Nov. 20, 2003
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Shedding a
light on art: Cinematographer and artist Scott Snibbe creates art without
boundaries
By Roberta Carasso For Irvine World News
They chisel, carve, draw, paint, glue, or construct. At some point, the process ends, and only the finished product, the physical work of art, remains to be admired forever. At the Beall Center for Art and Technology at UC Irvine, cinematographer and artist Scott Snibbe creates art where the process and the product no longer have clear boundaries. Using complex gadgetry, Snibbe devises methods to bring about various cinematic experiences based on the interaction of light, technology, and the human body. But once a person’s presence activates specific apparatus and an image appears on a screen, the art is completed. The image, comprised of shadows and light, vanishes, becoming the memory of less than a minute of a delightful experience. The questions asked here are: if art traditionally requires two distinct stages, process and product, is Snibbe’s work art? Or, is technologically-based art — allowing artist to work with previously inaccessible elements such as light — changing the definition of the art process and finished product? Six large screens are poised in the darkened gallery. They look much like empty canvasses or white pages ready to be painted or written on. Three stations of electronic devices each contain two systems pointing to one of three screens on either side of the gallery. The room is hushed; a path, roped off to guide us to correctly activate and complete the art process, guaranteeing an optimum experience. With the genius of light manipulation, computer programming, camera, projector and highly sophisticated imaging apparatus, Snibbe’s magic begins. The motion of the human body is either recorded or acts as a vehicle that generates a reaction in the otherwise lifeless equipment. In “Compliant,” one activates the beam, which appears to become transformed from being like a flat piece of paper to a white handkerchief unfolding. We push, stretch, and sculpt this amorphous non-dimensional vision altering its size and edge with hand motions, as if light is plastic, compliant as three-dimensional clay. “Shy” is among the most playful. Sensing our presence, the beam quickly darts away, no matter how we try to out-maneuver it. Conversely, “Shadow” encourages us to dance, bend, perform various gyrations, or merely walk across its screen as the camera records our action, repeatedly playing the shadow-event back, seconds later, until replaced by another image. This particular screen gives the most personal pleasure. Better than looking in a mirror, here is a chance to watch ourselves show off — 15 seconds at movie stardom. In “Concentration,” light hones in on whoever is in its path, lighting up the outline of the shadow. If two or more people are present, the light sees them as one body, concentrating on the whole rather than on each part, and connecting them as one shape. “Depletion” is among the most awesome screens. It lets us erase light, making the white rectangle change to dynamic abstract shapes, become smaller as it mimics one’s hands, legs, or even one’s nose erasing what appears before us. “Impression,” another formidable experience, encourages us to push light and shadow inward from both the right and left side, as it captures finger marks, facial and body silhouettes, rapidly transforming the contour into white and dark shapes. We become like a Jackson Pollack with light, vigorously applying gestural marks and excitedly seeing the amazing, and continually changing surface they form. Undoubtedly, an interactive exhibition is mesmerizing, especially because one’s person or body becomes the image. These highly intelligent and amusing experiences prove, even to a sophisticated technologist, that the experience has great validity. But, is it “art”? Beginning with the 20th century, artistic movements have had a domino effect, one linking with the next. Therefore, two essential and interconnected ideas must be considered. The first is the introduction of Conceptual Art in the late ’60s; the second is Snibbe’s Buddhist philosophy that he naturally integrates into his work, a philosophy that also has found its way into major modern art movements. Conceptual Art radically altered the nature of art because it marked a complete reversal of traditionalism. Art changed from process of fabrication to process of conceptualization. That is, the art was more in the mind than on a wall or pedestal. Conceptual Art was flamed by a previous movement, Abstract Expressionism, a search for nonobjective art (no recognizable image). Conceptualism, however, took it a step further and sought to create in non-dimension, solely in thought. Conceptual Art took off like wildfire, around the world, in endless expression. Simultaneously, many Abstract Expressionists delved into the nature of Buddhism because it and their artistic quests were compatible. Their search for the nonobjective aligned with the Zen notion of No-Thing, extolling the imperfect, incomplete, and impermanence. Zen recognizes that absolutely nothing, not even the most archival, lasts. What endure are valid ideas, and ideas are the stuff of Conceptual Art and Snibbe’s work. Add to this equation that light, a physical component one uses daily and refers to in spiritual terms, has become a viable artistic element within current works of art. Consequently, 21st century artists, like Snibbe, have the means to make what has been invisible, visible, extending the artistic palette into new realms that also happen to traverse into the scientific, but which are no less artistic. Beyond the fantastic gadgetry that makes this exhibition so enchanting, is the extension of the artistic palette — reaching further, encompassing and transforming life itself into a work of art. The writer can be reached at roberta@carasso.com. |
