Constructed Scenario

I am one of many people immersed in the emotional states depicted in this ongoing series. The multiplicity of these scenes are suggestive combinations of the multi-dimensional experiences and perspectives of the erratic everyday.

The reciprocal narrative takes place in an East Vancouver neighbourhood, depicting scenes which questionably occur within a single moment. Objects represented in abnormal states allude to the deviating and disorientating components of overwhelming pandemic times.

These constructed realities capture a range of emotions, from anxiety, isolation, and despondence, to excitement, sincerity and the comical. Cinematic lights highlight a variety of emotions, as burdens of expectation and perception compound within the erratic environment.

Conversations with the inanimate serve as psychological placeholders for technology’s influence and affects, which may or may not have unfolded yet. Provoking technological ideas so obvious, that they in turn, glaringly question the disregard of these cautionary messages on mass.

The complexity of this undertaking  is an ambitious combination,  providing additional contributions to each erratic perspective.

Static Preface

When movies first migrated to indoor film sets, directors voiced concerns about losing intrinsic visual elements, such as wind blowing in the trees, as it would be subconsciously unsettling to see motionless trees in an otherwise moving picture.

Today (2020) the insignificance of a static noise has adopted new meaning, as speakers and presenters amongst a pandemic, are forced to meet in online settings. A static noise resonates in an otherwise silent space, while your mic alone, waits and listens for an audible response.

The continuous and focused isolation of one person’s voice speaking, only momentarily distracts us from the unsettling level of emotional reactions missing from this online reality. Within moments of silence, is a static evidentiary reminder which replaces the familiar sounds of breath, sighs, and shuffling, and I am reminded of our position within a hyperreality.

The logical pause to fix technical issues, the urge felt when vocalizing “your mic is off,” and our curious attraction to background noises, are some of the most reassuring moments, as they convey a reality within this hyperreality. Attention to emotional response is a part of developing both, response, and reactions. These could be subjective, multi-dimensional, physiological reactions linked to changes in breath or position, and the more obvious behavioral responses and voiced opinions.

Static is a new element to contend with. Speaking these words into the lone mic, I am conscious of this evocative subconscious element, which instills an unnatural pressure for continuous and focused mechanical-like speech. We are listening, but the mic cannot transcend the emotional subtleties of human presence, and this unsettling feeling has been noticed.