ceramic installation with projected animation; and the ship sails on

ceramics, projected animation, and the ship sails on.

The animation is on a loop and ultimately starts in brightness, the projectors light bearing down on four light absorbing three dimensional decoy-ducks, strategically placed in their spot, on a carefully constructed oval shaped base. The projected light echoes the shape of the support structure, it does so due to an ellipse constructed stencil, attached to the projector - bolted to the ceiling. 

First stage of the animation; projected ballpoint pen
drawings of the water. Reference the moon flask.

 The first images to make its appearance, is the blue ballpoint pen drawings simulating water (inspired by the water in the moon flask), animated in different sizes and hues, creating depth in the projected surface, forming the backdrop at the start of the animation. The animated water moves from left to right, creating an illusion of the ducks swimming in the water.

Second stage ballpoint pen drawings (top view) of decoy duck
projected onto the three dimensional forms of the slip cast ducks 

Fading in and projected onto two of the decoy-ducks are the top view ballpoint pen drawings of the ducks (image of the left - detail), encapsulating their three-dimensional forms, reiterating the handmade process that preceded their existence on the plinth. A luminous blue is projected onto the two remaining decoy-ducks, creating an interesting composition of various animated surface options; a celebration of their three dimensional forms. These are strong voluptuous modernist forms, inspired by my mentor’s stylized conventions, stripped of all decoration – then considered a crime.

Then suddenly the animated cobalt-blue five-clawed dragon, makes its appearance, moving through the layered images reminiscent of water. He is very large, creating interesting negative spaces as he sweeps his claws over the ceramic decoy-duck installation, bringing forth change (a creature of the sea –power over the elements and seasons). 

He is the cultural symbol of China, but more importantly he enjoys historic significance in our world of clay. He is as powerful today as he was when he made his appearance on the moonflask painted centuries ago (the reference for this work).  This is a celebration of the handmade, closely associated with the crafts, the beauty it brings and offers to those that value the joy of making.

The five clawed dragon sweeps across the decoy-duck installation, effortlessly moving over the three –dimensional forms, his spirit imbues each decoy-duck with the joys of spring, sprays of peonys in a variety of colours, pink, red and blue. Peonys in a variety of colours envelope each of the four luminous, sunlit yellow decoy-ducks. These flowers are symbols of riches and honour.  Beauty is bestowed upon all whom his spirit touches; they radiate warmth, the abundance and joy of spring –as they enter a reinvented “Arcadia”.

Setting up the ceramic installation with projected animation; the finishing touches.

Sebastian an industrial designer
created the base.

The past four days were spent setting up the installation. Creating the base for the slip cast ceramic decoy-ducks, it also serves as the backdrop for the projected animation. An oval/ellipse that defies the normal shape of projected images. There are so many factors that come into play, too many too mention here right now. The gallery has many windows, and we therefore had to create an enclosed darkened environment, with curtains doing the job.

The projection is always at an angle and this makes the registration incredibly difficult. The animator had to sit on site and draw the actual decoy-ducks as they are situated on the base. Two projectors are really needed, one on each side of the installation, and or one directly above, with the projectors bulb fitted to direct its projection at a ninety degree angle. 

Hopefully I can work with Dell to alter the internal structure of the projector, to supply me with a projector that can be mounted directly above the installation and project straight down on the work. So many lessons to be learnt, but Rome was not built in one day.

decoy-ducks taking valuable timeout, watching TV,
at the neighbour's installation. 

It has been a painstaking effort to get everything ready for tomorrow night. The animator, Lukasz Pater (of the University of Johannesburg Multi Media Department) to go back to the drawing board a number of times, just as I have had to. I had to redraw the water and the drawing of the top-view of the decoy-duck. Getting the projection and the decoy-duck ceramic installation aligned has been the greatest challenge. 

Sebastian creating the stencil for the shape of the projection.

However to get the projection to take the shape of the base, an ellipse, was equally a difficult task. I had to employ an Industrial Designer, Sebastian to setup the installation. He is seen here (image above), creating the complex plastic structure to counter the rectangle light of the projection, to fit the  oval base and shape of the animation. Hopefully the projection will retain its shape, every slight movement of the projector, and or change of the computer, and or software, changes the shape and the colour of the projection.
I will take some images of the finished work and the exhibition opening and post them shortly.

Ceramic Installation with Projected Animation Exhibition Details

Five Clawed Dragon - Ceramic Installation with Projected animation,
titled and the ship sails on.
Image by Lukasz Pater

PRESS RELEASE

Collaborations/Articulations Exhibition, Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture, University of Johannesburg.

Official Opening Function

 Monday, 09 May 2011, 18h00 for 18h30,

Opening for viewing: Weekdays from 09:00 – 16:00 from 5 to 24 May 2011

Venue: FADA Gallery, University of Johannesburg Bunting Road Campus, Auckland Park.

The FADA Collaborations/Articulations Exhibition, curated and initiated by artist and writer Brenden Gray, presents new works and collaborative projects instigated by creative practitioners in the Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture (FADA), University of Johannesburg. The works presented on the show have been generated through an intensive process of dialogue between individual FADA practitioners and their selected collaborators over a period of a year.  Nine exciting, new projects will be presented:  

‘The Underground, the Surface and Edges’: A Hauntology of Johannesburg

Curators, researchers, artists and arts writers Leora Farber and Anthea Buys

Unit for Measure III

Art critic Mary Corrigall, performance and installation artist Bronwyn Lace and installation artist Vaughn Sadie

Love me as I am

Artists Shonisani  Maphangwa, Mphopho Rangoato and filmmaker Thenjiwe Nkosi

The Ship Sails On

Ceramicist Eugene Hön working with Lukasz Pater of the UJ Multimedia department)

Design development of projected animation.

Spring-Cleaning: Death in Varanasi

Performance artist Myer Taub, photographer and video artist Nadine Hutton, and film-maker and writer John Trengove

Great Dodecahedron Stellation

Sculptor Gordon Froud and Professor Emeritus Jos Lurie

A Study of the Vulnerable: Gyps coprotheres (Cape Vulture)                                                                          
Artist Rosalind Cleaver and The Ditsong Museum of Natural History, Bird Collection

Secret/Wish

Artists Landi Raubenheimer and Paul Cooper

Paper collaborations/articulations with the Phumani Archive Mill                                                              
Phumani Archive Mill: Kim Berman, Mandy Coppes, Nkosinathi Ndlandla, Thamsanqa Tshabalala, Dumisani Dlamini. artist and writer Brenden Gray, painter Inge Hyson, author-designer Deirdre Pretorius information designer, Sidhika Sooklal.  

As a whole, the 2011 Collaborations/Articulations project explores the “articulating potentials of collaboration” and the capacity of cross-disciplinary work to generate new forms of practice and reflection.  The exhibition demonstrates how creative practices can speak to and with other practices in the social world and how collaborative creative practices can generate new knowledge. Visitors can expect to see a variety of manifestations of hybrid works including video, sculpture, installation, performance, paper-based works, drawing and site-specific work.  The exhibition also includes open-ended textual contributions by the featured practitioners that visitors can read in engaging with their respective works.

 

Please join us for the opening function of the FADA 2011 Collaborations/Articulations exhibition at the FADA Gallery, Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture, University of Johannesburg Bunting Road Campus on Monday 9 May 2011 for the opening function programme. 

Opening function programme:

18h30:  An opening address by artist, educator and researcher David Andrew, Head of the Visual Arts Division, Wits School of the Arts.

18h45:  The launch of Landi Raubenheimer and Paul Cooper’s Secret/Wish.

19h00:  The launch of the eagerly awaited edited volume, ‘On Making: Integrating Approaches to Practice-Led Research (edited by Leora Farber)

19h45: A once-off screening of Anthea Buys and Leora Farber’s curated video programme, ‘The Underground, the Surface and Edges: a Hauntology of Johannesburg’.  School of Hospitality and Tourism.