Archival Art
The title of this entry may invite more than it delivers. But I do wish to report that the concept of the Personal Archive has become a more central theme for my experimental piece, a result of this new direction (briefly described in an earlier post but not yet fully articulated*). I have been finding visual elements from my own vault, assembling these and trying to figure what needs to be converted. I am going to use footage that I shot in Turkey (S-8) that has never had a decent transfer. Also, footage from the Philippines (1985 and 1995) in 16mm that has had a decent transfer but is in an analog format. And lots of other stuff of course. I am puzzling over the HD implications when working with all this very disparate material. Do I really want to retransfer all material shot in film or not? Do I care about the HD format really? For this project…I mean of course I care about it. I cannot find some Super 8 shot in Bangladesh that I need but I will. I guess I never thought I would need it again but it must be stuffed in a closet somewhere. Okay, I hear Team Funk Yeah! at my door so I must stop for now. I blog when I have a moment…
*I have been intentionally leaving some space around this project, trying to create an intentional “vacuum” to let some new ideas come in to the design. I am interested particularly in this aspect of creativity i.e, how to create the conditions for spontaneity of thought and the unexpected.
February 19th, 2009 at 7:02 pm
i love your concept and the unexpected as a featured focus… sometimes with archival footage it is best to seep through it all and allow what will rise to the surface to take focus…… much like the gold miners in alaska out to seek their fortune…… against all odds……… i believe in you……….