|
|
Home | |
Sales | |
Links | |
Contact |
| Concept: |
|
|
Reality-Survey currently comprises of two series; Series Terrain and Series Specimisation. Series Terrain (or T) is the main focus and purpose of Reality-Survey, with Series Specimisation (S) being an offshoot that utilises the concepts and skills learnt within Series T. The main difference between the two is that Series T complies to strict production techniques that are uniform throughout, whereas Series S is more concerned with the actual finish of the piece and so production techniques are relaxed, with works often being produced in an artificial environment or studio.
The following description of the Reality-Series process concerns Series T.
Concept (Contextual) From the cave paintings of the prehistoric period, to modern day surveillance techniques, we are unique in our continual practice of separation from the environment. We now rely on technology to bring us new vantages, and we are heading towards, at the speed of technological evolution, a state of total immersion in the self-view. In the UK it is estimated that on average, you are caught on CCTV or similar surveillance 300 times, daily. Today it is likely that a satellite, possible of high-definition with a resolution of 50cm, has supplied its owner with an image of you and your home. Such is the widespread use of satellites that they are now used to update existing cartographic forms of geographical data. It seems as though the map is now the terrain, or at least an image of it; it won't be long until a single 1:50 scale image of the world can be constructed. Cartography is finally flirting with reality. We like to see ourselves from above. We like to have a bird's eye view, not a worm's eye, and I think this correlates to our expectations and wonder of the sky and universe. With slim exception, all the worlds spiritual and religious figures [the good ones] exist above us, not bound to our mortal world; even now in an age of technology and atheism we seek answers by means of space exploration, going above the confines of physical environment in order to be god-like (or to look like the most evolved). We have elevated ourselves to what was thought the place of angels and gods, but have we found any? Not as such, what we have found is yet another new perspective; we are now being externally viewed, via our technology, but by ourselves. What I like to think of as a form of mechanised astral-projection or remote viewing. In 2004 this viewpoint is excepted and everyday. We are fully aware of our own society looking at us, being modern and civil we express self-awareness and moderate ourselves. But how is this constant and un-repellent viewing affecting our selves? Could the knowledge of being watched by our machines make us more productive and independent? We have given ourselves a technological audience. Aerial vantages symbolise power and control. The most powerful being directly overhead, at a perfect tangent with the lowly subject. This interests me; obtaining constant vertical precision. To get a good detailed image of a surface of you have to elevate yourself as far as possible and then zoom in, minimising any distortions in the eye or lens. Or you have to replace the eye and the lens with a scanning type devise, something that can always be above, that can move over and collect data progressively. Bronoski said that man is not a figure in the landscape but a shaper of the landscape. Viewing Earth from above grossly alienates humanity. It visually crushes us into our world, giving humanity an ant-like look, which, on an individual scale, can provoke an anxiety. From altitude, the overriding visual evidence is that mankind's main impact on his environment is one of destruction and miss-use. Maybe we just don't need a natural environment anymore. Is it now just a redundant relic of evolution that we can chose to do whatever with? I think we'll just hang on to enough of the natural world so that we can use it for recreation, research, and to ease our consciousness's. The natural world reduced to isolated pockets of ‘old fashioned reality'.
Satellite Imagery: http://www.digitalglobe.com/sample_imagery.shtml
Concept (Personal) I feel threatened, I can see the instability of my position in this world; I don't have any control or power of influence over anything or anyone, But I love this world. This is why I follow my culture and society in the act of taking command of this world. Taking small sections of reality and gripping tightly. To look on to and to breath in; to claim an ownership. Capturing them to justify the extent of my control, not my fear. Always there to calm and reassure me. This is what feels right.
|