For the past few months, Emily Walley and I have been constructing a dual-projection audio/video piece titled This May Not Take That Long, which will be on view at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts from Feb 1 through Apr 7. I suppose you could call this the crowning achievement of a series of projects dealing with "the studio", "creation processes", and "playing with context and image." Our first collaboration was a studio performance in August 2012, which consisted of easy and hard physical actions, multiple video projections, text, speaking, and a fake Q&A. It lasted for roughly 15 minutes and was presented a full room (read: 15 people). The actions in that performance formed the basis for our PCA proposal and subsequent filming. Along the way, Emily and I collaborated on a stop-motion video that was shown at ModernFormations Gallery this past December and a series of Magic 8-ball themed stop-motion videos for the Chance Resolution (Lin Clark, DB) sculpture at First Night Pittsburgh. Not completely sure what is next, but we're very excited about this piece and hope you can make the opening on Feb. 1 at 5:30pm. Check below for some more formal language and some video excepts.
The thing
This May Not Take That Long by David Bernabo and Emily Walley
Location: Pittsburgh Center for the Arts
Opening Reception: Feb 1, 5:30pm
Exhibit Duration: Feb 1 - Apr 7
The setup
Two screens show artists Emily Walley and David Bernabo executing a series of actions, from running between two points to opening and closing window blinds. A voice-over details the decisions made during the creation process that led to the performed actions, but the duration of each video and the voice-over varies, presenting new combinations and contexts for video and voice. The process of creating the piece was documented in video and audio recordings. The audio originates from recorded conversations made during the creation process. The conversations were transcribed and edited. When re-read and re-recorded, the voice-over may no longer fit the original context. The narrative is divorced from a representational image, and the original emotion is lost, rendering it purely functional.
Despite contextual trickery, the piece attempts to be an honest, albeit humorous, portrayal of creating. The actions performed in the video are simple, repetitive tasks with a clear goal. Trial and error are visible in achieving each goal. Each action allows for refinement of technique, but contains the knowledge that each repetition brings one closer to deterioration as the body tires.
The extracts
