ARTIST STATEMENT
ABOVE: white room at QCA
ABOVE: Vision inside the VR headset
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage can be a journey or search of moral or spiritual significance. a journey of importance to a person's beliefs and faith, although sometimes can be a metaphorical journey into someone's own beliefs.
Tristan Griffin,, 2016
This work explores the role that post-modernism, science and technology has had on experience, the self, beliefs, truth and understanding.
Engaging with Process
The act of making has heavily informed the conceptual and aesthetic outcome of this project.
For me my working process is to establish a concept and then develop ways that I can discuss it.
Each “stage” of my process informs the other. So during the construction new research informs the outcome of the work.
The nature of land art: I feel that it is important that when you engage with a particular methodolgy, technique or material that you have an understanding of the historical weight that it brings with it and its nature. I am concious of the intrusive impact and destructive action that land art often has and intended to use this as an artistic device as opposed to the none intrusive and Ephemeral.
Initially the intention was to explore preconceptions, plans, expectations through an interactive land art installation that was a contemplative space. The artwork was going to be comprised of two elements. One being a walking track, that begins as a straight line and gradually increases in curviture until lit became a miandering path that winds, twists and turns. The second element, would have been a straight line (possibly a string line ) that was suspended overhead. It is the interplay between these two lines that will create a dialogue.
And the intention was to present a record the artwork for assessment in the vein of Richard Long and Andy Goldsworthy.
The physical artwork is located in LOT7 Kingscliff NSW.
Due to its location, the installation is an interactive artwork, allowing the visitor to engage with the space.The space is very close to the pacific highway, there is a lot of highway noise in close to the road but when you are near the creek side (right side of lot 7) it is quiet.This sound of the space is an integral element of the work.
Some technicalities
The owners of the space and local council environmental and planning division were contacted in regards to the intention for the space, and approval for the creation of an artwork was been given by both parties. This was achieved by inital written application and followed by verbal phone contact to negotiate terms. In particular the council wanted to know the level of environmental impact on the space, such as removal of trees and potential clearing.
Change 1 - engaging with the space
After engaging with the space I quicky realised that the second element, the line, was going to be lost in the space. The concept changed and I began exploring the concept of the passage of life with a focus on the transendental and our impact on the temperal as we move throughout life..
Change 2- recording process
The second major change came in the recording process. Originally I had considered the following methods to display the final artwork.
Photographs
3D photographs /w the bubble camera (show photo IMAGE 6)
2D video
Interactive 3D /w video Youtube 360 vids
Interactive media
The intention was on creating an Interactive digital presentation which uses audio, panoramic images and interactive navigation through the space.
The more I explored the different methods of recording , especially the youtube 360, I was interesting in attempting to create a personal, intimate and interactive experience for the view. In an attempt to emerse them into the space just as though you were walking through it. This research led me to using a VR headset.
Change 3 - Contemplating line
As I spent time in the space and the research this project has made me accutely aware into contemporary western societies need for the straight line and border. Perhaps it is to give us a sense and illusion of control over our own lives by being in 'control' of our environments and a sense of safety. The line and border are the devices preverlant in man made construction. It is a formal element, even in a gardening context. It shows OUR mark on the environment. The path made by man, therefore, says to us “this way is safe, I have gone before you”. The first to walk the path and create the path, in a sense is the bold adventurer, forging a new path and a new way to go.
The more I looked at art, the more I realised that the formal line gave an aesthetic distinction between land art and landscaping.
A second lesser realisation came in that this work, as a land-art piece was ephemeral, which was not my original intention. Within days the formality of the line had diminished through use and natural intervention.
ABOVE LEFT: initial path ABOVE RIGHT: refined lines of the path
Change 4 - issues of experience
The more I worked on the Virtual Reality environment the more I realised there was short falls in the technology. What was being presented was highly narrated. Time and space were presented to the viewer, rather than experienced. So many senses were being left out; Taste, touch, smell, temperature. Even though the users experience was individual, it was still second hand. I began researching and questioning issues of experience and understanding. The role that post-modernism, science and technology have had on experience, understanding, concepts of truth, religion and beliefs.
These concepts have become the central focus of the artwork. As a result the choice of having the viewer seated while wearing the VR headset is to enhance these concepts. Playing on the dichotomy
of:
- passive and active
- religion and science
- reality and surreal
- post modern and pre modern
- permanence and ephemeral
Research
Ive looked primarily at artists such as Richard Longs and Pawel Althamer as opposed to the Ephemeral focus of land artist such as andy goldsworthy
artist researched :
Richard long process of creating line
Cai Guo-Qiang (Cai Guo-Qiang: Heritage) impact on an environment.
Michael Heizer (RIFT (1968-72)) land art , contemplation of line
Mark wallinger aesthetic of the string line
Pawel Althamer questioning of choice and intervention in the environment
Elizabeth woods aesthetic of slurry on the ground
Cecile B Evans conceptual focus and engagement with technology
Damien Hirst conceptual focus of relationship between religion and science
Erikson eight stages of psychosocial develpment, post-Freadian theory
An important area of research was into Post-modern theory of P.R Singh and advances in VR for social interaction and experience. Regarding the latter facebook and samsung have recently joined forces for the next generation of social media and you may have seen that all of the samsung galaxy s7 phones now come with a virtual reality headset based on the google glasses. Are we on the cuspt of a new era of social experience.
In conclusion, this artwork has been my most process driven work to date. I have allowed the ongoing research, engagement and contemplation of the materials and concepts to inform each other to reach the final artwork. And the research into post-modern theory has given me a better understanding of my position as a christian artist in the post modern/contemporary art world.
