In this video of animated images, I have tried to create a sense of place referencing mapping as we have investigated it as a tool for contextual analysis of our location. This ‘sensory map’ endeavours to uncover and convey the marks we leave on our environs that make our surroundings unique. This uniqueness can be created through different mixes of residential, industrial, whether there are schools in the area, and of course the environment itself and its flora and fauna.
The ways in which we occupy a place is also evidenced through the objects we discard, the same objects we often strive to own. The image of an oven and stovetop sitting in the street, no longer working or abandoned for an ‘upgrade’, is a signpost pointing towards the consumer society to which we belong. Planted mature trees show a certain level of care however the ground is littered and the graffiti covered fences convey a sense of defiance. These are all things that make our places, our locale, unique.
My interest lies in the layered textures of sound and imagery and I have conveyed this in the video through the use of transitions and multi-layered images. The video starts out with a highly saturated image of an older style cottage which looks presentable from a distance but as the viewer’s eye travels towards the window he/she sees that the paint is faded and the curtains are old-fashioned. The window acts as a portal, leading the viewer deeper into the sensory layers of the location. Some of the images are repeated, the first time in full colour and the second time less saturated referencing the notion that everything is not as it appears on the surface.
A Touch of Suburbia from Michelle Kruger on Vimeo.
Thanks to MIAMCROBERT for use of her music piece Beyond which has been mixed with my original audio 🙂
Welcome to the Machine 