Cultivation in Abatement

2018

 

As we continue to adopt automation, the separation between digital and physical has become less apparent. Nearly all actions are documented by digital devices. Through algorithm-based data analysis, the information gathered by these devices portrays facts and truths that aren’t necessarily perceptible to our senses. While this augmentation of the human senses has generally been beneficial, our inability to see the long-term impact of these advancements on our humanity is starting to become apparent.

 

In Cultivation in Abatement, I wanted to explore a process that both embraces and rejects our inescapable reliance on digital technology. I began by embracing the role of the data processor. I recorded the body language (something machines are currently not fully capable of) of people moving through public spaces. From analysis of this documentation, their routines and tendencies became more apparent to me. I encapsulated these findings in a series of choreographed movements, recorded as data and transcoded to animation through motion capture sensors. By performing the choreography, I believe I gained an awareness of my subject matter that is not present in the motion capture data. To imbue the animation with this newfound insight, I manually altered the motion capture data to better represent the totality of my findings. The result of this process is a work that I believe strikes a balance between the empathy of human observation and the actuality of machine analysis.