ILLUMINART PROJECT CASE STUDY: PROMISE @ SYDNEY FESTIVAL 2009
Promise: as beautiful by day as by night.
PROMISE is an audiovisual light sculpture and installation, as beautiful by day as by night, which was initially presented at Sydney Festival 2009.
Promise is twin six metre high structures composed of patchworked wedding dresses and lace on a portable/demountable steel framework, with integrated AV system.
Audiovisual projection and light at night enhances the structure with a story of betrothed separated by a long voyage, and their hope, despair and the nature of commitment and bereavement, honouring the whimsical tragic and romantic. I like to think of it as a fusion of bride, ship, lighthouse, yearning for someone to return, or to reach out to someone far away.
As the textiles are a construction of recycled lace and vintage wedding gowns, using traditional techniques of applique and patchwork. cutting them up seemed sacrilegious - each discarded dress has its own unknown story. it will become more worn and torn by the elements, eventually reminiscent of a shipweck's torn sails.
Projection of imagery onto the Promise sculptures passes through the layered screens, spilling onto the neighbouring environment, creating reflections and shadows of the images and the lace structures.
The work is inspired by sailing journeys, and the promises made by people separated by voyages or journeys, such as "I will return for you", "I will never love another" and "we will be together". In days of old, when a voyager left, who could know if or when they would return, it may be months or years before there could be news of them.
I prefer to site the structure with its back to a significant building which has some connection with the idea of promises, commitments or with voyages, a little like a bride waiting for the groom to show up or come back.
Specifications:
The underlying themes are a poetic celebration of the sacredness of a promise, representing the structure that a promise creates, and the faith involved in trust. Unlike most outdoor projection installations and screens (requiring scaffolding, etc) Promise is as beautiful by day as by night, and may be adapted and reconfigured for many types of use.
The top sails and base can be separated, allowing the installation to be configured in various ways, its primary purpose to be a stand alone son et lumiere installation, and may also be used as parade float, and components of a performance space. The base also can be configured in a variety of sizes and forms, installed apart or even one within the other, and may be covered with other screen forms designed by Cindi Drennan.
For detailed specs, demo video, more photographs and to book Promise for an event contact illuminart.
click images below to see a larger view:
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PROMISE Credits:
Cindi Drennan ~ Illuminart: Sculpture / AV Design
Kirsten Bradley - The June Fox - for contribution to moving images
Samanta Ray, TomNtum and Trilby Temperley - for soundscape
Craig Laurendet - for logistics support
Jo Fife
Sam Chamberlain
Kevin Wedding
Port Festival Crew
Sydney Festival and the First Night Team
Fiona Pride, Andy Stewart
CenturyYuasa Batteries
Alien Proof Construction
Brett McLoughlin
Irina Rheyktman
Terra Reecke
Sally Dare