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Snap! is
a 10 minute 32 second silent video projection portraying firecrackers
exploding in super slow motion. Over this ten minutes, three different
explosion events are portrayed.
The sequence at left is from one string of firecrackers. Above right
details the moment just after the first firecracker explodes in
another string. You can find a sample clip of that explosion in
the video section.
The work was shot at roughly 2000 frames per second with a high
speed video camera designed for ballistics research. This footage
has been slowed down to the standard rate of 30 frames per second,
over 60 times slower than its original speed. At this rate, one
second of real-time takes roughly one minute to pass. At this speed,
a viewer can easily differentiate each single firecracker explosion.
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The first half
of each segment is filled with anticipation and activity, while the
latter halves portray a slow, subtle rain of debris. This portion
of the video is quite abstract when compared to the initial explosions.
Viewers' impressions of this work, as either abstract or pictorial,
are often colored by whether they first see the video before or after
the explosions.
This work tends to entrance viewers. When exhibited, it was common
for gallery goers to stand and stare at Snap! for over half
an hour, watching it from start to finish at least three times.
The first time Snap! was exhibited, it was projected onto a
4' x 8' piece of fogged Plexiglas, suspended in the center of the
space. This added to the mesmerizing qualities of Snap!. |
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