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THE BUZZ: A Long-Term Memory of Light

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A Long-Term Memory of Light

A Ship In The Woods

Article by Rebecca Romani

Wandering down a wooded path in the intermittent rain, you could be forgiven for wondering if Christopher Robin and the Brothers Grimm might have reworked the woods thing after some espresso-fueled all nighter. It’s eerie, fun and slightly uncertain all at the same time.

And then, you see it.

The HOUSE

Lit up, ablaze and buzzing with sound, light pulses and sound waves.

And, suddenly, you know:

THIS is the place,

The Ship In The Woods.

Housed in a well-laid out, mid-century dwelling with interestingly textured poured floors and a wide variety of sectioned spaces, The Ship In The Woods is a dynamic art space that offers quirky, challenging and fresh takes on both performance art and installations.

Curated by R.J. Brooks and Kiersten Puusemp, The Ship In The Woods is a non-profit space dedicated to original and forward thinking art, often in collaboration with art collectives and groups such as The New School of Architecture and Design researching interesting techniques, said Brooks. According to Brooks, A Ship in the Woods has attracted collaborations from a number of quarters, including the Salk Institute, and if their latest show, A Long-Term Memory of Light, held earlier in December, is anything to go by, these collaborations offer intriguing installations that are challenging, whimsical and just plain fun.

In A Long-Term Memory, listed as a site-specific exhibition, artists Matthew Bradley Wayne Grim Anjali Sundaram and Phoebe Tooke delve into the concept of visual memory, light, and data. One of the most intriguing participatory pieces is the Rhodopsin installation, with Salk Institute neurobiologist John Reynolds, Greg Smaller (LABS), Paradox at the New School of Architecture & Design and Daw-An Wu. Based on research that shows that rod photoreceptors in our retinae allow us to perceive light, shadow and darkness as patterns, the installation exposes participants to light variations that challenge how we think we experience space and light, and introduce viewers to fantastic visual patterns as persistence of vision is reconfigured within your eyes, so to speak.

Other parts of the installation play with what we now consider old visual technology vs. newer technology with visual loops. One loop is cleverly projected by continuously looping 8mm projector suspended above visitors’ heads in a hallway, while huge opaque windows in the living room serve as rear projection screens for a wormhole like loop of patterns cast via linked projectors.

Mixed in are an assortment of odd but unexpected pastiches of low and high tech objects such as lighting from reconfigured engine parts, repurposed children’s toys and a dark room with a sly commentary on 1950’s sci-fi aspirations. It seems like there is something moving or humming or projecting some image in every corner, just waiting for visitors to the house to add their presence as part of a mutual collaboration with the installations.

And the combination of slight chill, lightly foggy woods and a sense of a living breathing house casts a glow over the whole set-up, the kind of feeling that only seems to come with warm summery nights or that sense of end of the year suspension when you feel open to something slightly miraculous happening.

Later in the evening, The Ritual Howls get going- a lanky set up of musicians winding their way through some seriously morbid, ground up post-punk, while guests stand around on the pressed cement floor, alternating between seemingly mesmerized and unconsciously adding another textured layer of performance, that of heads from the block nodding in rhythm with popped up sound design raked through a voice and sound system.

The music soon eclipses the exhibit for intensity, and by that time, most people have looked at, touched, spun and prompted any number of collaborative pieces, adding new meaning to the installation every time they do.

Eventually, it’s time to stumble out, your internal eye full of surprising news images, into the ethereal, yet welcoming woods.

It has been, as Brooks suggests, a collaborative progressive pastiche of sound and visual elements ready to tell new tales of Winters past/present and future.

And you leave, almost afraid to look back, because, like Eurydice, it just might vanish if you do.

Keep checking back with a Ship in the Woods at http://shipinthewoods.com/ for upcoming shows.

Vanguard Culture

Vanguard Culture is an online media entity designed for culturally savvy, socially conscious individuals. We provide original interviews and reviews of the people, places, and events that make up San Diego’s thriving arts and culture community, as well as curated snapshots of the week’s best, most inspiring and unique cultural and culinary events. We believe in making a difference in the world, supporting San Diego’s vibrant visual and performing arts community and bringing awareness to important social and community causes.

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