At Exeter Phoenix the current exhibition is ‘Mind over Matter’, a series of kinetic work. Machines that move in mysterious ways.
This work by Tim Lewis is much liked by many of the visitors, we had school groups in this morning and afternoon and I overheard many enthusiastic comments.
The ‘moving’ men spin round and are flashed at by tiny strobes which together trick the eye into believing in these walking men. They walk, quite fast, behind each other in a circle, disciplined like soldiers (but never moving on).
People love to wait for it to stop (to stay out of the way of the movement sensor that makes it spin) to stare at the men all in their slightly different positions.
This, I learnt today, is ‘persistence of vision’ – the delayed reception of information by your brain which means it then blurs together the images and so makes it look like the men are moving.
This is what makes animation, animation.
for a little while I have be looking for animations made by printmakers – and sure enough I have found some!
This guy Mark Andrew Webber has created what he calls his linomation. In a straight 18 full days he cut 300 plates to make this piece. This is inspiring for me. Go to..
http://www.markandrewwebber.com/index.php?/linomat…
my boys run a lot. and often far from me. in fields and woods (away from cars) this is great. I like to see them in open space.
the photos show the wood cut I am doing of the movement of boy running. its a joy to study closely their different body formations.
A train is coming under the bridge by St James Park in Exeter. St James Park is the home of Exeter City Football Club. I haven’t been but I like the noise, and other people’s excitement. And trying to read the match from the intermitent cheers and carry on.
Obtensibly this lino cut is a pretty picture. a picturesque view. it is a photo I took as my camera poked above the parapet of the bridge at the end of my road. I like the photo and I hope the image will come out well. Its a good challenge.
This photo shows my photo and the lino I am cutting.
Inking up the plate is one of the most exciting parts for me about using printmaking to make work. on a relief plate, as the roller moves across it reveals dramatically the cuts and articulates the intended shapes for the first time.
During the cutting process you can slant the plate this way and that, under light to highlight what’s there, but its like looking through a mirror to a subject reflected in a mirror beyond.
Taking the first proof in constrast can be a slight anti climax as you realise where more cutting is needed, too much cutting went on, and an inconsistency of ink over parts…
