Some notes...
On choreography.
Always make contact with the device on at least one side at a time. This means sliding your hand down the edge of the side when changing actions (push/pull).
Think of the volume of your hand. Make it change dramatically between poses so that the effect has more contrast. Think of how mimes over exaggerate their poses. Make sure you have good silhouette with the hands. Keep the poses crisp.
Play with symmetry, and break it often.
Do not perform to music. It should not reflect a pre-existing rhythm. A new rhythm could be generated through editing.
The devices should be swapped out with each other often. One device is not used for very long. Switching between open and closed eyes.
On staging.
- Keep the devices fixed in space with a clamp or tripod that could be edited out after. This creates good registration between shots.
- No. I don't think the device should be fixed. It should look more natural, and show the waver of the hands that are holding it. It should be less related to a telescope and more to a star-chart. It is more spontaneous in it's use. Less cumbersome.
- It should be used while reclined on the grass, in good weather. Like the idealized image of one cloud gazing.
- There should be something on the hands to signify the operator. A colour or pattern. Nail polish or gloves. Gloves to protect the devices. Conservation or archival gloves. Mime or magician gloves. Gloves of a performer, a cheerleader, a member of a band. The wrists are bare. The artist is the performer - there is one operator.
- Blue gloves. Gloves to manipulate the sky, to perform the clouds.
On image.
Afterimage - Illusory palinopsia. Greek "again" and "seeing"
Physiological afterimage vs pathological afterimage.
The photo-chemical activity in the retina lingers, it continues after the stimulus is removed.
Microsaccades are the jerky movement of the eyes. They are measured in arcminutes.
Our eyes are constantly in movement. Even when fixated. They do this to refresh, or else the image may overstimulate our rods and cones. Our brains create a 3D map of a scene through these micro-movements. Saccades are one of the fastest movements of the human body.
Occular drift consists of random movement of the eyes while an observer is fixated.
A stabilized image is an image on the retina that does not move. Images that do not move on our retina may disappear or fade.
Our eyes must constantly move in order to see. Or else they will compensate and adapt to the lack of movement, making it vanish.
Positive vs Negative afterimages.
The image of a blue sky with a white cloud appears inverted as a negative afterimage. It becomes a yellow sky with a black cloud. Negative afterimages appear much longer than positive afterimages, and usually directly after a positive after image.
Entoptic Phenomena - Greek "within" and "visual". Visual effects within the eye itself.
- The observer cannot share a direct and specific view of this phenomenon with others.
- Floaters - Muscae Valitantes "flying flies". They are the shadows of objects suspended above the retina. Seen most prominently while looking up at a blue sky.
- Blue field entoptic phenomenon, blue sky sprites. Caused by white blood cells moving in the capillaries in front of the retina.
