for LJMU, been to Maplins) I have changed my idea. I want to use TV/Monitors and record a timer counting up to the appropriate numbers. These numbers will be displayed on the screens. On Friday I am making a plinth with Sean to put the TV's on and tomorrow I'm going for a TV hunt to the tip. I have two TV's already but need 9 in total. I have also joined freecycle.com.

Originally I was going to have string attached to the TV's that lead to the map behind (attached to the appropriate countries). However, after speaking to Lorenzo Fusi today I have decided not to use the map (or have it just for experimentation). We decided that visually it would look too busy and they would both detract from each other. Instead I am going to use just the monitors/TV's and either have it more scientific or add a hint to the numbers involved (like showing an outline of the country behind or a plaque on the TV).

Artist Research: Map work and the missing

Kathy Prendergast, Lost Map

Kathy created on first impression a map of the USA. However, on closer inspection this computer-generated map reveals that all the names of places have been removed from the map except for those that begin and end with the word lost. Her aim is to create an emotional map of the world.

Guillermo Kuitca, People on Fire.

Another artist who uses the notion of loss in map work is Guillermo Kuitca.Using a map he puts the names of countrymen and women who “disappeared” during the reign of terror in Argentina, color-coded by gender: male-orange, female-pink with some spots left blank symbolising the unknown. Just as I will have blank spots on my map for the unknown numbers, so this piece is a good reference to my work. Both these artists are good to look at when creating my missing map.

At the moment I have been looking at artists who use large scale maps in their work to grasp an idea of presentation. I recall going to see the High Tide exhibition held here that used a large scale map attached to wood.

UK maps of the missing

I was able to find out roughly how many people are missing per day in regions of the UK, so I made mock-ups of these as well.

I have also made varying scales of maps and feel the large maps are more eye catching and effective.