Tenth International Conference on The Image

Abstract

Focussing on two works created for and with American artist Suzanne Lacy - Shapes of Water - Sounds of Hope (2015) and The Yellow Line (2018), I discuss the use of multi-screen immersive environments to reframe documentary-based content. Through navigating (and embracing) the inherent contrasts and contradictions between the natural, observed source material and the staged, performative output, I aim to explore how the immersive can enhance the tactile, the aesthetic and the emotional engagement of a documentary-led narrative or experience. Within this paper, I address the balance between authenticity of character and narrative subtlety with the sense of spectacle offered by utilising immersive, projection-based environments. Drawing on examples from my own practice and across the field, I outline some of the strategies, technological means and future considerations of this output, and how this seemingly incongruous pairing provides grounds for an emerging aesthetic across gallery, museum and live audio-visual (AV) environments.