Duration: 1:24

54 views

1

High Park Branches

found on January 10, 2024 in High Park, Toronto
This is a series of 3D models (created and animated in Blender) drawn from various branches that I have found arbitrarily laying on the ground after wind storms in High Park, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Each of these models are then used with the same software that drove the 'Custom Catastrophe' piece (C++/OpenFrameworks).
This interactive installation was produced for the show 'what', Back Lane Studios in Roncesvalles, Toronto between April 12 and 28th, 2024. The idea is that participants interacting with the installation create a windstorm that causes branches to break from the trees above (which are not visible but implied) scattering them about the ground. The resulting messed up pile of branches forms a final visual artwork and the accompanying sounds are recorded as an audio composition. The visuals are then transcribed by me as either a small scale India Ink painting on watercolour paper or as a large scale acrylic painting on canvas. It is in this way that participants are able to create a work unique to them and their actions. The results are meant to be understood as a document of collective psyche - the psyche of the forest, myself, the environment within which the work was presented, and of course most importantly, the psyche of the participants. The actions are still random - exactly like throwing dice in fact. But the hand of the person is in the interaction and I suggest that that is all that is needed - mere presence.

The audio composition that accompanies this animation is a noise field constructed with sounds recorded from High Park. This time however, it is not from recordings of wind but of me walking on snow and ice. As I produce these videos, I am using it as an opportunity to create new audio works instead of only just using recordings of wind as the soundtrack. Audio and audio composition is central to my artistic practice. I call the piece a noise field because that is what is intended - an audio piece of uniform intensity throughout but without pattern, or narrative arc.

Every one of the branches have their own character and their own story: an endless series of events and influences that determined the spots where they finally landed. Nothing short of all activity over all of time throughout all of the universe has brought this branch here.
They are presented somewhat like the 3D characters that you see rotating on the screen when starting a video game.
Each of the videos features the animation of the branch, a clear image of just the branch in isolation, and then a photo of where the branch was initially found along with some alternate stills of the model.

prints and paintings:
https://things.robgillthings.net/collections/high-park-branches

project page:
https://robgillthings.net/projects-2/high-park-branches/

show page:
https://robgillthings.net/shows/gallery-shows/what/

Custom Catastrophe:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qH7EDekHNZU&t=22s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3g-9RPKxj_w&t=23s
https://robgillthings.net/projects/custom-catastrophe/

#newmedia #audioart #generativeart #mediaart #openframeworks #blender3d #mediaartist #canadianartist #3dart #canadianartist #forestart #highpark #interactiveinstallation #newmediaart





things:

website:
https://robgillthings.net/

blob shop:
https://things.robgillthings.net/

newsletter sign-up thing:
https://robgillthings.net/email-list-sign-up-form-page/

subscribe to my You Tube channel:
/ @robgillthings

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/robgillthings/

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/robgillthings.net

Bandcamp
https://robgillthings.bandcamp.com/

Vimeo
https://vimeo.com/robgillthings

incredi-shirts:
https://things.robgillthings.net/collections/t-shirst

extreme hyperblog:
https://robgillthings.net/?page_id=6125

Linked In:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-gill-a14b1138/