I like to think of our mind as a ‘void-filler’. It attributes meaning to our surroundings by interpreting and labeling structurs as recognizable objects. This process is not part of our conscious thinking – it is pre-conscious or sub-conscious.
With this installation I wanted to see if, by taking advantage of a peculiarity of the way we see, the peripheral vision, it would be possible to force the ‘void-filling’, at least partially, into the conscious thought-process.
Among other things this would require control over the viewers visual input – no disturbances allowed. This is similar to the setup of a cinema, and in particular one of its precursors, The Panorama. I decided to make use of some of the tricks used in the constructin of traditional panoramas.
The closer the construction came to completion, the more I came to think of it as a ‘one man cinema’. There is one vantagepoint within the installation from which you should be able to encompass the whole view within your peripheral vision. However, I doubt you’ll be able to restrain your focus to that point for long. Because of the shifting contrasts and movement playing at the corners of your eye, your mind will force your focus back and forth trying to make sense of the imagery – in effect, trying to fill the void.
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