Final – Oxhrene

Project Hyperessay #2: Conclusion

An email inviting me to embark on this journey.

At the beginning, I only thought about how fun it was going to be working with my friends. It was. However it was also tiring, life-changing and overwhelming.

At the start, we did numerous research on wearable technology and works that made use of the media such as Bio Couture by Suzanne Lee and Telematic dreaming (1993) by Paul Sermon respectively.

Then we embarked on dress making and incorporating electronics into our fashion wear.

unspecified 32 — Working with Naga and Kamaru.

Working with Naga. — Working with Naga and Kamaru.

Skyping with Angeline during lesson time to share our development process.

Discussing with Randall on how my electronics can be incorporated into the dress for my performance.

Performing with Chinese Opera music Randall has sourced during class time. — Performing with a Chinese Opera music, that Randall had sourced for, during class time.

While we develop our dresses, we rehearse in them to test for possible malfunctions so that we make necessary alterations, to make sure that our costumes do not get in the way of our performances, before the actual performance.

Very initial stages of my costume when I have not added in the electronics. You can notice that I have not sewn the back and front of the polyester fabric together.

unspecified 37 — Checking out each others’ dresses. Looking good!

Mid-stages of costume making where I have sewn in the sleeve and pockets to incorporate my electronics. Here I am testing out the infra-red sensor.

Here, Galina is helping me out with the power bank attachment to the lily pad which is located at the back of my dress. — Here, Galina is helping me with attachment of the power bank to the lily pad which is located at the back of my dress.

During our practices, we did warm-ups and played with different movements and ideas as we work with Angeline. We even re-enacted The Big Kiss (2007), by Annie Abrahams, with Angeline. It was very awkward for me as my sense of sight gave me the impression that I could actually feel her tongue and what I fear most – saliva. It was an almost traumatic experience for me so I was only willing to stick out my tongue for a second. However this is what makes the third space so attractive – you can face your fears indirectly.

Warm-ups

Re-enactment of The Big Kiss

I practiced my solo performance as a crazy jellyfish for the first time in front of my peers. It was an exhilarating experience as I would never imagine myself so crazy before my peers with a sane mind.

Crazy Jellyfish rehearsal

crazy jellyfish 2 — My dress tore during the process haha!

unspecifiedIDTKRU8Y — My friend was trying to catch me (a crazy jellyfish that is running around out of control)

crazy jellyfish 3 — My friends burst out laughing when I suddenly regain sanity and I stood at one side combing my hair as if I was never crazy before.

crazy jellyfish 1 — Trying to get hold of me.

unspecifiedFBUWLZW7 — Making hand gestures as I say: “Look at me”

From this integration of media and performance, I learnt the difference between performing within a shared physical space and a shared media space. While our audience see us performing together in the shared media space, we are actually not physically together. The effects of performing in a media space allows us to push our boundaries both physically in the real world and the virtual world. In the real world, we are limited by the amount of space we have to perform together in. However with the incorporation of the virtual world, the amount of space we have for us to exist together in at the same time has multiplied. Whilst we can perform on overlapping screens as if we are in parallel worlds superimposed onto each other, we have more factors to worry for too; such as the difficulty to make scale, lighting and eye contacts of the performers meet between the first and second space.

Conference

Introducing the Crazy Jellyfish

unspecified 11 — Hovering across the infra-red sensor to change the colour of the lights

unspecified 9 — White coloured lights to represent a sane, innocent and an organised state of mind.

unspecified 1 — 5-coloured lights to represent the colours of a jellyfish that is alluring yet dangerous at the same time.

Introducing the people who have nurtured the Crazy Jellyfish for this project

From left: Charlene, Me, Feliciana, Gladys, Tiffany, Yuhao (Yahoo) — From left: Charlene, Me, Feliciana, Gladys, Tiffany, Yuhao

I learnt many things I wouldn’t have if I hadn’t participated in this project. I made many memorable memories and new friends along the journey. These make me feel really happy and satisfied.

unspecified 22 — From Top left: Charlene (Kali), Xin Hong (Peitho), Feliciana (Chamunda), Gladys (Tara), Tiffany (Zhong yin shen), Yuhao (The Conductor)

unspecified 19 — Okay, a normal one. From Top left: Charlene, Xin Hong, Feliciana, Gladys, Tiffany, Yuhao, From Bottom left: Randall Parker, Galina Mihaleva, Alvin Lau

Final dress

Adding boning to the sleeves to create wavy appearance

Continuation on dress making

Sewing three horizontal strips on the under layer of the dress as ‘pockets’ for the RGB LED strips

3 horizontal strips to function as pockets for the RGB LED strips

Under layer of dress with lights on

Red (255, 0, 0), Blue (0, 0, 255), Orange (255, 77, 0), Purple (153, 0, 255), Yellow (255, 255, 0)

My choice of 5 different lights, namely: Red, Blue, Orange, Purple and Yellow was inspired from the colours of a jellyfish.

Image of jellyfishes — Colourful jellyfishes

My choice of white colour comes from its representation of peace, innocence and tranquility. The representations supports my idea of a calm, sane and quiet state of mind.

Infrared sensor and Lilypad main circuit board with power bank to operate the light strip

Sewing with conductive thread to connect the Lilypad with the wires

Sewing on a piece of cloth to make a pouch and a button to secure the Lilypad and power bank in the pocket.

I couldn’t have managed a dress without constant encouragement and guidance from my professor, Galina. She taught me the technique of two layered dress (she always surprises me) and she pushes me to think “avant-garde”. This is the first dress I made for myself! Whether my dress looks like a white Christmas tree, colourful white Christmas tree, or a wedding dress, I feel satisfied with my first attempt and feel that the countless nights I spent making it paid off.

Music and Performance

I chose to incorporate opera music piece to my performance because I like the idea of dramatic voice that wobbles like a jellyfish (rather, the smooth and sonorous vibrations inherent in a natural voice). Randall has suggested Chinese opera music in specific which feels closer to my race (as a Chinese) and the addition of distortions in the sound whenever my crazy jellyfish persona surfaces. (In short, I really like Randall’s suggestions and I am awed at his wonderful expertise on managing sound systems.)

In addition to the music, I have consulted my professor, Naga, for guidance to make the lights blink at 1 second intervals and the colourful lights to increase in blinking rate (speed) every 5 seconds from a starting blinking rate of 1.5 seconds to 10 milliseconds (which is 1500 to 10). (In short, Naga is an intelligent and awesome man.)

Tag: Final

Project Hyperessay #2: Conclusion

Project Hyperessay #2: Conclusion

Project update (Week 12)

Final dress

Continuation on dress making

Music and Performance