Frame III ‐ 2009
DESCRIPTION:
The relationship between artwork and viewer has been discussed throughout art history and is one which continues to extend our understanding of our connection to art. Iconic signifiers associated with art galleries ‐ specifically frames ‐ have also come to identify a work as an ‘art piece’. All these signifiers culminate to a point of clarity and understanding when the viewer comes in contact with the work.
Most man made objects are human‐centric in that their existence and function, depends on the involvement of a person. The objects existence is validated by this mandatory interaction. FRAME attempts to play with this moment of connection between the viewer and the artwork. In this way, the viewer completes the artwork and becomes at once aware of his/her affect on the work itself.
FRAME takes the form of a simple wooden frame with a small embedded LCD screen. The screen radiates a green glow reminiscent of ECG's found in hospitals. On the screen the viewer can see a moving glowing green dot ‐ tracing the pathways of various stages of a heartbeat. The health of the heartbeat is directly related to the viewer's interest. When a person is standing in front of FRAME, the heartbeat is healthy and active. The further away they move, the heartbeat will become less healthy and less reactive, until eventually it flatlines. At this point, the analog counter embedded in the frame increments. This counter reflects the number of times the audience has allowed the piece to live and die during its entire exhibition time.
Images
Healthy state ‐ the viewer is in front of Frame
Fibrillation state ‐ the viewer has moved away from Frame
Dying state ‐ Frame flatlines
