Alternative graphic for 'Babycam' title slide 4
Storyboard: separate shot showing dirty diaper and the baby/mother experiencing smell
Explaining the relationship between the editing style and what a baby sees as a newborn
24th Feb
I have been looking at various examples where artists have overtly targeted certain human senses in order for the audience to feel uncomfortable or confronted in a certain way.
An example I have is Meret Oppenheimer’s fur tea set where she replaces the normal porcelain of a teacup and saucer with fur. I find this piece extremely fascinating because it highlights the fact that our senses are so powerful that we don’t even need to physically be able to touch or feel an object for us to immediately understand what it would be like. We automatically draw from our memory and association with certain objects and imagine what a physical sensation would feel like. Oppenheimer’s piece takes an ordinary mundane object and transforms it by altering one of its features. I think the reason why it’s such a universally recognized piece is because most people can relate to the sensations of drinking from a cup and feeling the texture of the cup in their mouths.
17th Feb
Choosing a topic to focus my part 3 project on has been quite challenging so far. I am realising that most of my interests relate to one another and can therefore be grouped together, which is making it hard for me to settle on one concept. I am also hesitant to choose a topic that I have explored previously because I am worried about becoming a cliché and not stepping out of my comfort zone.
26th Feb
I have been reading the book Art and the senses by Francesca Bacci and David Melcher. From this book I have gleaned various artist references and pieces that relate to the human sensory experience when it comes to art. Although I know it would be difficult to create something that caters to all the human senses I have become increasingly interested in how a person would react to all their senses being abused or exploited.
18th Feb
I have made a general brainstorm that highlight the various topics I’m interested in and have categorise these into the uncanny, artificiality, dystopia and Utopia, dreams and distortion. I’ve realized that I can group my interests together and intermingle them so it’s not just focus on one topic. Some of my interests are concept based while others are more from an aesthetic point of view and I am currently thinking about how to apply a certain aesthetic to a concept. For example, one of my interests in terms of the aesthetic is Kitsch, which I feel generates a certain response from an audience that is either repellent or uneasy. I feel as if the mismatched nature of kitsch almost acts as an attack to the eye and is visually confrontational. Most of the topics I’m interested in feature an element of uncomfortableness and uncanniness which is multi-sensory and hard to explain.
Storyboard: separate shot depicting a baby playing with a dog and experiencing touch
23rd Feb
My research has begun to focus more around the idea of texture and touch as opposed to all the five senses. One type of texture that I’m fascinated with is slime and the consistency of mud or gooey substances. This has brought me to consider ASMR or autonomous sensory Meridian response. This is where a particular sound stimulates a physical sensation in a persons scalp and moves down the back of the neck and upper spine.
Although to some, the idea of slime might be considered disgusting or grotesque, others have found it to be extremely satisfying to play with. In recent years, there has been a surge in online videos where people play with slime. I am thinking of trying to replicate one of these videos. I’m interested in why people find slime both so disgusting as well as satisfying. Perhaps it links to the idea of bodily fluids or liquid substances that we associate with being messy and unclean.
20th Feb
I have narrowed down my brainstorm to a more general idea regarding the human senses. Although I know this topic is quite a widely explored one with artists and students, I feel as if there is a lot of scope in just the title that I can use as a starting point to a final product. Currently what I’m thinking of is to conduct research on all the five human senses and how I might be able to stimulate them through a work of art. I will be looking for examples of artists who have used multi sensory practices in their work. at the moment I’m not sure whether or not to narrow down my research to just one or two of the senses that I find most important, because this might refine my search and allow me to expand on one idea as opposed to five. I feel as if the senses that would provide the most possibility would be touch and sight, particularly because this would be more feasible when it comes to making a physical piece of work. I’m considering making an immersive piece or even just an interactive piece that the audience can engage with physically so that they are able to experience firsthand the sensations that I am trying to communicate.
Human senses 'torture device' idea
One idea I have been exploring is to create an almost torturous device that is designed to overstimulate the user is when it comes to touch, sight, taste, smell and sound. The contraption I have in mind resembles an electric chair that has been used as a torture device, paired with a phoropter which is used by opticians to examine the eye and more. The phoropter especially, reminds me of being constrained and controlled, and the fact that what you see is determined by what the optician chooses to show you.