In Lifeblood, I use a computer to control
the discrete binary release of air bubbles in a tank of water. By orchestrating
these bubble-pixels, I create fleeting patterns and forms that rapidly
decay in the medium of water, leaving only a gurgling, chaotic residue
at the top. Intuitively sequenced, the animation includes specific information
carrying patterns that are found throughout nature, like the double helix.
By transforming our usual experience with digital representation, I am working to unhinge our common perceptions and spark new insights into our prevalent information systems. I am also interested in representing our particular point in history. We are increasingly surrounded by a digital world yet it always exists inside the more fluid and complex natural environment. Lifeblood is a direct representation of this – a binary signal dissolving before your eyes and ears into the entropy of nature. I am very conscious of how people interact with this immersive installation, how one moves their body to experience the multiple layers of visual phenomena. Through physicality of interaction viewers are brought into Lifeblood as active agents of perception.
The animated visual and auditory rhythms
of Lifeblood are also a meditation on the essential importance of the
elements water and air. In this piece I emphasize the highlights that
occur on the delicate surfaces of the bubbles, drawing attention to the
rich borderlands where different elements are brought in contact with
each other. This diagonal view reveals how the three dimensional forms
created by the bubbles are reflected on the interior surfaces of the tank,
adding another layer of visual complexity to the piece and playing with
the phenomena of transparency.
Here you can see how the rising bubbles shine very brightly from the strong overhead illumination. When seeing it in person, many people comment on how the shape and movement of the bubbles remind them of organic lifeforms like jellyfish or mushroom caps.