What It Is

Artist in Residence: R James Healy

 

What It Is is pleased to announce our inaugural artist in residence R James Healy. James is staying with us in sunny Oak Park for the next month or with an exhibition of his work tentatively scheduled for late April. Based in London, UK,  James is an animator and freelance 3D artist specializing in visual effects. While at What It Is James will prototype and develop one of his custom made zoetropes.

Follow his progress here, on his blog http://rjameshealy.blogspot.com and on twitter: rjameshealy

 

Also check out Clark: Herr Barr, overall winner of the Radar Festival 2007

“The look of this piece is a continuation of previous experiments, manipulating images by sampling. The technique is largely influenced by the Vorticist paintings of David Bomberg, specifically, ‘In the Hold’. Bomberg drew a grid over his canvas then fragmented the picture into geometric shapes whilst retaining the dynamic of the original scene. The intention of employing the technique in this piece is to create an ambiguity of form, allowing motion to reveal the subject.

Once the viewer has accepted they’re looking at a bird/hand, any similar moving black shape is adequate. As the project developed it became apparent that the hands had a strong sensual quality. Clearly this would be lost by total fragmentation. I strove to strike a balance, presenting detail in some shots, reserving it in others to give a broader sense of shape and motion. The compression required by streamed video is not sympathetic to this piece, but I do feel the intention is clear.” - R James Healy
www.rjameshealy.com