Lens Effects, 2010
performance

Glass allows us to connect with things that we normally couldn't, for reasons derivative of sociological behavior, politics, physical limitations, among other things. Binoculars enable birdwatchers to view birds in their natural, un-disturbed state, under the assumption that the bird is not aware of the birdwatcher because they are far enough away. This sort of covert surveillance is also applied to a remote site whose access is restricted by the state for security reasons. Often referred to as "black sites", these are places that officially don't exist and employ wide security perimeters, preventing close visual interaction. Astronomical telescopes employing massive glass mirrors facilitate the grandest form of covert surveillance, potentially allowing us to intimately monitor the activity of civilizations on other planets.

The process

A telephoto lens apparatus is an array of lenses arranged for the purpose of creating a coherent visual path of magnification between us and distant subjects. "Lens Effects" is a video documentary of the construction of this type of visual path, involving subjects whose proximity or access is restricted for reasons previously mentioned. The process of constructing the visual path, and recording this process, involves placing an array of lenses in front of a video imaging device in steps. Each lens addition presents an abstract summation of the effects of the lenses involved. Depending upon that, particular subjects may be in focus, and may appear larger or smaller then they would when seen with the unaided eye. The final summation of each construction is a highly-magnified, coherent image of a distant subject that's unaware of its observer.

Subjects

1. Space Shuttle Endeavour at Cape Canaveral
distance to subject: 5.7 miles

2. Logan - Terminal C
distance to subject: .9 miles

3. Mass Eye and Ear Infirmary
distance to subject: .4 miles

4. Logan - Terminal E
distance to subject: .7 miles
(feat. BA Flt 238; arr 3/6/2010 8:47p dep 3/7/2010 8:15a)

Lenses used (focal lengths): 55cm, 15cm, 15cm, 15cm

music: "Magnificat" (Robert Jones), Blue Heron Ensemble, Music from the Peterhouse Partbooks, Vol. 1 (2010)