Elements of 4D_Paige

Time  

  Time is a 4D element that follows events/occurrences through the past to the future. Oftentimes, it is pertinent in videos and longer artworks, particularly if chosen to best suit the work and the audience. The article describes 5 main categories: Measured, Experienced, Running, Biological, and Digital. 

    Measured time is a quantitative time that can be recorded. A common example on campus is the 15-minute intervals of the bell tower. Experienced time is the opposite, it is qualitatively measured based upon how we, as human beings, perceive time. Oftentimes, it can be influenced by emotions. For instance, when we're bored, we tend to perceive time more slowly. Minutes can seem like hours.

    Running time, is more common in relation to theatrical events and video games (playing time). It is the total length of a live event or video piece. Plot time, on the contrary, a subcategory, covers the length of the plot. For example, a show that follows the life of a person from childhood to adulthood may only have a running time of 20 hours but a plot time of years. 

    Biologicals time is time that is related to the body, such as sleep cycles. 

    Digital time is often associated with technology. For example, in basketball, a split-second buzzer beater may go in only a millisecond before a game ends. This millisecond would be considered digital time. Battery life is similar but focused on the time of a battery. This is most commonly noticed when a battery- for instance, a phone battery- is about to die and there isn't a charger in sight. 

    In Robert Zietara's "End of Time," the element that drew me in is the use of surrealism to make a seemingly normal clock more dynamic. The organic forms that frame the clock direct the viewer's eye towards the clock and, subsequently, its cracked surface. 

    Zietara claims that "Wrong time is turned into good times by taking the required actions," speaking to the idea that there is not a "bad time" to take action. A common example of this is New Year. Many people wait until the New Year to act on their resolutions- whether that be working out, cooking more, driving less, etc. Zietara is trying to convey that waiting only results in lost time. This is made apparent through the broken imagery; most prominent in the cracked surface and then more subtly in the broken rings in the organic forms. 

    In relation to 4D art, this piece could work in a similar format to "The Clock" by Christian Marclay, in which it is a smaller part of a whole, representing only the moment in time in which the painted clock is set. However, if it were to stand on its own, its significance would be the unrelenting persistence of time and how, delayed actions will not slow or elongate its movement. 

Sound

    Sound and silence sit on opposite sides of the scale, with silence (or perceived silence given that sound is always present, even if it is just our own heartbeat) amplifying sound or expressing its own emotional significance. 

    There are three parts to sound: attack, sustain, and decay (in other words, growth, duration, fall). These can communication information such as distance and speed of the sound. For instance, a longer sustain means a slower sound. 

    There are five categories of sound: synchronous, nonsynchronous, asynchronous, diegetic, and nondiegetic. Synchronous are sounds in which time and space align. For instance, the sound of a singer while she in onstage; when she is still visible to the audience. Nonsynchronous, comparatively, is sound in which the source is not visible. For example, announcements over a PA system. Asynchronous sound is sound that contradicts what the audience sees. For example, the sound of a river while the audience only sees the forest. The audience knows the river is there but cannot physically see it. Diegetic "actual" sounds come from the work and its environment while nondiegetic "commentary" does not come from the world of its work. Diegetic sounds can be the sound of clothing of a character onstage, while nondiegetic sound can be narration that occurs over the work.

‘cyl 0081 (xylo 2)’ by marius watz (high-resolution print based on sound-responsive performance system using ‘cyl 0081 (xylo 2)’ by alexander rishaug)

https://www.designboom.com/art/frozen-sound-art-exhibition/

    

    The above work by Marius Watz is just one of several "frozen" sound prints that were displayed in a sound art exhibition. The works depict stilled images of the sounds in print and 3D forms, such as sculpture. Watz's, in particular, caught my eye due to the complimentary blue-orange color scheme and the way in which it seems to recede into the distance. As such, I almost feel as if I am about to reach into the sound wave. Additionally, the wide range of line- thick thin, long, short- heightens the piece's complexity and aids its connection to sound, as sound is so rarely routine and orderly. 

    Another aspect I liked about the work is the accompanying sound that viewers could actually listen to during the exhibit. Aligning with the ideals of 4D art, "cyl 0081 (xylo 2)" appeals to audience interactivity by allowing viewers to hear the music/sound that the image depicts. As such, Watz's work appeals to two sense- as opposed to one. I believe this makes it more dynamic and interesting as it heightens interactivity. 

    It would be interesting to see this piece set to time. Though in its current state it does an excellent job at depicting the sound, adding a time-based element (such as having the individual lines move in time to the music) may aid its connection to sound even further. However, I understand that this may undermine the structural composition that the still print depicts. 

Movement

    Successional movement leads the eye in one directional while oppositional movement leads the eye in a different direction. An example is a tennis match, in which the movement of the two opponents pulls the eye back and forth. The opposite of movement is stillness. When used in contrast with a lot of movement, stillness can effectively draw the eye. 

    Movement can be either observed or participatory. For instance, controlling the movement of a video game character can be categorized as participatory while watching a live performance focused on movement can be categorized as observed. The participants experience the movement through a frame of movement. 

    There are several parts to movement; attack, sustain, and decay. Without these three steps, the movement can look artificial. Other important key terms are base of support (the area that connects the person/object with the supporting base) and center of gravity (the center of mass). 

    Gestures are movements done by a part of the whole; such as a hand gesture- as opposed to a full-body movement. GIFs and cinemographs can show these sorts of small movements in repetitive animations. These can also be strikingly organic or angular. 

    Movement can also apply to film and video. For instance, pan is a camera movement in which a shot is slowly swept from one side to the other. Tilt is a movement that moves up and down. Zoom makes the subject larger or smaller, depending on the desired affect. 

                                         

Untitled by Iris Scott

    Iris Scott uses finger painting to depict a dog digging through dirt. She captures a moment in time by showing the dirt mid-air, not yet fallen to the ground. As such, even though the image is still, it provides a strong sense of movement. The ensuing sense of life is what drew me into the image. It feels as if I am there in the moment, watching the dog destroy this patch of dirt. I also particularly like her method of finger painting. It adds a childlike essence to the work. 

    The one thing I don't particularly like is the color scheme. Comparing it to her other works, this one seems a bit dull. Though this adds to the realist aspect, I wish she would lean into the childlike wonder and almost over-saturate the colors so as to heighten the viewer's sense of joy when looking at it. 

    This is important when talking about 4D work due to its strong relation to movement. Scott did not decide to depict the moment before or after the grass was dug into. As mentioned prior, by purposefully choosing the media res moment she enacts a strong sense of movement.