Originally, I set out to explore the theme of power, specifically the type of power dynamics experienced between people to analyse both sides of the exchange. During the development I realised that a power imbalance was of particular interest and was considering the idea of a ‘power trip’. This idea discusses how power can be asserted over someone or groups of people and examines how this is done through methods such as manipulation, fear and aggression. My developed concept also holds the connotations of political power and power in relation to gender, sexuality and violence.
For my final artwork I wanted to replicate the experience of a power trip as I felt that it fit perfectly my interests discussed in my statement of intent. I wanted to delve into the portrayal of power and discover how to make an audience feel overwhelmed and perhaps question their own submission to perceived power.
I used video as a way to do this as I feel it is more immersive than other materials, it also allowed me to use audio to create a conversation or build a relationship between the work and the viewer; this was essential as I aim to replicate both sides of a power dynamic. I wanted to create a character to feature in the work as I feel a power trip involves a removal of self; an aspect of performance is something I feel is common when a person places them self in a powerful position to weaken another. Delving into a fictional character allowed me to present a curated persona that seemingly removed myself as the subject and inserted an archetype of dominance. The audio in the work is a key part of the experience. It presents an authoritative voice that reads through a one-sided dialog in a monotone and almost commanding demeanour. The quotes are drawn from personal experience and also interactions had by friends, they highlight times in which someone has used their power over them, touching on male power and times of violence. The unidentifiable spoken words along with the fast pace script running across the screen furthers the idea of someone in their own bubble refusing to compromise their perspective. As well as this, the clips used also mimic white noise and consistent overwhelming pressure on the viewer or recipient of the aggression, for example, the water filling up the screen.
Overall I am pleased with the outcome and feel I was engaged towards the end, however, there are a few points raised in my final crit that I need to consider further. First of all the video has many connotations of power that involves influence from outside of a person to person interaction such as political power. Although I feel that it is relevant and purposeful, It wasn’t intentional and I feel it could benefit from more research into larger bodies of power and produce a more informed response. Another point is about the inclusion of a whip and the strong tie to sadomasochism that is hard to ignore. The whip was intended as fuel towards the idea of power play and a subtle hint towards the idea of reclaimed power yet also negative connotations of sexual violence. This topic is also discussed through the audio script from personal and second-hand experiences as I feel it is a relevant aspect to be examined when exploring ways in which power is asserted. During the crit it was the main thing that was picked up on and perceived more obviously which left me with lots of questions. Is it too overtly synonymous with sadomasochism? Is it wrong to hint towards it that aggressively when it is also intended to discuss violence? Is trying to include all elements of power unnecessary and does it perhaps dilute and blur each individual topic? Whilst I feel using personal experience is important and useful I also feel that subjects like these need to be approached sensitively when considering who will view it. I haven’t come to a conclusion yet but it will be a topic of continual deliberation.
I plan for it to be presented as a portrait projection to tower over the viewer as I feel taking up space Is a big part of power play, however, after researching Pipilotti Rists work I was inspired by how she uses irregular shapes in her video presentation that often ingulf the audience. In future I would like to experiment more with how it could be presented because I think there could be more interesting ways of interacting with the audience. After the crit I have also considered how I could include the viewer as a more important role in the work, perhaps using props or clothing from the video could assist the viewer in connecting to a different role.
Researching artists such as Gillian wearing and Bill viola have been useful to guide me through ideas and how to execute them, I am fairly new to video work so It has helped to look to these artists to inform we what works and what doesn’t. I would have however benefitted from widening my searches for artist because I feel that occasionally I was just aiming for my work to look like the chosen artists without forming my own interpretations of the theme.
Time management is not my strong point and get distracted very easily so I often left things till last minute. However, I found that producing digital work helped with this because It allows a more instant result and can progress with more development without being too precious. I also need to approach a theme with confidence as I find myself being held back by the idea that something looks rubbish instead of making a mistake and fixing it. I plan in future to adopt a more relaxed attitude to hopefully broaden my development for a stronger final piece. This theme and development will likely continue onwards, as I feel there its lots to be polished of and more discoveries to make.
Abigail yeats CAP 