SUNLEY SMITH: TEXT

The works intention is to explore the medium of light and find relevant visual form for the processes and activities involved in contemporary ‘telecommunications’.

Gossamer is principally an experimental sculpture which looks at the idea of ‘physicality assisted through technology’ facets of persons being amplified, projected, (becoming light in this instance),...utilising technology for greater more efficient means of communication and the use of these sytems to over come physical distance.

The phone call; an every day activity... an exchange on computer [Net, etc] fax, these devices rely on the transmission of information as pulses of light. Light harnessed, encoded as binary language. Delivered, pulsing down optical fibre cables. Communication, speech, text, even our ‘image’[real-time] for those who can afford the enrichment of teleconferencing, travels as light.

It’s increasingly naturalised that people maintain contact this way and are even introduced as ‘ever ready electrical pulses’ encoded and decoded as flashing light.
The voice; a pattern of sound...changed into electrical waves through the mouthpeice of the phone, moving through copper wire where measured and encoded each sound wave is then refigured as pulsating light. This binary code then flashes on/off thousands of times a second like tiny comets over great distance as it travels through the optic carrier cables. The other end of the line holds the decoder, changing the pulses back into electrical waves, which again become the sound waves of the voice.

The caller;...letter writer, traveller, immigrant..those who wish to communicate more readily, with greater intimacy and directness. Body; personality, character, transaction, exchange, human contact, business, communication from the intimate to the infinite, all largely taking place as transmissions of light.

A super fine substructure... an elaborate network in operation which grows increasingly... toward the irradication of naturally imposed geographical distance.
what do we do when we are distanced? the process of feeling secondary, apart... we yearn simply to see another, to be able to interact directly, to enjoy ‘full’ moments, perhaps direct physical contact We miss sights, smells, sounds,.. partners, lovers, friends, family, relatives etc, etc.

The LED the tiny lamp which informs us in our absence that someone has called, wishing to contact. It is the LED which alerts us, the tiny winking light on the answering machine. It tells us the machine is on...waiting for commands,.. interactions.

It advertises presence...power switches, clocks, alarm systems, it is the LED which informs us that perhaps we are being monitered, recorded, surveyed,...that we have missed or forgotten something, or perhaps... that we have neglected to respond.