Tether yours to mine.
I tether myself to you.
I’m at the end of my tether.
In this project, I’m using ‘tether’ as an allegory for connection. Tethers are defined as a line to which something or someone is attached. It can be physical–a leash tethers pets to their people; technical–a wifi hotspot tethers devices together; or, an idea–being at the end of your capacity. I explore the rich plurality of this term as a creative jumping-off-point to look at how relationships morph and take on new meaning throughout different phases of life.
As part of the creative process, I’m reflecting on the people in my life who have come and gone and the complexities inherent to these relationships. I also explore how the notion of ‘place’ ignites memory, tracing back to my childhood hometown to consider the enduring sense of being from somewhere.
This project is currently in development. Formally, the work uses both analog and digital, 2D and 3D methods to create scenery for an immersive, lightly interactive, virtual reality experience. The studies of landscape and home spaces are rendered using mediums that evoke childhood arts and crafts: colored pencils, cardboard, and liquid glue, then transformed through technical means such as 3D modelling and photogrammetry. Abstracted, animated people inhabit the landscapes to create affective motifs that lean into experimental storytelling.
Images:
- VR headset view
- Open Studio at the Banff Centre, photo by Abigaile Edwards
- Open Studio at the Banff Centre, photo by Abigaile Edwards
- Preliminary storyboard imagery
- Analog experimentation with figures.
Thanks to the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity for their support and generosity.
