The Space Between Us
During 2012 and 2013 as I was travelling throughout Europe, the landscape began to speak to me. . Arriving in Tallinn, Estonia to undertake a visual arts residency at Polymer Culture Factory I noticed that the geography was very different to that of my home country Australia and I was inspired to explore it. Walking was my way to engage with the landscape and became meditative— a space for reflection. I pondered the real and imagined distances between locations and also the emotional space and proximity between people separated by geography. My walks became both physical and psychological journeys. With my camera in hand I processed my surroundings, making meaning from my experiences and engaging with the new environment. I was interested in exploring ways to document and combine performance art and actions of physical endurance with digital media and live video. The way in which people navigate the physical landscape has been greatly impacted by new technology with printed maps diminishing to be replaced by screen-based maps. Maps are powerful tools of communication which show a point of view or inspire a journey in a particular environment. As universal instruments they can guide us not only from one destination to the next but provide a unique perspective on the world, selecting information and ‘framing’ the space presenting it in scale. In this work I have used the triangle as a motif to depict the journey from one destination to the next – A to B to C. The geography of a place is mapped through personal experiences, using macro and aerial footage to represent multiple perspectives and ways of understanding In Tallinn, Estonia I felt separated from loved ones by geographical distance. Digital media such as skype, email, facebook make people feel like they are closer through creating the illusion of closeness. It enables us to connect regardless of our physical locations. However it does not replace human interaction and intimacy.
Staff Rose (Radiance)