PROJECTS

LIGHTER THAN AIR, 2012

Inspired equally by DIY hobbyists sending cameras into space and by the proliferation of surveillance drones patrolling U.S. Borders, Lighter than Air is a project that examines the quiet discomfort of drones through community engagement. An artist-led activity featuring the launch of a Balloon Drone (a weather balloon fitted with a video camera), Lighter Than Air is open to participation on several levels, including performance for the camera, steering the camera with attached strings, and using hand-held mirrors to communicate with the aerial surveillance device. The project has been performed at Angels Gate Cultural Center, North Park Theater, and the Model Boat Pond in San Diego.

For exhibition purposes, I transform the raw aerial surveillance footage into paraphrases of experience through careful editing, durational changes, and attention to movement and color. The Lighter Than Air videos act as responses to site, surface, and my perception of the emotive quality of each performance. Videos from Lighter Than Air were exhibited at Human Array Gallery and gallery@calit2 in 2012.

 

Lighter Than Air [Red Sequence]

 

Lighter Than Air [Port Sequence]

 

Lighter Than Air [Yellow String Sequence]

 

Lighter Than Air [Clockwise Sequence]