Video Projection onto sand or
equivalent floor surface
Size of Projection: Approximately 8 feet x 6 feet, depending on height of
ceiling and projector lens
Length of Video: 37 minutes (looped to fill 2 hour tape)
Pain of Separation looks at
urban activities in the garden relative to rural ones, and the discrepancy
between the nostalgic memories of the rural life style and the physical
hardships that were a very real part of Saskatchewan's history.
I interviewed approximately 20 Saskatchewan residents from a range of
experiences, backgrounds, ages, and regions. Then I excerpted parts of
each of these statements and reorganized them into categories or conversations
on specific topics. For example, one category was the nostalgic language
used to talk about grandparents' gardens. The next category consisted
of the individuals' very real experiences of hard work in their own family
gardens.
Although the beginning point of this project was a discussion of one's
relationship to gardening activities, the whole piece is much more about
issues of transience and roots, pleasure and pain, privacy, and the complexities
of contemporary life, especially from a feminine perspective. This work
also reflects the extensive nature of immigration to this province, and
the extent to which one's past history affects one's present view of the
place. Each contributor to this extended conversation brings a unique
perspective that contributes to shifts in perception.
The video is projected onto white sand or other material on the floor
using a mirror system. The image is in the middle of the floor, with chairs
positioned on all sides of the image so that one can move around it and
view it from all directions. This is further encouraged by the perspective
from which the video has been shot.
Because the video projector is located on a shelf near the ceiling, the
audio is transferred through separate speakers that are located on the
floor near the chairs. This location of the speakers further contributes
to the sense of being part of an ongoing conversation.
The video and audio are looped onto a 2 hour tape so that both play continuously.
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