Krauss talks about this idea of reflexivity in his essay. The purpose of reflexivity is to separate the object with its surrounding so that we are inflicted with a different emotion when the two are fused versus the emotion we feel about the objects individually. I see that use of your object doesn’t necessarily fit with it’s environment. What might be your intentions when thinking about the objects with relation to the environment, how might reflexivity play it’s role within your concepts and use of camera techniques?
James: I wanted to invoke multiple emotions. A feeling of nostalgia was one and loneliness another. For loneliness, there was sense of nothing around other than the balloons which was supposed to convey individuality. The movement and colors of the balloons are all independent of each other which is why there’s more of an understanding of the individuality. New York City is usually energized, fast pace and all about the hustle which is why I wanted to slow it down and make it very monotone with the use of the balloons. In that sense it is similar to reflexivity, where the combination of the the balloons as a subject in its environment changes the idea of the environment.
We are all making work in the context of a long and varied history of video art and media culture. I see a connection between your work and Cheryl Donegan, where she believes in controlling our emotions through the use of an unconventional subject or emotion. She more or less comments on the current culture through this use. Tell me more about how you see this connection or another connection to video art history/media culture?
James: I think my work is not exactly a connection to Cheryl Donegan’s work, but I see certain similarities. Like in terms of how she comments on the contemporary culture, mine does the same through loneliness. Again, with loneliness we all are always on social media, we have friends but we don’t necessarily know them or don’t act like them. The balloons are all individual, but they are balloons and exist as balloons but at the same time they have their own movement and their own colors and by default they are independent. The same way, our generation is similar with the purpose to live and die but along the way do our own thing. Also, my use of coloring is similar to Donegan because I use a very unconventional color to grab attention and show contrast but it doesn’t necessarily make sense in the context. Her videos have a sense of fluidity, while the purpose of her video might be more sporadic. But in terms of my video, my shots are more sporadic, but the idea of time is fluid! They both have an underlying chaos.
Can you talk more about the camera angles and your thought process, was it something you planned out or was it something you just shot and ended up and how may that tie in with your overall theme?
James: I deliberately shot each shot separately to convey birth and creation. The in and out of focus almost completely emphasizes that. The video starts of with less scenery in the beginning and it immediately gives a sense of the balloons versus the sky. I was very conscious about my camera angles when it came to the overall theme. For instance, there is a scene with a boat in the background. The boat starts at one point and ends at the other, and he balloons swaying in between those two scenes is a portrayal of the passage of time. Also, the balloons against the yellow wall,was deliberate attempt at telling a story. The balloons don’t necessarily have a body language, but it’s movement and the contrast in colors helped me tell a story. Overall, the use of symmetry and lines are always a play in the way shoot.