The Hold Series
Hold #1 (Breathing); Hold #2 (Singing); Hold #3 (Screaming)
2015
mixed media installation with three two-channel video projection loops
10' x 33' x 24'
A paradox of motion and stillness, examined through video and human gesture. The installation uses three pairs of projectors, and three video clips that depict different manifestations of breath: holding a breath, singing a phrase, and unleashing a scream. For each pair of projectors, one is attached to a spinning motor, while the other is stationary. These two projectors cast their images onto either side of a 14" disc, which is mounted on a stand between the two projectors. The disc serves to isolate the face of the person in the video, and highlights both the effort of the gesture and the fleeting and bounded nature of the breath itself. The portion of each video image beyond the face is cast onto the opposite wall, creating dim penumbras of motion around the three bright visual focal points of the discs.
A breath is a simple physical act, but one with poetic potential as it relates to voice and speech. By linking the breath to the image’s attainment of equilibrium, I underscore the fragility, the physicality, and the necessity of that gesture. The image remains legible only for as long as the breath can sustain – a duration as much felt as understood.