The first session with Katharina Detar was so insightful – what a treat to have her special brand of cool and kind, focused on my practice.
I am continually humbled by the opportunities that this Handshake programme provides for us. Having time with a head tutor from Central St Martins College in London is a dream, I used to longingly moon over their courses but they were always out of reach.
Taking the seeds of thought that Katharina planted, I spent some time researching early moving image applications like stop-motion flip books, phenakistoscope’s and zoetropes. I have some ideas around releasing the energy that I’ve be trying to capture in static forms up to this point.
As much as I want to run with imaginative ideas, I’m aware that it takes baby steps and lots of trial and error to get there.
Example: My research led me to the Mechanical Iris Lens. There was a template and a how-to video. In theory easy peasy. In reality, plenty of problem solving practice to be had.
Why? The template was supposed to be used for thick paper/ thin card, I tried that, but the accuracy needed to cut out the pieces was beyond me, it needed a proper vinyl cutter machine like a Cricut, that I don’t have. So, I used .6mm brass sheet from the scrap yard and pierced out all the pieces by hand. It looked pretty but the mechanism was sticky. Further thought/ iterations required. Now the question is, do I have time to resolve this before the upcoming exhibition….and is the narrative/ visual language for this piece strong enough to warrant the effort.
I post this in the lead up to my second session with Katharina, so we shall see if this idea makes the cut.
Time will tell.
Video: Click here to see the Iris lens in action.
Mechanical Iris Lens – Front open view
Mechanical Iris Lens – Front View
Thank you for your time.
Ciao for now.