ARTIST STATMENTENT

Traces explores the relationship between the past and the present with a focus on the process of transformation as the connecting thread. The work consists of a series of collages and instant film polaroids that are accompanied by animations and video clips seen solely through the use of an augmented reality application (Virtual Mutations).

The scenarios presented in the static images act as literal stages for animated narratives.  What once was a captured single moment echoes into motion, creating an additional layer as to what will come thereafter.  The intention is not to detract from the simplicity of the static image but instead to create possibilities as to what the subjects in each setting could become through a lapse of time and allegorical imagery.  A dialogue between the past and the present is established and the app itself acts as a mediator between these tenses, allowing the observer to have a glimpse of the afterthought.

The purpose of using augmented reality as an accompaniment to the static imagery is to invite the observer to take part, not only as a viewer, but as an active participant of the evocative and symbolic narratives represented in the diverse themes of each piece. 

Many of the collages include interactive elements that alter the state of time and space when controlled by the individual viewer.  Through these interactions, the works are intended to shed light on the subjective nature of the elusive concept of time and suggest that time and space are intrinsic categories of the mind and relative to the observer's point of view. 

The Polaroids on the other hand, are stripped of interaction and complexities and instead composed of simple repetitive motions locked in endless loops and lacking in linearity. The titles of the Polaroids refer to states of mind and emotions which are interpreted by the motions of the displayed figure. The repetitive movements and ghostly traces of motion mimic the monotonous nature of our thought processes and emotional patterns and the difficulty of breaking out of these mental habits and routines which shape predictable patterns of behaviors.