Still to Moving Image Translation.
Assignment Aim:
Using one image of your choice, explore “translating” it into a simple but original 60-90 second moving image.
Chosen Image:
Eggleston, William. Eudora Welty's Kitchen. 1983. William Eggleston: Selected Works from The Democratic Forest, David Zwirner, New York, New York.
(Below) My Moving Image interpretation/translation of Eggleston's image shown above.
In my study, I wanted to explore this notion of capturing an everyday, domestic setting in a
way that transforms it into a liminal, otherworldly space. I aimed to emulate how, in Eggleston’s photograph, the light from the window spills onto a variety of textures and clings to them in interesting ways.
way that transforms it into a liminal, otherworldly space. I aimed to emulate how, in Eggleston’s photograph, the light from the window spills onto a variety of textures and clings to them in interesting ways.
I quickly discovered a significant challenge: I wanted/needed a very specific and short window of time of the day where I could capture the image I had in mind. It needed to be early enough that there was still twilight in the sky and late enough that the street lamps and my balcony lights would show clearly through the window. I also didn’t realize how you could clearly see car headlights reflect on the wall too. In a previous test shot I managed to capture the red lights of an ambulance passing and was frustrated I couldn’t capture it again for the submission shot.
I added a candle in a metal house casing to add more layers of light and decided to turn on the fan in order to make the blinds move, which in turn made the shafts of light appear to dance amongst the collage of light on the wall.
Given the lack of restrictions with sound, I wanted to experiment and layered recordings I captured of burning matches, the crackle of cooling wood and the sound of traffic to add texture and life to the shot, a hint of what lays beyond the window.
Finally, I was pleasantly surprised by the blue glow that the fan emitted (I hadn’t anticipated it as a light source) which contrasted strongly with the warmer light of the candle and balcony.
