Space/Place/Displace

In this project I analyzed the boundaries of a space and contemplated on why those boundaries are created. As a comparison, I played with the idea of boundaries in nature. The space I chose for the assignment was the campus dance studio in the recreation center. This place is of peculiar existence as its purpose is to be as empty as possible in order to only be temporarily inhabited. Without the presence of dancers, the room is nothing but a shell, an expanse of hardwood floor with four walls. The artificial lighting and climate of this room simulate the ideal of having an open environment to house exertive work. I find it interesting that we create places such as these for ourselves. As humans, it makes us very unique that we are able to create artificial environments. Just to emphasize the peculiarities of these boundaries, my assignment was to play with context and analyze how this changes the perspective of the space.

Graze

My first image was the most plain. Though the room was empty in all of my photographs, this one felt particular bare, mainly from its flat angle and head-on perspective. Initially thinking of dance, I imaged the opening scene from The Sound of Music. The protagonist of the film dances through a field, singing much louder than what would be socially acceptable indoors or in the urban area she resided. Imagining this experience, I couldn't help but draw tactile sensations from what I imaged: the feel of the grass under your feet, the sensation of wind. The latter is very ironic as there is a fan inside the room which has been obscured. I played with the artificial replication by bringing grass and wildlife into the room.

Grotto

The next image I edited, I decided to focus more on mood than sensation. Immediately a fish setting came to mind. I wondered, if animals danced, and sought the need to acquire a particular space for it, what kind of space would this be? Already in the state of mind for a nautical theme, the idea of fish in an enclosed space made me think of an aquarium. This image takes on the same concept of displacement of natural textures as the first image, but also with a particularly somber mood. Maybe it is the blue of the water that leaves a somber expression, but I image the idea of fish compressed behind glass to be a melancholy scene. This fish in the image flow around in the open air as if the room has been submerged in water, a hidden grotto of sorts made from human wreckage.

Galaxy 

The third scene was an extension of both of the previous ideas. I was now interested in how animals from the opposite spectrum of mobility would inhabit a similar space. This image is the most altered of three, as one of the planes is removed entirely. I dropped out the floor of the studio and replaced it with sky. The dance studio has now become a rookery, or birdhouse of sorts. I imagined that if birds were to inhabit this place as opposed to land animals, that the room would have to be significantly

altered to create more space.

Just staring and contemplating the logistics of these images began to raise a lot of questions. What is dance? (Give examples of animals as dance). Can what animals do in their everyday life also be considered as dance, a celebration of life? As a human being, it made me think of the many reasons we create spaces. For Protection. Privacy. Comfort. Our artificial spaces are utilized so frequently that at times they feel more natural to us than the organic world that surrounds us. In conclusion of the assignment, I was left with many more questions that arose after executing my initial idea.