exhibition footage
"This remake of the 2006 video project Mirror has for me instigated the exploration of the possibilities of High Definition video for large screen projection. Although strictly speaking it is not a High Definition (HD) video; - it is actually two frames of Standard Definition (SD) placed side by side, it was created in HD format on the computer. I also re-learnt and re-performed the sequence (not an easy task) and re-edited it (an even less easy task). If you're not familiar with the Mirror video read the short text about the original version here.
Whilst delving into the uncertain seas of High Definition was both a challenge and an eye-opener, I also found that I gained a more intimate understanding of the performance itself; the natural flow of interactive events created through the little underlying subliminal impulses that permeate our daily activities - a moment of distraction here, an uncertainty resulting in a slight hesitation there - is accompanied by a composition of sounds resulting from the movements of the body and the objects that are being interacted with. When listened to with attention these sounds form a sort of symphony which has a quiet quality about it; that is - there is a feeling of quietness within the string of sounds.
Undertaking this task raises the question: 'how far should one go towards perfection?' or possibly: 'when is a work of art finished?'. No matter how well-learnt and rehearsed the sequence, each performance of it was slightly different, sometimes going a little faster or slower, a 'deliberate' accident did not turn out as expected, and therefore it was a real accident. No two takes were identical. The daunting challenge presented by this idea is the original essence of the work; as ever, to see if it is possible to create an object from one's imagination, even though it at first seems like an impossibility.
Tony Caunce December 2009
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