Our last meeting ended in us pondering whether light is the key to our project; I think it’s certainly a strong element of the direction my explorations are taking – Light and History.
I am working from the premise that time and light are one and the same thing and by interrupting or manipulating the straightforward path light takes to reach me (the beholder) I am metaphysically connecting with the past – it’s not the most scientific theory; it holds no water in the physics department and certainly needs some work in the way I’m wording it but I like this theory and I feel like it’s working. (Going with my feelings about my explorations is part of remaining engaged with the metaphysical theme of our project).
So – before I try out some of my more ambitious ideas involving nasty chemicals and hugely time-consuming hand telecineing – I have made a few pinhole cameras as a simple way of interrupting light on its course to the beholder.
I decided to start making based on the few principles I remember about camera obscuras without looking up the best methods of going about it. This way I become discoverer and scientist (as well as irritated struggler) of optical instruments. After much tungsten and daylight testing with different sized apertures I have come to the conclusion that there are all sorts of ways to view these upside-down worlds and each one is as exciting as the other. More tests to follow…
