21 Landings
Jan 02 - Jan 22, 2009
Available for free public viewing 10am-5pm on weekdays
21 Landings is a looping video installation of multiple attempted landings by the legs of a bird-like creature onto an icy, futuristic surface. The stop motion animated actions of the creature and following movements of the camera reveal a relationship between an imaginary photographer and subject. The audio that accompanies the landings is made up of spoken whooshing sounds.
Says artist Britta Johnson, "I make animated shorts and videos that use the language of nature photography to explore science and technology themes. This particular piece addresses learning curves, the mechanics of bird legs, and (obliquely) climate change. My primary goal in making 21 Landings, though, was to unpack a gesture - in this case, the gesture of a landing - through repetition. The very nature of on-the-fly stop motion animation (made one frame at a time, each time moving the camera, legs, and scrapings a tiny amount) makes every landing a little bit different and lends a new challenge to the motions of the camera. Ultimately, the piece is about endeavor, that of the creature as well as that of the photographer."
"21 Landings" was made with support from the City of Seattle Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs.