[-empyre-] Virtual Embodiment: end of July_thank you from a lurker

[Jacqueline sawatzky]

Dear  contributors,

This post is a big THANK YOU from a lurker. The discussion was very thought provoking, and leaves me with many references to follow up on. I did at times wanted to jump in as what I am exploring in my art practice touches on embodiment  and the virtual from the perspective of sitting in front of a screen. But, my thoughts to erratic and jumpy which make me careful to not have the words overpower the intimacy and dept of listing to the process of my new project, and most important, not always to access internet. On the brink of the closing of this topic, sorry , I do want to share in short what I am doing for those interested. 

 Inspired by the dancer/ choreographer/ teacher Michael Schumacher I explore how qualities of embodiment influences the footage filmed with a videocamera,hereby taking in consideration the different movement vocabulary  cameras, from webcams (skype) to professional cameras, impose on the user and consequently  the viewer. I am looking for the vector in the video footage from the angle of embodiment, interesting that the idea of vector screen came up in an early post by Sean Cubitt.   My motivation, when working with digital screen technology, our diverse embodiments are pressed through a binary grid, like ground beef; thus, my question is how to escape coming out of this grid digitized through using a form of none technical  hacking. This project is a resistance to having the uniqueness, traumas  and diversity of qualities we, linguistic animals, embody reduced to mashup of meta tags. To  support  this project I offer my services and make video -impressions of dance workshops, performances, a journey with the urban shepherd, ext. I get the opportunity to try out my ideas, and practice; they a videos of their project. I have no clue where this will lead me and often I doubt if my concepts are mere novel theories and don't speak in practice.

Thank you again!! 

Jacky Sawatzky

Artist

Models of Observation

http://jackysawatzky.net

https://vimeo.com/videovectors

"The convergence of media, which is an inherited quality of the computer, has become unappealing. It reminds me of processed food where if I eat alfredo sauce or tandoori chicken mix, I always feel like my taste buds are confined within the limits of the chemicals used to preserve the food, by the conventions of an mass-produced taste of tandoori chicken or alfredo sauce. I came to the conclusion that the normalization of the senses is the commonality between processed food and the computer screen." Screencozies


 
On 2014-07-29, at 8:44 AM, sally jane norman wrote:

> ----------empyre- soft-skinned space----------------------
> Dear Sue and Simon
> 
> Thank you for your invitation, and for animating discussion around this infinite and infinitely useful topic. Much to be mined and to be mindful of.
> 
> Thanks to friends and colleagues, and all best aoûtian wishes
> sj
> 
> 
> On Tue, Jul 29, 2014 at 1:04 AM, Simon Biggs <simon at littlepig.org.uk> wrote:
> ----------empyre- soft-skinned space----------------------
> 
> Virtual Embodiment
> 
> Thanks to our invited discussants during week 4, Sally Jane Norman and Daniel Tercio, as well as those who contributed to the week's discussion. During the fourth week of discussion the topics engaged have included entrainment, extended mind, the scaffolded self, hauntology, 'grappling', how different languages contextualise discussion on embodiment and even how processes of translation lead to interesting conceptual collisions, such as the mashing up of chairs and bodies (echoing Alan Sondheim's mashed up Second Life cyborg selves). Kirk Woolford also contributed with a discussion around his work with augmented reality projects engaging Tim Ingold's concept of 'place-binding', a concept as relevant in virtual space as in any other place. Other artists' discussed, directly and indirectly, included Wesley Goatley, Michael Takeo Magruder and el Greco. Even the classic Hollywood film Casablanca was referenced.
> 
> Over the course of this month's discussion the concepts of the 'virtual' and 'embodiment' have shown themselves to be, as Susan Kozel noted, polysemic, demanding definition and redefinition. It seemed that, unlike Bill Gaver, discussants were not 'so over embodiment'. The discussion (in English, but at times Assyrian, Icelandic, Portuguese and Greek - perhaps a future empyre discussion might engage pluriliteracy?), touched on somatic materialism, affect, potential, flow, resonances; it climbed through a framework of porosity, perception and presence; looked at window-weather, bodyweather, gabbu, the possibility of swallowing systems and carne asada. There was a good degree of suspicion and critique of the corporate, of consuming/being consumed by socio-technical systems and protocols, counterbalanced by some yoga, a reminder to breathe and Sally Jane swimming in the sea.
> 
> We would like to close our July 2014 discussion on  –empyre–  soft-skinned space about Virtual Embodiment by thanking our guest discussants Susan Kozel (SE), Johannes Birringer (UK), Samantha Gorman (USA), Sophia Lycouris (UK), Tamara Ashley (UK), Garth Paine (USA), Hellen Sky (AUS), Daniel Tercio (PT), Sally Jane Norman (NZ/FR) and Sarah Whatley (UK). We would also like to thanks all those who contributed to or followed the discussion. Lurking is a very important part of list participation, just as reading is an integral aspect of writing and publishing.
> 
> We wish those of you in the Northern Hemisphere a relaxing and pleasant August whilst here in the Southern hemisphere we wish empyre members a cooler and rapid transition to Spring. The first signs of Spring are evident here in the Adelaide Hills, with nesting birds, early flowerings and new lambs.
> 
> empyre will take a break during August and will return in September.
> 
> Sue and Simon
> 
> 
> SUE HAWKSLEY
> independent dance artist
> sue at articulateanimal.org.uk
> http://www.articulateanimal.org.uk
> 
> 
> Simon Biggs
> simon at littlepig.org.uk  |  @_simonbiggs_ 
> http://www.littlepig.org.uk  |  http://amazon.com/author/simonbiggs
> 
> simon.biggs at unisa.edu.au  |  Professor of Art, University of South Australia
> http://www.unisanet.unisa.edu.au/staff/homepage.asp?name=simon.biggs
> 
> s.biggs at ed.ac.uk  |  Honorary Professor, Edinburgh College of Art, University of Edinburgh
> http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/edinburgh-college-art/school-of-art/staff/staff?person_id=182&cw_xml=profile.php
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> empyre forum
> empyre at lists.cofa.unsw.edu.au
> http://www.subtle.net/empyre
> 
> _______________________________________________
> empyre forum
> empyre at lists.cofa.unsw.edu.au
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