- Title
- Trace : an exploration of alternative means of documenting ephemeral environmental art
- Creator
- Shiell, Michael
- Date
- 2011
- Type
- Text; Thesis; PhD
- Identifier
- http://researchonline.federation.edu.au/vital/access/HandleResolver/1959.17/41479
- Identifier
- vital:4602
- Abstract
- Doctor of Philosophy; The field of Ephemeral Environmental Art is now very well established in contemporary arts practice. The ephemerality of the work together with the fact that its location is frequently inaccessible results in the need for documentation. Photography is the primary means by which these artworks are recorded. The role of photography is very important, however, it is also limited as a documentary outcome. As a visual artist who creates Ephemeral Environmental Art I am concerned that while photography can quickly and relatively easily create a visual record of the created form, its highly refined view of time and space is also problematic. The value placed on an instantaneous moment denies the process underpinning the interaction. Additionally, the camera as a mechanical intermediary between the work and its representation is counter to the intimate, viscerally known manipulation of materials that occurs onsite. Therefore a sense of disjunction can occur. There are isolated examples of artists using alternative documentary formats in the recording of this art form. This research engages with these alternative image-making techniques to explore and extend the notion of documentation. While direct reference to the form is maintained, the documentary outcomes are enriched with subtle and appropriate allusions to the site, the significance of change over time and the process of material manipulation in the construction of the artwork. This practice-led investigation has found that these alternative image-making techniques can produce meaningful forms of visual documentation. The considered application of these techniques, which is informed by the critical engagement with contemporary theoretical concepts, allows for the creation of conceptually appropriate documents. While the artworks demonstrate these enriched outcomes, no single documentary technique has been identified as applicable in all instances of recording Ephemeral Environmental Art.
- Rights
- Open Access
- Rights
- This metadata is freely available under a CCO license
- Subject
- Site-specific art; Environment (Art); Earthworks (Art); Photography of art
- Full Text
- Hits: 1020
- Visitors: 1120
- Downloads: 129
| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Details Download | SOURCE1 | Australian Digital Thesis | 21 MB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download |