Sunday, June 1, 2008

Artist interview: David Sproule

Can you describe how you approached the Glocal project in terms of finding and shooting from an alternative perspective?

DS: For this project I have taken photos of myself from a variety of unconventional angles. Using deliberately unusual and awkward positions for the camera, my aim was to produce a set of images that would be of some interest because they have a certain ambiguity. The most common repeating feature is my figure whereas the location or the nature of my surroundings and my position and relationship to camera are less clear and ambiguous. The pictures have had minimal treatment to improve lighting and colour contrast. I tried to think of inventive places to put the camera so as to produce pictures that would appear a little surreal.

Can you describe the photo shoots?

DS: One set involved using the dynamically varied and well lit structure of a bridge underpass. By placing the camera on a particular part of the floor and positioning myself between two support beams I was able to produce images in which perspective is exaggerated and the angles, in terms of their relation to the vertical, are somewhat vague too.

In the same location I tied my mobile phone onto my leg. Thought about some tricks and skateboarded my way through the underpass. Again I enjoy the ambiguity of the shots. Motion is captured but focus is not. It is only when the viewer stares long enough at what was recorded, can they guess what actions have led to the shots.

How about the odd aerial images? How were these created?

DS: This set of pictures was created by attaching a small camera again my mobile phone to a ball which I then through up in the air. I watched it the whole way, so as to make sure I caught it. Using the delay timer I was able to get some pictures from directly above me with me looking up. I was standing in the middle of a large open space and there is no evidence of any structure around me. So the pictures have a slightly strange almost fake look to them but they are very much real as evidenced by the concentrated expression which can be seen on my face.

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