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"manufactured mice", photo by Hilary Lorenz
Hilary Lorenz presented work ranging from woodcuts, etchings and photos to installations and outdoor site specific work. The work she presented also ranged from the explicitly scientific - in which she refers to actual biological texts, charts, and journals - to the pseudo-scientific in which she uses ideas from witchcraft and phrenology. Lorenz first showed members her woodcut and cut paper pieces which use diagrams of amino acids and were influenced by her work as a research assistant in an immunology laboratory.
Next, ASCI members saw images of Lorenz's work related to Marfans Syndrome, a genetic disorder that affects the body's connective tissue, and results in particular malformations of the body such as elongated hands and feet and a heavy, square brow and chin. It is suspected that Abraham Lincoln suffered from Marfans Syndrome. Her work focused on mice that were genetically "manufactured" with this syndrome for study in the laboratory. Lorenz photographed these mice, in whose features she could see the Marfans Syndrome - elongated feet, for example. She also photographed the skeletons of these mice after dissection and juxtaposed them with the photos of the live baby mice.
Following this project, Lorenz continued to use photography, this time to take pictures under the microscope. Her photos of cancer cells and blood cells of mice, among other microscopic images, were colored and chosen with an eye toward color-field painting. Lorenz had an example of one of these pieces, which she passed around so members could have a closer look.
Lorenz was also influenced by her time spent in Taiwan where she became fascinated by the rock collections that were popular there. She started growing her own rock crystals in flasks using a variety of colors. These flasks of crystals were used in some outdoor site specific work. Her close-up photos of the crystals in the flasks emphasized the subtle coloring and abstract patterning of the rock.
The next work she presented dealt with color in different ways, as in her installation related to a spell in witchcraft. The spell calls for a sweater to be knitted with knitting needles of a variety of colors, and using yarn in a variety of colors. Lorenz had knitting needles of several different colors cast in glass, and then had a multicolored sweater knitted with them as a part of a performance. The finished product is said to cast a healing spell on the wearer.
The last project she shared was a book created in collaboration with poet Albert Mobilio related to phrenology - the 19th century pseudo-science of reading a personality by feeling the shape of a person's head. The book, entitled The Handbook of Phrenology ,makes use of 19th century design elements, with Hilary's etchings "chronicling her response to Mobilio's text." Thanks to Hilary Lorenz for a fascinating tour through her work! Coming up you can see her work at "Drift", a one day site specific art exhibition, Sunday May 16th 1:00-7:00pm at Valentino Pier Park in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Her website is www.hilarylorenz.com
cellular, artwork by Hilary Lorenz
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from Andrew Milmoe's James Beam Project
Andrew Milmoe showed the group three videos that documented his work with interactive art. Milmoe said that he was interested in finding a way of creating an interactive art project that people can enter into with minimal instruction and see the results of their interaction immediately.
The first video, "James Beam" showed a project that did just that. The project, made from two sheets of plywood, a dowel and a paper shadow puppet attached to a servo, required the user to keep the puppet upright by countering the puppet's movement as it leans to one side. The challenge of keeping the puppet upright becomes increasingly difficult as the puppet moves faster and faster.
Milmoe's second video entitled
"The Calling" showed one of Milmoe's "Continuous Video Interactive Light Sculptures". Andrew Milmoe explains best how these pieces work - " a video projection is directed toward retro-reflective material designed to bounce light directly back to its source. When the light returns to the video projector, some of it is picked up by a video camera in its path. The resulting captured image is then projected back at the retro-reflective material creating a continuous video loop." Milmoe uses a smoke machine to create a fog upon which to project the light. In this project people were asked to participate by holding a long rectangular reflector up to the light and moving it. As they did so they immediately saw a wide beam of light pass through the smoke. This beam of light changed colors and "traced the reflector around the space."
His final piece - "Seeking Beacon" - was a documentation of his Interactive Video Light Sculpture on Frying Pan, a boat that was used as a floating light house - a light ship. These light ships were used as "a visual, sound and radio beacon for passing ships". Milmoe set up his video projector and smoke machine within the dark spaces inside the boat. Using the reflector and the continuous feedback of light between the projector and reflector, he was able to create a fascinating, constantly changing environment of light, surrounded by the rusty backdrop inside Frying Pan. Milmoe's video documentations were works of art in themselves, presenting the movement of light with music as well. Following the presentation there were many questions and much interest from members about the technical aspects of his work as well as speculations about other ways he could invite participation in his interactive pieces. More of Andrew Milmoe's work can be seen at his website at www.milmoe.com
from Andrew Milmoe's Seeking Beacon Gallery
Text written by Rebecca Riley, ASCI member
Please note - these summaries were written from notes - the author apologizes for any errors that may have occurred in the translation.
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