Megan Lennertson
Fall 2009 Senior Thesis
Production Book
Relating Space and Place through Experience
Table of Contents
Production Outline………...…………………………………………………………2-5
Table Of Contents--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2
Summery of Work---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------3
Theme------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------3
Personal Relation-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4
Relevant Issues----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4
Conceptual Theme -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------4
Test Audience--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------5
Collaborative Team Possibilities-------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5
Equipment to be used----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------5
Field Notes, Observations, and Research……………….……………………… .6-8
Thesis Inspiration---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------6
Trouble Shooting----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------6
Preliminary Research----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------7
Possible Subjects for Imagery-----------------------------------------------------------------------------7
Testing the Subject-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------8
Timeline……………………………………………………………………………...8-11
September------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------8
October----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------9
November-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------10
December-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------10
Notable Dates------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------11
Budget…………………………………………………………………………….........12
3.
Production Outline
The current work planned for the 2009-2010 year at the Kansas City Art Institute will be a series of Mixed Media works utilizing Max MSP/Jitter, Sculptural Installation, Site Specification, and Projection.
Seeing as that the works intent is for site specificity, the intended audience is anyone who is able to commute to the locations, of any age range and profession. There will also be documentation taken of each installation insuring that the works are able to be shown to prospective curators, and may be applicable for grants, galleries, and venues of the sort.
Summery of Work
Having recently researched the ideas of coming to know and define Space and Place as both physical and mental objects, as well as how we alter and arrange them, this work challenges to continue these ideas, focusing on experience. Using research-intensive methods for examining, I will delve into experience, and how we can alter, create, and destroy experience in space and place through time. The work produced will be implementing finding solutions to my quest for experience through a series of audio and visual sculptural installations, each piece being site specific. The sites will each be asked for the output of information, which will be recorded and visualized.
Theme
The common conceptual theme can be broken up as seen below;
Space and Place
Experience
Alter Create Destroy Experience
Throughout my past and current work I have been studying the ideas of Space and Place. The tract of that subject which I will focus on now is Experience, and in experience I am beginning to examine four kinds of experiencing, with hopes to find more tracts along the way: Altering experience, creating experience, destroying experience, and experiencing experience.
The theme for the work produced from the conceptual theme will be that the work is intended to be site-specific sculptural installations. The works can only be completely determined after the research has begun, as it is reliant on finding answers and creating answers through the research.
The program MAX MSP will be used, and there will be video and sculptural installations most likely using woodworking.
4.
Personal Relation to the Subject and Theme
Having a passion for not only fine art, but philosophy and science, my relation to the subject of Space and Place began in an inductive manner, in which I proved myself to exist, then worked to define and come to know the matter around me both as object and idea. Through this study I produced a body of work that was derived from questioning the boundaries and existence of space and place.
While those studies sufficed, and I feel comfortable and grounded on my understanding of Space and Place, and why and how we alter it, I have now reached a bigger question. Experience. What does it mean to experience the space and place? And can the experience of a place or space ever be better than the place itself. It is the ideas of experience and how we can create, alter, destroy and experience experience, which now drives my work.
The constant theme throughout the series of site-specificity, installation, and MAX MSP is a common theme throughout all my work. Currently working to finish a Bachelor’s of Fine Art in the Digital Film tract, I have made many video dual screen, and projection installations, as well as sculptural installations, such as a 6’ round wooded harp entitled “Birth”.
Through both intense research, fieldwork, and observation I hope to better understand what it means to experience these places, as well as how these experiences have significance in the locations, and significance as experience.
Relevant Issues:
The most relevant issues with this work are issues involving philosophically knowing and finding the truth, and separating what has previously influenced us that we are not aware of.
Culturally exploring the differenced in how we perceive space and place. (For example, personal space varies from culture to culture. In one sect it may be considered rude to be to close, whereas in another culture it is quite normal to stand very close in conversation.)
Current artists using Max MSP/JITTER to use light mapping and to create data visualization are also very related to the media of work that will be produced. It is relevant and important to understand the differences in the work I am creating, and what kind of work other artists are creating on related subjects.
Conceptual Themes
The work being produced is all very conceptually based. It is through the solid concept of Space, Place, and Experience that the work is produced. Conceptual themes have been discussed in the previous section entitled Themes.
5.
Test Audience
Methods of a test audience differ from those of traditional film audiences. Since my work is sculptural installation, after researching I will propose my idea with drawn up plans and a method for attack and then share it with the following Photography/ Digital Film Faculty: Diana Heise, Cyan Meeks, Patrick Clancy, and Dwight Frizzell. After beginning the work I will ask for personal one on one critiques with the students in the two majors, as well as the intermodulations class as they are specializing with composing in MAX MSP/JITTER.
Collaborative Member Possibilities
At the beginning of this process, I have no additional collaborative members. However there are a few people whom should be noted that will be helping with programming, ideas, and recommendations for information. These people are Brandon Barr, Timothy Amundson, and Anna Vinning.
Equipment to be used
* indicates that I already have or have access to the equipment
+ indicates that I have the equipment, but may need more than is supplied
*MAX MSP/ JITTER
+Appropriate sensors for the program, temperature, light, movement
*HD Camera (video)
*Nikon D 90
*Contact Microphone
+Amplifier
Speakers
Spotlights
*Projector (2 to 3)
+Large roll of white fabric
Projection Screens
+Extension Cords
*Power Strip
*Generator
6.
FIELD NOTES, OBSERVATIONS, AND RESEARCH
Inspirations to the thesis:
Current Artists that I have been looking into which inspire my thesis are :
Installation and Sculptural Artists:
Christo and Jean-Claude,
Stephen Vitiello,
David Moreno,
Janet Cardiff.
MAX MSP artists include, but are not limited to:
Pablo Valbuena (light projection mapping)
Camille Utterback (interactive video)
Daito Manabe (Composing music with program)
The Reactable (Reactivision)
Non- Artist Influences
Leon Scott- transduced sound to wave forms, and tried to learn to read waveforms essentially reading what was said, and how they said it.
Edison- bringing together Audio autamata and fenetic inscription
Plato, Socrates, deductive and inductive reasoning.
Science, Mathematical Systems, and NASA
Trouble Shooting
The most likely problems to occur in my thesis will be force producing work due to time constraints as well as budgeting. There will be no issues with starting my research and actively writing, but scheduling when an idea will start and stop (idea meaning a project) is difficult with my working method. The work will always be due on time, but the anticipation of feeling the need to know an entire piece before I start it from start date to finish is a rather difficult process. The only way to solve this is to solve as best as I can when I need to be working on planning an installation piece, and when I should be finishing and starting the next. Rough dates will work better for this, but rough can be within a week. Budgeting is the second problem. In order to solve this, I have secured 4, 000 in loans from the school which can be applied towards supplies. I can also apply for grants, but I cannot do that until I have a set solid project plan drawn up, as each piece is site-specific.
7.
Preliminary Research
(See Preliminary Research Packet)
Currently Searching for the Book The Frontiers of Complexity, While finishing Programming the Universe.
I have also had the following recommended to me, which I will begin researching on Monday August 31, 2009.
Steve Reich –straight (Pandora Radio)
Terri Riley
Lomont Young
John Adams
Phil Glass
Other Research Currently:
Myoelectric Sensors
Transduction- translation, transformation of one form of energy into another.
Oracle Systems, and the importance and relevance of generated randomness.
Through Generated randomness, things are given breath, it makes it unpredictable, and it may not be random at all, it may be a sign, fate or time.
I have also begun the process of study how sometimes we should let “nature announce herself in her process”
Video cubism, and projection screens outside the flat dimensions.
Boundary phenomenon
Possible Subjects for Imagery
While it is still undecided on the precise subjects for the imagery, I believe the first two projection, experimentations with experience with be derived from a natural setting. The subject will be the location itself. (For instance 3 possible locations at the moment are in the Kansas Plains, A mountain in Colorado, or an island off Pensacola). There are two different ideas for the imagery at this point.
The first idea is to have sensors placed on different natural objects in an “unaltered” space. The sensors will detect movement and then input that data into Max MSP. Each movement will trigger a specified line to draw. Essentially allowing nature to reveal herself in her process, yet drawing an image on her own.
The second idea is quite similar to the first, yet rather than having nature input it’s data through motion sensors and exporting the movement as a visual. I will have the export create audio, so you can hear the movement of the space.
8.
Testing the Subject
The sensors and program part of this work will take place with Dwight Frizzell in the studio elective intermodulations. Here I have a support group with Max MSP who will be able to trouble shoot and issues between the sensor and the programming.
TIMELINE
September
| Monday | Wednesday | Friday |
| 31 *Senior Thesis book due Start Researching Experience with Space and Place, Begin blogging Read Margaret Mead 8pp Read Cllier, 13pp | 2 CONTINUE RESEARCH HAVE PROGRAM ABILITIES W/DWIGHT TALKED OUT Prepare for RETROSPECTIVE *DEPARTMENTAL PICKNICK | 4 LOCATION SEARCHING CONTINUE RESEARCH CONTINUE PLANNING FIRST INSTALLATION WORK BLOG *FIRST FRIDAYS |
| 7 PREPARE FOR RETRO NO SCHOOL Bill Nichols 9pp Collier and collier 5pp | 9 RETROSPECTIVE WITH DIANA | 11 HAVE FIRST INSTALLATION PLANNED, START ON PATCH BLOG *electromedia scope |
| 14 WORK IN PROGRESS Richard Anderson 20pp | 16 CONTINUE WITH PATCH CONTINUE INSTALLATION CONTINUE RESEARCH | 18 CONTINUE INSTALLATION CONTINUE PATCH CONTINUE RESEARCH BLOG *electromedia scope |
| 21 CONTINUE WITH PATCH Keyan Tomaselli 17pp Robert Gordon 4pp | 23 WORK TO FINISH PATCH Prepare Oral Research Paper | 25 WORK TO FINISH PATCH BEGIN TESTING PATCH WITH SENORS BLOG *electromedia scope |
| 28 WORK TO FINISH PATCH PREPARE FOR INSTALLATION Robert Gardner 4pp Jay ruby 8pp | 30 BEGIN FIRST FULL INSTALLATION RESEARCH | |
9.
October
| Monday | Wednesday | Friday |
| | | 2 AT LEAST HAVE INSTALLATION TEST DRIVEN, TRY TO HAVE FIRST INSTALL UP AND DOCUMENT FIRST FRIDAYS BLOG |
| 5 30 MIN PRESENTATION THESIS PROJ AND RESE TIGHTEN UP LOOSE ENDS Jerry leach 25pp Study for anthro midterm | 7 TIGHTEN UP LOOSE ENDS WITH INSTALLATION, CONTINUE RESEARCH, AND ANY OTHER FIELD WORK Study for anthro midterm | 9 CONTINUE TO TIGHTEN UP LOOSE ENDS, RESEARCH AND ANY OTHER FIELD WORK Study for anthro midterm OUT OF TOWN BLOG |
| 12 OUT OF TOWN MIDTERMS Richard Anderson 23pp | 14 MIDTERMS Prepare oral report for anthropology | 16 MIDTERMS Prepare oral report for anthropology BLOG |
| 19 BEGIN SECOND MARJOR INSTALLATION PLANNING RESEARCH Sol worth, adair 25pp | 21 WORK WITH PATCH CONTINUE RESEARCH PLAN INSTALLATION | 23 PATCH CONTINUE RESEARCH PLAN INSTALLATION BLOG |
| 26 2ND INSTALLATION PATCH CONTINUE RESEARCH INSTALLATION DETAILS Sherman alexie 17pp | 28 2ND INSTALLATION PATCH CONTINUE RESEARCH DETAILS | 30 REALLY CRANK OUT PATCH CONTINUE RESEARCH AND SIDE FIELDWORK INSTALLATION DETAILS BLOG |
10.
November 2009
| Monday | Wednesday | Friday |
| 2 WORK IN PROGRESS Jay ruby 28pp | 4 CONTINUE WITH PATCH, RESEARCH, INSTALLATION DETAILS, ADDITIONAL FIELDWORK STUDIES | 6 CONTINUE WITH PATCH, RESEARCH, INSTALLATION DETAILS, ADDITIONAL FIELDWORK STUDIES BLOG FIRST FRIDAYS |
| 9 BEGIN WRAPPING UP ANY PATCH WORK Paul stoller 24pp | 11 WRAP UP OF PATCH WORK, ADDITIONAL FIELD WORK Start anthropology paper | 13 WRAP UP PATCHWORK, ADDITIONAL FIELDWORK BLOG |
| 16 INSTALL David Macdoug. 19pp | 18 INSTALL Anthropology paper | 20 INSTAL AND TWEAK RESEARCH WRAP UP FOR SECOND WORK BLOG |
| 23 FINAL 30 MIN PRES Alberto 7pg Erla zwingle 15pp | 25 NO CLASS anthropology paper Finish up for crits | 27 NO CLASS anthropology paper Finish up for crits |
| 30 FINAL CRIT Finish anthropology paper | | |
December 2009
| Monday | Wednesday | Friday |
| | 2 FINAL CRITIQUE | 4 EXHIBITION AT SCHOOL |
| 7 FINAL THESIS BLOG DUE EVALUATIONS Dwight Portfolio DUE Prepare for Anthr | 9 | 11 |
11.
OTHER NOTABLE DATES
SEPTEMBER
Thurs September 3 Lecture 7p Epperson REQUIRED
SEPTEMBER
Thurs September 3Pro Practice
Thurs, Sept 17 Cauleen Sm. 7p Epperson REQUIRED
Tues, Sept 29 Oral Presentation,
OCTOBER
Tues October 13 MIDTERM ANTRHOPOLOGY
Tues, October 20 Oral report on Research paper due
NOVEMBER
Thurs, Nov 19 Dan Cameron Lecture, 7p Epperson Required
DECEMBER
Tuesday, December 1 Anthropology Research paper Due
Monday December 7, Dwight Portfolio due
Tuesday December 8 Final Exam Anthropology
12.
Budget
Equipment
*MAX MSP/ JITTER (9 month trial) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------59.95
+Appropriate sensors for the program, temperature, light, movement----------------------------- 150.00
*HD Camera (video)----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------in kind
*Nikon D 90---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------in kind
*Contact Microphone----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------30.00
+Amplifier-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------200.00
Speakers (Dwight?)---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 75.00
Spotlights-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------30.00
*Projector (2 to 3)-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------in kind
+Large roll of white fabric------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------0.00
Projection Screens-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------125.00
+Extension Cords-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------in kind
*Power Strip-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------0.00
*Generator-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------0.00
TOTAL--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 679.95
Extra Items
Wood------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------75.00
Canvas----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------35.00
Total Equipment + Extra Items----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 789.95
PREDICTED COST------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------339.95
Total minus-
50 for sensors
200 amp
75.00 for speakers
125.00 for projection screens
Possible Travel Expenses (Cost for 1 Adult)
Colorado
Gas-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------300.00
Room and Board-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------0.00
Food-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 0.00
Transportation While There------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 30.00
Unforeseen costs-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------100.00
Total 430.00
Pensacola Island
Gas-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------300.00
Room and Board---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------25.00
Food-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------50.00
Transportation While There-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------15.00
Unforseen Costs--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------100.00
Total 480.00
