A documentary media maker is one who observes the world, decides what to record using a variety of tools, grasps the meaning of what has been recorded, and finds a structure that conveys a cohesive story with a particular relationship to the historical world.
The work described in this thesis provides a basis for understanding documentary construction as a process of crossing boundaries: what we create is defined similarly by borders and interiors, each with their own function and value. I examine the contours of the experi- ence of observing events in the social-historical world and sharing traces of those events with others.
Boundary crossings are examined through the analysis of three projects:
- Hawt Couch, an object that shares its memory of past events;
- Provocative Objects, an exhibition and exhibition catalog that interrogates the limitations of traditional documentation; and
- This Place in a Space, an installation offering visitors the opportunity to experience one or both sides of the objective/subjective divide.
Using a framework encompassing issues of immersion, computa- tional media, and boundary crossings, each project is contextualized with connections to dynamic media, design, cinema, narratology, philosophy, and installation art.
See also Provocative Objects
Image: “Musée du quai Branly, Paris, August 3, 2011” by David Tamés
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