Problem solving 1 - projected image installation in a limited space:
If all goes well, it is my hope to have at least one if not two moving image works installed in the projection room. However because the space is quite small and the projectors need to be a certain minimum distance from a surface to be in focus, this poses some challenges around how and where they can be placed while leaving room for viewers... Another issue is that of light pollution - while the projector works well in a completely darkened space, projecting from the front onto a screen causes too much light to bounce off the white walls of the space, which washes the image out to the point where many of the details are lost and the contrast is too low.
To get around this problem, I looked into the idea of rear projection and mirror rigs - using one or more mirrors to bounce the projected image onto a surface thereby shortening the throw distance needed. In doing this, I could in theory build a structure for a projection screen within which the projector could sit, thus containing the excess light, and use mirrors to bounce the video image onto the screen from the back. One limitation to this would be finding a material suitable to project onto which is able to hold the image without losing detail without letting too much
light through (which would defeat the point of rear projection). I have a large roll of opaque mylar film on hand, which I'm going to try out as I know it works well as a projection ground and can stop light passing through it. I also have access to some cheap blackout fabric, so will see what I can do with that in a pinch...
After borrowing a mirror from Mattie and doing a few small tests in studio this morning, I think the mirror rig concept will work! (Some images have the projection out of focus, but that's only because it was difficult to adjust the focus whilst holding the mirror at a consistent angle). I need to figure out the angles and distances, to acquire a large enough piece of mirrored material and a suitable ground, and to reverse the video file viewpoint if using an odd number of mirrors and I think it will work...
An example of mirror rigging in work can be seen in Mat Collishaw's work Albion (2017) in which the image of a large tree is projected onto a reflective surface and mirrored onto the ground below. (In my set up, this would be contained behind a structure of some sort with the only thing being visible to the viewer being the image on the projection screen, as in the diagram above):
Problem solving 2: ambient light in the projection room:
As seen in Collishaw's work above, a simpler solution if I was to only project one work in the projection room space is to make the room darker. I remember Mel doing this for her EOY work a couple of years ago by lining the walls of her space with black fabric. Given that I can buy this relatively cheaply at Geoff's Emporium, this could be a simple solution if things become too complicated. It would also allow me to project from the front of the screen if I wanted to, thus eliminating the need to fuss about finding rear projection screen material or mirror rigs. I still like the idea of building some sort of structure in the room, but we will see what is possible in the time...
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