plywood, fluorescent tubes, fiber optic cable, fishing line, ink transfer
July 18 – August 17, 2012
Daily until 12 a.m., best viewed after dusk
ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS
911 Davenport Road
Toronto, ON M6G 2B7
E: info@weseeinc.com
En Face is an ongoing project utilizing fibre-optic cable, a material native to communication technology, as a sculptural medium. The material is employed to create a series of light sculptures of the human body in traditional portrait compositions. This tension between portraiture as traditional substitute for physical presence and the medium of communication technology (a contemporary substitute for physical presence) provides the main conceptual impetus for the work.
The experiential aim of this body of work is best expressed through the French term en face which translates to “facing forward.” The phrase here is referential to traditional ways of engaging with two-dimensional artworks. The typical arrangement between static viewer and static artwork is the paradigm that the works in this series aim to challenge. An image is created by manipulating a glowing optical cable: delineating with three-dimensional loops. Since the outlines change as the viewer moves around, full comprehension of the work is only achieved when standing “face to face.” Additionally, each piece possesses two states of expression: showing one image in bright lighting conditions and another in dim light.
Studio 1:1 is a Toronto-based multi disciplinary workshop founded by Kira Varvanina and Edward Lin in 2010. The duo focuses their practice on one-to-one interactive installations and multimedia art. Their interest in innovative technology as a tool for spatial transformations comes from their extensive exposure to architectural design and planning.