Visual arts Feature of the Month
~in the fields
| ~in the fields recently undertook the Scottish Arts Council New Media Residency at Abertay. |
"To describe a system is basically to construct a new one."
~in the fields attempt to condense specific moments into inventions of autonomous, cocooned systems. Their work is based on research into natural phenomena and poetic moments – the growth of plants, the metamorphosis of creatures and ecological issues. For the last three years the main focus of their research has been the phenomenon of the persistence of vision.
~in the fields realise interactive and/or sensitive computer-supported installations & objects. They are also interested in re-using old media & mechanical principles and using renewable energy. Their working method is interdisciplinary, combining art with science and philosophy with poetry.
~in the fields is a collaborative partnership between Nicole Heidtke and Stefan Baumberger and was founded in Edinburgh, 2005. They have undertaken a number of residencies: at Stills in Edinburgh, the Scottish Arts Council New Media Residency at Abertay, Dundee and have recently started at the Highland Hospice, Inverness.
Katie Nicoll is an independent producer who works both nationally and internationally as well as across a wide range of art-forms but particularly within the visual arts realm.
Process
There is a remarkable coming together of both historic processes and new technology to create and provide a new development in the work. Take a thaumatrope, a popular Victorian toy made from a disk printed with an image on either side attached to two pieces of string, which when the strings are twisted quickly between the fingers appears to merge the pictures into a single image creating an optical illusion. By using this process but changing the human intervention to a renewable energy, such as solar or wind power, there is greater potential to place the work in different environments by contemporising the core simplicity of this action.
Intervention
The audience, whether intentionally or not, directly affect the work by moving through a space.
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'just 2007', a cluster of 16 thaumatropes boxes showing miniature moments taken from Easter Road in Edinburgh, is triggered by members of the public passing by a window on the street. |
Sound
Sound is essential to ~in the fields work. There was a sense of anticipation created at Uma and Ima flue (k) 2006 because of a fluttering sound from another room which gave the impression of trapped birds.
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Turning the corner, the sound was made by the continual motion of 50 thaumatropes, depicting a flowering leafless branch of plum blossom (ume) and sounding like the wind blowing through the tree.
As the energy supplied for the work came from a solar panel on the windowsill, the flowering of the blossom was intermittent, as was the sound, waiting for the next ray of sunshine. |
Observation
~in the fields have observed daily life on their street and used it within their work. However, they too have been observed, sitting at their window overlooking a landscape and now neighbours, who they have never spoken to, wave up from their garden while ~in the fields are sitting looking out. |
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Movement / Narration
A story unfolds by human presence within a space whether it is an image of a humming bird fluttering down to take nectar from an array of colourful flowers, ima flue (k) or the ambitious proposal Daylight Cinema, in which the audience can dictate how they experience the story and thereby the outcome through their own level of engagement. Walk too fast, walk too slow or stay static means that how the story ends is ultimately your responsibility.
Anticipation
There is always a sense of anticipation in seeing ~in the fields' work because of its integrity, beauty and inventiveness. |
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For more information visit the ~in the fields website. | |