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.