31 Mar -- 13 Apr

31 Mar -- 13 Apr

video projection

SIP Thesis

April 2014

This is my view, a digital extension of what I see and observe as dictated by a set of simple rules: "What would happen if I record 15 seconds, at the same time every hour that I am awake, for two weeks?" 

       I like formulas; I like to know the end result and work backwards. For this project, I was interested in pursuing a daily process that would help me to see in new ways. With my material being my life -- structured loosely by class, chapel, and other daily activities -- this process allowed for a lot of uncertainty and no controllable end result. These are not manipulated or constructed scenes. My eyes are all that is involved, not my hands. During the post-production process, I analyze the entire day's footage and cut each clip down according on how they fit and flow into the hourly sequence. By intentionally stopping every quarter after the hour, I noticed the things both happening and not happening in my life. I started to observe both visual and aural patterns that I then organized sequentially. Through this daily discipline, I began to become visually aware of what was around me.

       These hourly compositions are framed and mediated through my iPhone, which acts as an extension of my body and my eyes. In the context of social media, the iPhone is often used to filter out the monotonous, tedious, and mundane. We consciously construct our identity on the platform of the Internet, typically framing ourselves as interesting, successful, and unusual. I wanted to see my life through the lens of the everyday as opposed to the occasional and exceptional. Through that process, I began to recognize that the rhythms and rituals of my everyday life are meaningful and important. Within the structure of each hour, there are endless compositions and things to observe. This heightened visual awareness has made me look more intently and purposefully at my surroundings as I engage with familiar places and spaces.

      I spent the first 17 years of my life in South Carolina before being transplanted to southeastern New Mexico. I come from a family of engineers; both my parents are civil engineers and two of my three brothers are mechanical engineers. I grew up drawing on 8.5 by 11 sheets of copier paper, entirely self-taught before attending Covenant College. While I still enjoy drawing, my focus has shifted to photography and video. During my time at Covenant, I have had the privilege of studying art in New York City and Sydney, Australia and assisting local arts organizations in Chattanooga. After graduation, I will be participating in a summer long internship with the High Museum in Atlanta, specifically in their Photography Curatorial Department, as I pursue a possible career as an art curator.

Nicole Freeman

April 2014

Installation views