As long as it takes…
This week I have been at a crossroads with this project whether to ditch it or stick with it. I felt that I was nearing completion of the Penny Arcade piece, however after a full day of filming last Sunday I am still not happy. For a moment after doing the last take I felt I had got what I needed, although after a few days watching it back again I feel it’s just not right. There is a small delayed reaction with the video capture. The performance is strongest when I am close up to the camera. Reflecting on the overall piece, I am my own worst critic. To make myself absolutely sure I displayed my laptop on top of a shelving unit at the gallery, watched it back and I just felt it looked weak. This really upset me as I have put so much time into this.
To see the work in a new environment with fresh eyes made me see its faults and the strengths in the framing of my performance, which I need to magnify. Placing the laptop on top of the cabinet did make me see how the proportion of it reminded me of a body and that I could place clothing items within the shelves. Putting the work to one side for a few days the idea of holding up the video of my face, in front of my head came to mind. I had experimented with this when I was documenting my studio set-up in the bathroom using my laptop to photograph the reflection of the space in the mirror. This way of combining the display of the laptop with a live performance has reinvigorated the piece and is a new take on performing to the viewer, and to camera. My internal critic feels like I should have resolved the work by now. I guess the work takes as long as it takes…
