Civic Studio: On the River
The inspiration for this work comes from graffiti and the power that text and images can have when left in public space without explanation. When people encounter these words the hope is that they will wonder who put them there, why, and most importantly what it means in relation to the space. The viewer's chance encounter with text in a public space presents an opportunity for closer examination of his/her surroundings.
iMovie: River
I chose the subject matter of the river and consistency because of the impact the idea of change has had in my life. Change is painful, exciting, beneficial, natural, etc.
Through this short movie I wanted the viewer to think about what is ‘constant’ in their life. Change is the only truly consistent aspect of life. Which in itself is such a wonderful or perhaps unsettling truth. I chose to spell ‘constant’ because of the beautiful contradiction it produces. I created the words by pouring colored sand over stencils. The river felt like the appropriate location because in itself the river holds both consistency, in the fact that it’s always flowing, and also always changing. The water is in a constant shift and flow. The people passing by quickly are another reminder of our consistently changing lives.
I used various camera angles to give the viewer different perspectives on the environment and not only the flow of the river but also the people. I changed the look of the movie by using a filter; I wanted all of the video to be consistent in its look.
The scene at the end is particularly compelling to me; the little girl and mother were the only two that stop to look at the word. I think the fact that they stopped even for a moment says something about the life of a child. They are in the moment and fully engaged in the world around them. The fact that the mother was taking pictures in another interesting aspect in that those pictures will be a reminder of what her little girl looked liked when she was young, because it is inevitable that she, the little girl, will grow and change quite quickly.
I hope that this movie will elicit thoughts about what is constant for the viewer and how change has impacted them.
Work created Fall 2009
Visit: On the River