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East
of Fallon, Highway 50, Nevada, is an installation work involving kinetic
sculpture, video projection and streaming video on the internet. The intent
is to create what is essentially a simulated experience in the form of a
contemplative, filmic moment, that of endlessly driving a car at night on
a section of "America’s Loneliest Highway". Inspired, in
part, by American film vernacular (road movies, film noir, David Lynch,
etc), the surface of the highway hypnotically passes under the gaze of the
vehicle mounted camera, serving as a visual marking of time, distance and
separation. The work also serves as a nostalgic, faux document of this seminal
roadway - an imaginary construction depicting a mythical Western icon. The
Ferris wheel type structure exists to create a seamless roadbed while at
the same time functioning as a familiar experiential device for continuous
motion to no particular destination. This work is the first of DeLappe’s
video based, sculptural installations to incorporate the utilization of
the internet as a creative medium for artisitic experimentation. This work
exists both as a functional, physical installation of video and kinetic
sculpture and as a transmitted image via the internet. The video being created
by the piece is being streamed, live, on the internet in real-time. The
result being a looping path of image, motion and simulation created through
an absurdly convoluted use of technology with the ultimate goal of sublime
simplicity.
How it works:
The installation features an 8 foot tall kinetic, Ferris wheel type sculpture,
upon the interior surface of the wheel is sculpted a continuous, miniature
scale model of a section of Highway 50, including roadbed and ground scenery.
The entire wheel structure is motorized for continuous motion. A color mini-video
network camera is mounted to the outside supports of the structure - it
hovers directly over the rotating road surface, illuminated by two tiny
lights. The camera is a specialized unit that functions as a surveillance
camera and web server all in one unit – feeding a live image that is
connected directly to NMA’s high speed network. The point of view of
the camera records, in real time, the image as if one were driving on the
highway late at night with the only illumination being the headlights of
one’s car. The resultant video image, which for all appearances looks
as if one was seeing a driver’s point of view, is shown, project large
upon the adjacent wall of the gallery and is being streamed, live, to the
internet during Museum hours. |
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