This interdisciplinary project delves into the nuanced realms of Erin Manning's theory of the minor gesture and autistic perception, entwined with Jeff VanderMeer's world-building tools focused on monsters. Synthesizing these frameworks, the study explores the transformative potential of subtle shifts, embodied in the minor gesture, as catalysts for profound social change. In contrast to grand gestures tethered to prevailing power structures, Manning proposes that the minor gesture, with its inherent changeability and risk, acts as a precursor to more perceptible societal transformations.
Drawing inspiration from my neighborhood explorations, guided by the ethos of the minor gesture, I embarked on a visual journey capturing the ephemeral imprints of human existence on urban landscapes. The act of photographing varied textures, surfaces, and found objects became a lens through which the ever-evolving nature of the neighborhood was documented. These traces, whether graffiti, stickers, or discarded items, epitomize a deeply existential human condition—a need to declare one's presence in the world.
Rooted in the concept of monsters as entities that both guard and reveal, my approach extends to the demonstrable nature of the spaces I encountered. These tangible traces, beyond doubt, serve as evidence of the dynamic interplay between individuals and their surroundings. Employing a computational process, I meticulously gathered and image-mapped photographs onto 3D-modeled abstractions of city blocks and buildings. This method allowed for the creation of three monsters, transformed from the amalgamation of images collected during walks, each telling a unique narrative of the neighborhood's collective consciousness.
The methodology involved three distinct walks, each yielding 20 images, collected over time and mapped onto corresponding digital ‘objects’ based on spatial coordinates, size, and orientation. These objects were then visualized in axonometric view, forming the building blocks for the creation of three distinct monsters in a digital 2.5D space. Once formed, the monsters shift between various levels of digital fidelity. These abstractions highlight the complexity and depth of the image making process before subsequently, materializing as vinyl stickers that are reintroduced into the urban landscape, serving as poetic reflections of the complex interplay between human experiences, memory, and the built environment.
