The loop as narrative : investigating the oscillation between two points within the realm of contemporary art through the exploration and production of video and sculpture

Abstract

An investigation of the ways in which repetition and self-reference, exemplified in the figure of the ‘loop’, have influenced and also created artistic practices which contribute to today’s contemporary domain, generally associated with film, video and/or programming; it is an exercise in video and other alternatives within the visual platform mainly - text and/or sculpture. An oscillation between two or more points gives the impression of movement and may suggest a narrative to be ultimately consumed and resolved by closure. The idea of narrative within each object is inclusive of the space it shares with the next. A dual and, possibly, opposing nature of a sign’s meanings can lead to the creation of time-based occurrences within ‘static’ objects and oppositely, stillness from the dimension of duration. Through repetition, this work addresses the motivational underpinnings of people’s need to perceive meaning (or lack of it) in the world. Here we see an intersection of content and its relevance, relying and demanding one’s perceptual resources for interpretation, operating within a post-conceptual framework.