Design = Life

Untitled Looks : In Progress

PLEASE NOTE: I will be updating this page as this project is completed…so…stay tuned!

An Installation about Human Exploration
(a.k.a. the Cookie Monster or VagCam Project)

Much like the beginning of many final projects Nate, Graeme and I all sat down to brainstorm for the project…after about an hour of racking our brains we had come up with about 5 solid conceptual ideas we could present to Jason (our professor)…of course the one he liked the best was the one that involved installing a camera in the vagina of a mannequin. This is where Untitled Looks began.

The Concept

The installation uses human voyeuristic tendancies to examine the relationship between exploring and being explored. By positioning the mannequins “seeing eye” in a place where the voyeurism of the spectator is most concentrated, the traditional relationship between the seer and the seen is comprimised. By then projecting the captured image of the spectator in a removed location the spectators experience is then shared and recognized by all spectators.

The Experience

The spectator walks into a space and sees a mannequin on two platforms with a short skirt on. He/She approaches the mannequin hesitantly to investigate and get a closer look at her. The spectator’s natural curiosity encourages him/her to take a peak at what is between her legs. They see a camera and know they are being watched. The spectator then walks away, possibly hoping no one saw them. As they continue through the space they encounter a gold frame with a picture and video of them being projected inside. They realize that they have been captured as an image by their own voyeurism.

The Elements

• Mannequin: A 5’9″ tall female mannequin in a posture where her gaze is directed away from the spectator…she is what our culture would call an ideal beauty. The mannequin is standing with her legs shoulder width apart on two 44″ platforms. The final height of the piece is approx. 9’5″.

The mannequin represents “the seen” and the personified object of voyeurism.

• Camera: 2 Cameras in this exhibit capture the spectator in various states of exploration. Camera A or the Voyeur Cam is located so that it watches the area the mannequin is located in. It records video (triggered by motion) of the spectator approaching the mannequin and walking away from the mannequin. Camera B or the Vag Cam takes a picture of the spectator as they steal a glance up her skirt (also triggered by motion). The spectators experience is logged in a database and the captured video and image files are saved to a server using Flash Media Server and PHP along with MySQL from Flash.

The “Seeing Eye” an object that serves as both a documentation tool for the experience, and an interruption of the spectators anticipated experience. The camera becomes the all-knowing eye that intimately connects the viewer with their voyeuristic tendencies.

• Projection: A projection of the spectators captured experience is housed inside a gold frame in a removed location where the spectator will encounter it unexpectedly after completing their interaction with the mannequin portion of the installation. Both the captured still and video are displayed simultaneously next to one another inside the frame. If no new experience are captured then the projection will loop through previous spectator experiences logged in the database.

The projection shares the individual experiences and exposures collectively for all to see. The individual interpretation may vary from exploitation, to glorification, but will ultimately be inflated because of the size and style.

The initial phases of the project…Graeme liked to look through the mannequins legs as he wrote his papers and code.

The Process + Progress

This installation is not due to be completed until the beginning of May so we’re still working out some bugs. Some of the things we’re still deciding on is how to dress our mannequin and do her hair…handling the aesthetic stuff…which we feel will probably be more difficult. We also have some technical issues to work out. The installation itself requires 2-3 computers, 2 web cameras, 1 projector, an internet connection, access to electric and a ceiling tall enough to accommodate the installation…when it comes time to install the piece it will be interesting to see if any of these things pose a problem to us.

If you have a space that can accommodate these things and would like to show Untitled Looks in your space, please let us know.

Here’s Graeme with ‘Shirley’ in the NML the day
of our presentation on the project to our Virtual
Entertainment class. Photo by Eric Decker.

We were suppose to exhibit at the Imagine RIT festival, however they recently contacted our professors requesting that we take the cameras out of the exhibit since it was too “provocative” for a “family environment”. So we are searching for another location to exhibit the piece.

To read one of my partner’s write ups about the installation please visit http://www.nathanaelwolfe.com/blog/?p=26