Second Sight/Split Second brings together many of my various interests in art, science and the wonders of nature. Ever since my stint producing science videos at MIT I have been amazed by Doc Edgerton’s high-speed photographs and films. Recently, I had a the good fortune to borrow one of their high speed cameras for this installation.
I am interested in exploring human gesture to look at what we think we understand from a different perspective. I’m also interested in challenging notions and perceptions of time and that relationship and tension between stillness and motion. I decided to film ordinary and sometimes banal 1 second actions or gestures. These are recorded using the specialized camera and when played back take 3 minutes to see the single second in its entirety. There is an uncanniness to the images, an attraction/repulsion that can be hypnotic. I present the work as a series on 14” flat screens, mimicking the traditional size and proportions of classical photography exhibition.