So here’s something pretty cool… I went to an event put on by Apple that featured Lincoln Schatz, an artist who talked to us about the “Random Access Portraits” he creates, along with similar projects. The basic idea is to use a video camera (or several) to capture images over time, use a script to interweave them in terms of time and space, and then play them back, creating a type of interactive video portrait. He’s being commissioned to place them in museums, offices, building sites and even private homes. Consider it the ultimate digital picture frame that captures the most important as well as the most mundane aspects of life and presents them back to you at random.
To grasp one aspect of the potential of this art form, think about what it would be like to have one installed in your home and allowed to run for 20 years. Next to your own current image you’ll see glimpses of your children growing up, the physical changes in yourself and in your home, visitors who have come and gone and eventually video of pets and family no longer with you. For someone like me, who has a family history of memory-related problems and is faced with the probability of inheriting them, this concept is pretty intriguing.
To see a short video of an installation done in Chicago in 2005, check out Lincoln’s Web site. Fyi – it loops, but is only about 3 minutes long.
