The Great Escape

Let’s recap: My idea for the final broadcast was the concept of the Escape. In my previous post, I juxtapose a video of a plane taking off and also a scene where the bus is at the Causeway. These two elements of escape in a sense that I am escaping from Singapore but figuratively, I also wish to escape from the reality of living in Singapore, the stress and the high expectation of living in a First world country. Then it makes sense, because the idea of broadcast ties in the idea of escapement. For example, watching movies in the cinema or any screen for that matter, is a temporary escape from reality and able to sit down and enjoy in a very control situation (happened in the movie), we forget about reality for 2 hours.

During my Skype meeting with Randall, we had a discussion on the direction my project is going and have asked me to do these few things, in order to progress in a progressive way. To sketch ideas of what escape means to me and to take elements of escape/flight in a photograph.

minolta-24

The bus is the vehicle for an escape.

I actually use a film camera to capture these below images. Some images I took based on my feeling towards the idea of ‘Escape’.

minolta-30

Escalators transport us to escape

minolta-35

This is the view when I lie down on my bed at home. An escape for me as well.

minolta-39

Train tracks is the medium to escape

minolta-44

Escape to the white light outside which brings uncertainties

minolta-49

The haze give an effect of the garden of eden

minolta-56

all you need is to climb to escape

minolta-57

A room to escape

minolta-58

that light at the end of the hallway is your only escape

minolta-59

the path to escape the world, will you take it?

minolta-66

again, the bus is the vehicle to escape, take a seat and enjoy the escapade

minolta-67

during raya haji at the mosque, a temporary escape for religion

minolta-80

when the prayers are done, everyone ‘escape’

minolta-76

that is a dead bee actually, i guess he ‘escaped’

minolta-72

Performing the Solat is a temporary escape to get closer to God

By taking these images and looking back at them, I think the next step is to take videos of flight or escape. My initial images of flight or escape was too literal for example, plane taking off, ships at sea or busses moving. I think if I take moving images which also represent escape and juxtapose it with a live broadcast video of me doing an action, I think it will be more interesting and also open for interpretation.

Randall also asked me to test out if I can link websites to max msp to do some effect and so i tried a thing or two.

I used the Jweb where basically I can open a browser on a max patch and then i uses jit.broadcast to actually show what my browser is showing and then alpha blender it with the webcam video.

For now it is just a experiment and it is still ongoing.

Regards,
Kamarul

One thought on “The Great Escape

  1. Randall Packer

    It is really interesting to see all the images you have brought together to articulate the idea of escape. When you see them all together the narrative of escape is very powerful. There are photographs, such as the religious ceremony you wouldn’t necessarily associate with the idea of escape, but when juxtaposed with the open window, the train track, or the escalator, you see the connections. Very interesting. Then with the Max patch, I see you are inserting yourself into these situations of escape. I’ll be curious to see where you take this idea.

Leave a Reply