Description
Consisting of 52 one-minute shots with little or minimal movement, (Un)Stills is a slowly evolving ‘documentary’ of the everyday. Quotidian scenes, the majority in Ottawa, employ a deliberately pared-down approach to build a contemplative space of observation which takes in such concerns as the built environment of the city, fringe social practices, community rituals and pastimes, natural forces (including the destructive), and iconic signage. Echoing the rejection of the spectacular found in the type of images presented, the constraint-based form of the work – single uncut shots with one fixed duration and camera position (no pans or tilts, etc.), strips away technique to not just look, but ‘see,’ what surrounds us on a daily basis. The one-minute intervals point to the complexity of our experience of time. Philip Rose is an Ottawa-based media artist. As an active member of the Ottawa/Gatineau media arts community, Rose as served on the Boards of Saw Video (Ottawa) and Daïmôn (Gatineau) and was the Coordinator of the Available Light Screening Collective for more than fifteen years. His single channel and installation videos have been exhibited and broadcasted in Canada and internationally.