BRYAN PAGE

From May 10 - July 12, 2019, the graduate students of Washington University in St. Louis held their MFA thesis exhibition at The Luminary.

 

I showed two motion-activated animations - Jesse (Writhing) and Pax (Writhing), each on a 50 in. television monitor. As the viewer steps within the trigger zone for either T.V., the animation starts playing. The body that is approached comes to life and the audio of breathing and writhing can be heard. Upon leaving the vicinity, the animation pauses and the body ceases to live. 

​

The viewer experience changes every time the work is approached because each video has its own motion trigger. With participants entering and leaving each activation zone at different moments, each video will start and pause at different times. This staggers the animations; the bodies can potentially move toward each other simultaneously, but this interaction is not guaranteed. The semi-randomized viewing experience complicates interactions between all involved parties: between Jesse, Pax, the viewer, and any outside observer witnessing those that interact with the videos. By having elements of action and reaction, I hope that relationships can organically evolve.