Wk 16 - studio work for midyear prep

Short update on plans for midyear

- still tossing up between the kaikomako works and the pohutukawa hybrid image sequence

- the large screen I wanted is not available, so I have opted to go with three TV screens. This was something I decided on for two primary reasons:

- if going with the kaikomako images, this option offers the ability to present multiple iterations and works, relating to both the subject matter (the revival of the kaikomako tree) and themes around digitality

- if choosing the pohutukawa works, I think it is stronger to present multiple images on smaller screens than it is to present a single one on the smaller screen (an issue picked up in the last critique). It is my hope that the multiple screens could give the effect of a "forest" of sorts, a semi-natural space or encounter

- in spacing the screens out within the space, this gives the option for viewers to encounter each individual image by itself and spend time with each; I am undecided if I will present moving sequences or simply still images if going with the pohutukawa option (again, considering where the line between digital components being integral to the work/themes and talking over it sits)

- Once I have the screens installed I'm going to do a quick test of the options I have on hand (the pohutukawa video sequence, 3 still pohutukawa images, and a selection of the kaikomako images) and make a decision (I have a hunch about what will work best but I'd like to see them all in person first).

Kaikomako images

One consideration I have with these works is that while I think they and the narrative and concepts behind the subject matter are interesting, they also introduce new considerations. Several of the images are recognizable as clearly plant-based - this isn't a negative, but I think it's natural for viewers to ask more of a work/sign they can clearly see. In introducing a form that is recognizable, to me the images then lose some of their possibility. In contrast the pohutukawa works sit much more in the realm of ambiguity, while these have a more obvious subject... I've tried to keep editing to a minimum in these images (the renders are unaltered, have been lit with a simple 3-point lighting set up, and have been exported at a high resolution). While I think the narrative content of this work is interesting and more specific than previous works, it also feels like it would function better in the context of an exhibition setting (alongside other works that deal with similar themes) than by itself. I have a hunch that the pohutukawa works stand by themselves a little stronger.

I did play around with the material properties of the 3D object in Blender in some other iterations - adjusting the subsurface translucency to give the missing parts of the plant a more obvious look. I think this is a little gimmicky though, and perhaps a little too flesh-like. May be useful for future projects though.

I also considered the idea of adding audio into the space somehow to enhance the idea of constructed nature and ground the images a little more, but I think that would be introducing