Testing Projection

I realised that recently I have been interested in perception of spaces, depicted on a plane: printed, reflected in a mirror or screened. I have made some experiments with projection to gain a similar effect, using one of the projectors provided. I have used the following schemes to explain creation and application of the device during Thursday presentation. 

Scheme 1

A scheme above explains how projection happens in my work. There is a custom made projector, provided by Clement Briend for a period of time with a slide is inserted into it. Lights passes through lens, slide and optics resulting in an image on a plane. There are particular specifics towards slide elaboration: to create the slide I used for projection, we screened a digital image of space and photographed it again with a help of film camera (positive film used). 

Scheme 2

I got interest in the process, during which space seen by an eye turns into digital image, then analogue images, then slide and, finally, projection. I have decided to keep viewing points used to photograph the image of space on different stages. For this I have created a device with a mirror, which allowed to change the projection direction from one used to create a film photo back to one used to make a digital photo of space. 

Scheme 3

This experiment allowed me to test forming new relations between the eye of the viewer and space, substituting real space with a virtual (imaginative) one. 

Device photograph

Me presenting work done during the workshop at Strelka

Device applied to projector used during presentation

Image projected during the event

I consider workshop itself, device elaboration and presentation as a valuable experience. I have made some tests with slides and I see more opportunities for application of this new knowledge. I believe it would be really interesting to explore layering and projection. By this I could work more with projected spatial images rather than printed, screened or reflected in a mirror. 

Device for Projection Forwarding. Making and Testing.

While considering images I intend to project during presentation, which is to happen tomorrow at Strelka, I also decided to think of how I am to project them. For this I have found inspiration in the process of creating a slide. As my images are digital, they will have to be converted into analogue ones in order to develop slides, so the position, in which both photographs are to be taken, will differ.

Digital image

I have taken a digital photograph of space holding my camera vertically, while a screening of this digital photograph was taken while holding analogue camera with positive film horizontally. In my performance I have decided to preserve this sequence of how view of space turned into image and then into projection. For this purpose I have elaborated a device, which is to forward projection rays into a different direction.

Projector with a device #1 attached

Projection made using the device #1

The first prototype didn't forward the image in the right direction as the glass was not positioned at 45 degree angle due to some constructional issues: the device was rather 'hanging' on the lens rather than clutching into its surface due to lack of fraction between wood and plastic and weight of the mirror, making one side of construction heavier than other. This analysis resulted in creating another device, in which I made attempts to solve some of these issues by adjusting some details, adding new and adding rubber bands to stabilise joints.

Device #2

Device #2

Device #2 video

It seems I have solved most of issues, but there is still some work to be done: for now I have paper cards to apply tension and fix the joint between to elements. A video shows the projection with a stroboscope light on.

Clement Briend's workshop experience: projection

I have visited Clement Briend's 'Projection Art. From Theory to Practice' workshop recently at Strelka, which seems to be a very useful experience. I have been looking into opportunities to use projection on 'Screens' instead of photographs, videos or mirror reflection of space for a while, and it looks like this tool could become a solution. For now I am exploring different types of optics I have.

Canon Lens FD 50 mm

Canon Lens FD 135 mm

Tokina Lens 28-70 mm with Tokina Doubler for C/FD set on 28

Tokina Lens 28-70 mm with Tokina Doubler for C/FD set on 70

Tokina Lens 70-210 mm with Tokina Doubler for C/FD set on 70

Tokina Lens 70-210 mm with Tokina Doubler for C/FD set on 210

It seems from experiments that Tokina 70-210 mm lens is the best option for small scale projection, while Tokina 28-70 mm and Canon 50 mm lenses are the best for huge projections. However, Canon 50 mm lens seems to be more bright hence there is no added zoom optics. Canon 135 mm lens seems to produce a projection almost as small on produced as Tokina 70-210 mm lens set on 210, but seems much brighter as well. Overall, it does look like it is preferable to pick a lens without any zoom optics. I hope I will explore this tool further with mirrors and try to apply particular lenses to project images in my devices. 

Sketch 1:10 Drawings for a Device #1.1

I have recently been looking into ways to materialise my schemes. The schemes below demonstrate layers of developmental work both for imaginary and physical sides to particular device in scale.

This set of sketches shows exploration of visual field on a 1:10 device drawing. Here I am applying schemes explored on their own in a previous post to a particular device. Blue zones indicate visual field for the schemes. One indicates visual field when seeing space and another one indicates visual field when seeing image.

Developmental 1:10 sketch drawings on layers of tracing paper. Study of visual field within device 

The set below demonstrates schemes for development of the device in 1:10 scale in three projections, among which the first one is the starting point for work. The second drawing explores the size and position of wax elements, in the the third one I make attempts to determine position of the mirror. In the last one I test a possible solution for structural support of the wax elements. I use different colour to indicate different parts. 

Developmental 1:10 sketch drawings on layers of tracing paper. Study of making possibilities