The Sweet Spot

Above are some examples of Fulldome master images showing the level of distortion required to compensate for the 36o viewing experience in the planetarium dome. The 'sweet spot' is the name given to the spot between 35 - 45 degrees from the bottom front of the hemispherical viewing screen in a planetarium with a forward facing arrangement. This is the natural focus for the eye of the viewer and can be used and manipulated in the production of the work.

Recording at Newburn Surgery

Ben, Nick and me took up residence in Newburn Surgery for a day to gather sounds created by the body using their medical equipment. Working with microphones and equipment on loan from Culture Lab, Newcastle and with direct recordings made by the fetal ultrasound doppler machine.

National Space Centre - Continuum Research Trip

Chris, Ian and me visited the National Space Centre in Leicester to conduct research for the Continuum project. We met with Paul Mowbray, the director of NSC Creative, the department responsible for creating high end computer generated fulldome animations for planetariums worldwide. Paul very kindly offered his time to run through a couple of nagging questions about the shift from flat plane video to the hemispherical immersive environments of planetarium screens. The meeting also gave us the opportunity to watch some of the teams productions on their planetarium screen, which is even bigger than the one at Life, measuring a whopping 60 ft in diameter - it's huge! The experience was different again from that of previous planetariums I had visited. I realised that taking this work on from Life could be tricky, especially when it comes to defining the 'sweet spot' and mixing the soundscape.

The Planetarium

Images of the Planetarium space at Centre for Life by Nick Able.

Triparks Preview - ACAdovetail

Exhibition featuring work by a great bunch of artists, who I got to know through my time on the Triparks residency: Karen Guthrie, Bridget Kennedy, Volkhardt Müller, Hugh Nankivell and Harald Smykla.

Continuum - New Work for Newcastle ScienceFest 2010

Exploring notions of beauty and the struggle for perfection, 'Continuum' peers through the looking glass into another world, somewhere between the familiar and the the unknown, where the body is transformed.

I am developing a new video work for Newcastle ScienceFest 2010. the work will be specially adapted for the unique setting of the planetarium at Newcastle's Centre for Life. Shooting will begin at the Lab Space at Dance City in January with Ian Bailey (Darkeye Digital)

The work has been in the planning for some time. It marks the first outcome of over a year of research, which has included residencies with the Medical Research Council, Virology Unit (Glasgow), Allenheads Contemporary Arts (Northumberland) and Dance City (Newcastle).

I have been working with Chris Hudson (Public Engagement Technical Coordinator) at Life to figure out logistics of creating Fulldome video for the hemispherical surface of the planetarium. We plan to visit the National Space Centre in Leicester to meet with Paul Mowbray in their creative department and talk about some of the technical aspects of this form of creation. National Space Centre Creative are responsible for some of the most innovative Fulldome productions, view some trailers here.

A specially created 5.1 surround soundscape will be commissioned by Nick Able and Benjamin Freeth. We hope to gather sounds from the body using specialised microphones and to blend these with synthesised elements to create an atmosphere that will both inform and respond to the visuals.

Review of INX

Click here to view a review of INX by Claire Rousell on a-n interface.

Filler - Set Up at INX

Filler at INX

Filler

By Paul Grimmer

Taking place at: The Star and Shadow Cinema, Monday 9^th November

Between: 4 pm and 8 pm, bookings on the day

A work for one person at a time, adapted for the theatrical setting at the Star and Shadow Cinema during the INX event.

Placing one against another…

The work plays with the senses, exploring the psychological and unseen forces operating between two bodies in space. Exposing in the gaps between a primitive desire to fill and smooth space, interrupt and control time and cover up the silence.

Originally developed and performed during an exchange with Istanbul where participants memories and fears of interrogation transformed the work. This adapted version, in an overtly theatrical setting places the spotlight on the viewer. Taking a familiar space with familiar rules and etiquette and shifting the balance of power.

INX has been organised by 25 Stratford Grove, and is taking place as part of Wunderbar Festival 2009

INX is supported by Arts Council England, Grants for the Arts.

Viral Portraits at 'Setting the Fell on Fire'

Weaving the Web Images

Weaving the Web, 2009.
Travis Meinolf and Ele Carpenter after Paul Grimmer.
72x72inches. 900ft ethernet cable (red, green, blue), 5 cable couplers, 288 screws, digital images.

Weaving the Web

The Open Source Embroidery exhibition has just opened at the Museum of Craft and Folk Art in San Francisco. A new network cable weaving by Travis Meinolf and Ele Carpenter, using the same principle of weaving network cable used in the Ether work will be shown with the exhibition.

Click here for and interview with OSE curator Ele Carpenter on Rhizome

Glass Microbiology by Luke Jerram

http://www.lukejerram.com/projects/glass_microbiology

Open Source Embroidery at the Museum of Craft and Folk Art, San Francisco

Distortions

Extracts from Video Experiments

Gold Object (Dance City Lab Space Day 5)

Test with Prosthetics (Video Stills)

Thanks to Daniel Barella, Satinder Chumber, James Froment and Rae for their input during the week at Dance City and on the day of the test shoot.

Final Destination (Dance City Lab Space Day 4)

The final day of preparation before the prosthetics test...

I feel I have arrived somewhere, I feel different somehow.

The stage was set with the help of James Froment (Dance City) and Daniel Barella.

Reflections on Beginnings (Dance City Lab Space Day 2)

My body is harsh and unforgiving, I do not understand it, it does not speak to me.

Oubliette

No bones - liquid gold - forming and re - forming - clinging

suspension

trying to force my body to slow down

control

disengage

turn off the alarm

float

umbilicus, connection, remembering, memories of the womb, asymmetry, embryonic, viscous

supine / prone

closed eye / artificial eye

falling down / staying focused

feeling out of body

heart beating like a bird

afraid

still

no-one is watching

eyes fixed

transfixed

leaving

rising

blood moving

exploding

tasting death

Space to Fill (Dance City Lab Space Day 1)

Dance City's Dance Lab space is vast, the first feelings on arriving were of apprehension, what was I doing here in this expanse, how would I fill it? I felt small, isolated, slightly disoriented.

I wanted to explore balance, movement, losing inhibitions and gaining awareness of my body. I met with Fiona Wright several times before taking on this opportunity. Fiona is an artist with a background in dance and movement, making live art works which draw from these disciplines. Something I am keen to explore for a new piece of video work, developing out of the Mutations research.

Fiona gave me some starting points, exercises to get me in touch with my body, to feel it. I started with some of these.

I decided to document the process with video and to write and draw, to take time out, separate from the usual pressures.

moving

heavy head

lead

bursting ribs

tearing paper

tracing thoughts

mindful

consumed

arms - thunder clouds

feet - broken glass

heart - beating

Hands are a focus, a way into my body, a place to fully connect with bone, muscle, blood and skin. opening and closing brings me back. Tight fist, nails pushing, pressure, release, allow to breathe.

INX

INX - Design for Event Passport

I have been working with artist Carole Luby of independent art space/artist retreat 25 Stratford Grove, to co-curate this international exchange between Istanbul and Newcastle. The event follows a successful reciprocal exchange in March 2008.

I am also working on the branding and publicity for the event, which is to be part of the Wunderbar Festival 2009. The design idea is very simple, creating an event passport, for an event, which has been overshadowed by the current home office restrictions on artists and performers entering the UK to work. We continue to keep our fingers crossed that the Turkish artists traveling here will not face any problems on their arrival.

INX is supported by an Arts Council England, Grants for the Arts award.

INX (Istanbul Newcastle Xchange)

"A unique event celebrating diversity and commonality, based around a cultural exchange between five North East based and five visiting Turkish artists: Alper Akcay, Deniz Aygun, CLAIRE, David Foggo, Paul Grimmer, Genco Gulan, Insel Inal, Funda Karakus, Carole Luby and Sally Madge.

INX will present exciting, newly developed works that investigate boundaries and thresholds, power and balance, difference and equality, manipulation and the truth.

Over two days the Star and Shadow will house a variety of performances and interventions to encourage curiosity and debate, as well hosting an open and informal discussion and a lively post-performance party with music, food, bar and surprise guest appearances!

INX is part of an ongoing series of international exchanges organised by independent art space, 25 Stratford Grove.

Supported by Arts Council England, Grants for the Arts.

Part of the Wunderbar Festival 2009"

Triparks Tours to Taunton...

Triparks exhibition

September 5 to October 10, 2009

The Brewhouse Theatre & Arts Centre,
Coal Orchard, Taunton, Somerset, TA1 1JL
01823 283 244
http://www.thebrewhouse.net/